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Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

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Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#131

Post by maaku »

AdeptusAquinas wrote: post #85
clarkmoody wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of people have never and will never murder. It's not human nature to do so.

The book Guns, germs and steel retorts that fit the majority of human history (I.e the last hundred thousand years or so) most human encounters with other humans who were not family resulted in death for one party or another. Still the case in some isolated areas. Only the growth of societies really changed that default inclination, out of necessity.

There's a book called "on killing" that you should read.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#132

Post by mc32 »

sandworm101 wrote: post #49

Forgetting the laws, what sort of people can so casually kill like this? There are basic human instincts not to hurt people. Armies have to train soldiers to ignore these feelings because without training most won't kill even under combat situations. So when I see someone kill so casually I have to believe that they have rehearsed the scenario in their head beforehand. That means a large number of chinese people driv…

From what little I know about this, which is listening to locals and some foreigners, this comes from the perverse incentive where maiming costs more than the manslaughter payout. It's from advice of prior extortion victims, accounts from the news, hearsay from friends, etc. The incentive is that trying to help a maimed person can cost you dearly. This same thing is why you don't see "good Samaritans". Good Samaritans get taken advantage of. Poole take a sign of help as a sign of guilt.

Interpreting help as a sign of guilt is very strong and has become a strong reason people look the other way instead of helping someone in a bad position, sadly.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#133

Post by maaku »

bwhite wrote: post #115
titfn wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's the same in many states in the US... for example, if you are going to shoot someone, make sure that you kill them, if you don't want to go to jail...

Is there really a situation in which the punishment for killing is lighter than for wounding, especially with a weapon/vehicle?? Or are you speaking less formally: that you might never get caught for the kill if there's nobody to turn you in?

I think he is saying the dead don't seek prosecutory action in court.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#134

Post by jdietrich »

clarkmoody wrote: post #70
pvnick wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People throughout history have killed, seemingly casually. It's human nature. I would contend that modern society has instilled these feelings of guilt associated with murder specifically against the natural tendency of man.

The vast majority of people have never and will never murder. It's not human nature to do so.

Two words: Stanley Milgram.

Our morals aren't nearly as absolute as we like to think. 20% of the entire population of Rwanda were hacked to death with farm implements by ordinary people. 25% of the Cambodian population were butchered, starved or worked to death by a poorly-organised militia.

Any of us have the capacity to kill if we have a sufficiently compelling justification. Ask any mother if she would kill to save her children. The difference between murder and self defence is mere context - the Nazis believed that they were defending themselves from a Jewish conspiracy, the Interahamwe believed they were liberating themselves from Tutsi oppression.

Consider the fact that the rate of domestic homicide in the US is drastically higher in households that own a gun. A great number of Americans have killed their partner simply because the means to do so easily was readily available. Evil or insanity is not a prerequisite for murder, only means, motive and opportunity.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#135

Post by beeboop »

revelation wrote: post #33

Well, in the US it doesn't matter, there are no consequences either way. You can literally rampage up a sidewalk and send a bunch of kids to hospital, and have city council line up excuses for you. [0] If you do manage to kill someone, no worries, just tell police you were grasping for some milk carton. [1] If you go by police, there are literally plenty of cars of all makes and forms randomly losing control! [2] The…

Don't forget that that time when Laura Bush ran a stop sign and killed someone t-boning them at 50MPH and she was never even fined.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#136

Post by k4renio »

sandworm101 wrote: post #49

Forgetting the laws, what sort of people can so casually kill like this? There are basic human instincts not to hurt people. Armies have to train soldiers to ignore these feelings because without training most won't kill even under combat situations. So when I see someone kill so casually I have to believe that they have rehearsed the scenario in their head beforehand. That means a large number of chinese people driv…

I have been living in china for over 10 years and I came to the conclusion that what you assume here as being "basic human instincts" is really the result of the culture and the education that shaped us. Let a human being grow with no rules and awareness of good or bad, where the only law is "what is good for you well is good", then you end up with this kind of behaviour.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#137

Post by olefoo »

nosuchthing wrote: post #98
orthoganol wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived in China for a few months. The way it was explained to me was, it's you and your family, and everyone else can f * off.

The way that's described seems like a society/culture of sociopaths..

You can find people with that mentality in any American city. Sociopaths are pretty evenly distributed across the human population. It's just that here the incentives are different. And there, money and connections are an absolute get out of jail free card.

That said, I'm surprised there isn't a greater culture of vengeance killings over issues like this.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#138

Post by ausjke »

Everything is about money when the amount is huge, anything else, including killing, comes to the second.

I don't believe anyone enjoys killing there, however when it's tied with huge chunks of money, many of them will choose to kill instead of leaving a disabled human being on wheelchair keeping asking for lifelong financial support. It's indeed similar to the gun-shoot case in USA, either you don't pull the trigger, or you make sure the target is absolutely dead, that explains some victims have lots of gunshots on their body.

The law must be adapted to deal with this.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#139

Post by maaku »

malkia wrote: post #14

I've heard of a similar story, but in a different context. One of the asian airlines (I don't remember whether it was Taiwan, South Korean, etc.) had problems and lots of crashes. Turns out, people were not accustomed of questioning their bosses, and if this boss was your other co-pilot you would've never even try to correct them. I can't find the article, but it went something like "a western professor" goes to the…

IIRC the solution was to speak English. The reason being that speaking English (when that is not your native tongue) put the cockpit crew in professional mode, where it was okay to question superiors.

It's a cute mental trick if you ask me.

Re: Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit

#140

Post by clarkmoody »

alextgordon wrote: post #122
clarkmoody wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of people have never and will never murder. It's not human nature to do so.

Watch this and see if you change your mind on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPM-gJA62Rs

600 people killed in 30 years in battle between the featured tribes. Population of New Guinea: 11.3 million.

Some of the battles are agreed upon ahead of time. Killing in battle is not usually considered murder under law, but even so, the vast majority of people do not murder.

The armed militia was also high on drugs when they confronted the motorists, so their very minds (nature) were changed during the encounter.

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