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Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime, and prefers to pretend it's only about personal failings. People who

Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime, and prefers to pretend it's only about personal failings. People who do crime are to be caught, punished, and punished some more (unless they are high-class, good looking or part of a government agency, etc). Yet at the same time the US seems to almost maliciously engineer society to push people into hopeless situations where crime looks like a good way to get by.

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
I'm sorry but an upvote is an insufficient reaction to this comment. In decades of considering State privacy abuses and their roots, I haven't come across an analysis that so succinctly encapsulates the whole of causes+outcomes as this one. It is one of the most Modern America things I have ever read.
prottog 3y ago
> Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime, and prefers to pretend it's only about personal failings. A lot of people think the other way around, where it's unfathomable that anyone would commit a crime of their own volition were it not for the weight of an unjust world upon them.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- bawolff 3y ago
  Does it matter? If people are opportunistic then you should remove the systemic issues that make crime seem like a good risk. If people are desperate you should do the same thing. Either way the correct response is to make crime not seem like the best option for someone to do.
  - vxNsr 3y ago
    You seem to have spent a lot of time considering this issue, how would you go about solving it?
  - refurb 3y ago
    If people are opportunistic then you should remove the systemic issues that make crime seem like a good risk. One way to do that is to make it clear that committing a crime is very likely going to result in punishment, which is what the US does.
    - bawolff 3y ago
      The us communicates that you will get punished if caught. I imagine most people dont think they will be caught.
autoexec 3y ago
> Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime I'd argue that some people have incentives to ignore the systematic reasons behind crime. Slave labor in the US is partly dependent on prisoners. Crime keeps people fearful and distrustful of each other. Crime is used to justify increased control and monitoring of the public and the abuse of prisoners. Crime enables a huge underclass of Americans who pay taxes but aren't allowed to vote. Sadistic cowards keep politicians elected who are "tough" on criminals and they vote against things we know would actually reduce crime whenever those solutions aren't also needlessly cruel.
refurb 3y ago
That's called "rule of law" and a core foundation of any democracy. The law equally applies to everyone, no matter the reason for it.

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago

I'm sorry but an upvote is an insufficient reaction to this comment. In decades of considering State privacy abuses and their roots, I haven't come across an analysis that so succinctly encapsulates the whole of causes+outcomes as this one. It is one of the most Modern America things I have ever read.

prottog 3y ago

> Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime, and prefers to pretend it's only about personal failings. A lot of people think the other way around, where it's unfathomable that anyone would commit a crime of their own volition were it not for the weight of an unjust world upon them.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
bawolff 3y ago
Does it matter? If people are opportunistic then you should remove the systemic issues that make crime seem like a good risk. If people are desperate you should do the same thing. Either way the correct response is to make crime not seem like the best option for someone to do.
- vxNsr 3y ago
  You seem to have spent a lot of time considering this issue, how would you go about solving it?
- refurb 3y ago
  If people are opportunistic then you should remove the systemic issues that make crime seem like a good risk. One way to do that is to make it clear that committing a crime is very likely going to result in punishment, which is what the US does.
  - bawolff 3y ago
    The us communicates that you will get punished if caught. I imagine most people dont think they will be caught.

autoexec 3y ago

> Because the US has an aversion to even think about the systematic reasons that cause crime I'd argue that some people have incentives to ignore the systematic reasons behind crime. Slave labor in the US is partly dependent on prisoners. Crime keeps people fearful and distrustful of each other. Crime is used to justify increased control and monitoring of the public and the abuse of prisoners. Crime enables a huge underclass of Americans who pay taxes but aren't allowed to vote. Sadistic cowards keep politicians elected who are "tough" on criminals and they vote against things we know would actually reduce crime whenever those solutions aren't also needlessly cruel.

refurb 3y ago

That's called "rule of law" and a core foundation of any democracy. The law equally applies to everyone, no matter the reason for it.