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Many people make the mistake that presumes criminals think rationally and therefore consider the consequences. They do not. Crime is usually an act of desperati

Many people make the mistake that presumes criminals think rationally and therefore consider the consequences. They do not. Crime is usually an act of desperation and consequences aren't in the formula. That's why "tough on crime," doesn't actually reduce crime. That's why the drug war doesn't work, that's why zero tolerance is just a talking point. If we want to reduce crime, we have to reduce the desperation.

spacebanana7 2y ago
> If we want to reduce crime, we have to reduce the desperation. I believe this, especially in explaining why European crime rates are generally low. You don't need much punishment to prevent a hungry person from stealing an apple when people in need can access food at a foodbank. > Many people make the mistake that presumes criminals think rationally and therefore consider the consequences. Obscenely violent punishments can take advantage of this irrationality in the opposite direction. I suspect this plays a factor in crimes of insatiable desire like sex, drugs and politics. Drugs are rare in Singapore, western movies are rare in North Korea and adultery is rare in Saudi Arabia. There's also something special about the death penalty in preventing reoffending.
- Woshiwuja 2y ago
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eth0up 2y ago
Reducing desperation is a noble plan. It's also worth considering that "criminal" is a feeble and flawed term. Criminality is defined largely by arbitrary parameters, or law, which is perfectly capable of promoting harm and prohibiting good while remaining officially justified. Whereas, ethical and/moral conduct does not have equal liberties nor equal restrictions. If we consider the myriad things people do that are unambiguously legal but clearly unethical or immoral, we could have, in principle, a substantially larger portion of humanity involved in criminality. A whimsical shift in law could render many millions either criminals or upstanding citizens at the drop of a mouse click. The desperation issue is integral to this, especially with what I presume is a vast minority of individuals with stalwart integrity and high precision moral compasses. It's no surprise that it's not only these "criminals" who don't think rationally, but a whole global population that struggles with this, and consequentially, engages regularly in behavior that could, at any moment, be judged criminal. I suppose some might wonder what examples there might be of this crazy proposal. Take general, common business practices; deception, dishonesty, fraud and many other foul attributes that are status quo, accepted behaviors. Negligence, whether authentic or unintended. Exploitation. Greed. The list could tire any voracious reader. The fact that throughout humanity, values and morals are so diverse, even within more homogeneous societies, complicates it all too. And the reluctance or outright refusal of most to ponder the subject and embrace kindness, means that big decisions are often made for us by authorities - authorities that aren't perfect nor interested in even trying. Pardon the rant if you will. But my primary point is that to sincerely consider the meaning of "criminal" might be quite uncomfortable and disturbing, but also might lead to some positive solutions to an exponential clusterfuck of problems.

spacebanana7 2y ago

> If we want to reduce crime, we have to reduce the desperation. I believe this, especially in explaining why European crime rates are generally low. You don't need much punishment to prevent a hungry person from stealing an apple when people in need can access food at a foodbank. > Many people make the mistake that presumes criminals think rationally and therefore consider the consequences. Obscenely violent punishments can take advantage of this irrationality in the opposite direction. I suspect this plays a factor in crimes of insatiable desire like sex, drugs and politics. Drugs are rare in Singapore, western movies are rare in North Korea and adultery is rare in Saudi Arabia. There's also something special about the death penalty in preventing reoffending.

Woshiwuja 2y ago
[dead]

eth0up 2y ago

Reducing desperation is a noble plan. It's also worth considering that "criminal" is a feeble and flawed term. Criminality is defined largely by arbitrary parameters, or law, which is perfectly capable of promoting harm and prohibiting good while remaining officially justified. Whereas, ethical and/moral conduct does not have equal liberties nor equal restrictions. If we consider the myriad things people do that are unambiguously legal but clearly unethical or immoral, we could have, in principle, a substantially larger portion of humanity involved in criminality. A whimsical shift in law could render many millions either criminals or upstanding citizens at the drop of a mouse click. The desperation issue is integral to this, especially with what I presume is a vast minority of individuals with stalwart integrity and high precision moral compasses. It's no surprise that it's not only these "criminals" who don't think rationally, but a whole global population that struggles with this, and consequentially, engages regularly in behavior that could, at any moment, be judged criminal. I suppose some might wonder what examples there might be of this crazy proposal. Take general, common business practices; deception, dishonesty, fraud and many other foul attributes that are status quo, accepted behaviors. Negligence, whether authentic or unintended. Exploitation. Greed. The list could tire any voracious reader. The fact that throughout humanity, values and morals are so diverse, even within more homogeneous societies, complicates it all too. And the reluctance or outright refusal of most to ponder the subject and embrace kindness, means that big decisions are often made for us by authorities - authorities that aren't perfect nor interested in even trying. Pardon the rant if you will. But my primary point is that to sincerely consider the meaning of "criminal" might be quite uncomfortable and disturbing, but also might lead to some positive solutions to an exponential clusterfuck of problems.