A progressive state (of course like the EU and other similar places, run entirely by crooks)
Brazil sets new record for homicides
171–180 of 193 posts
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#172Something that never seems to come up in discussions of violence rates in the Americas is our history of colonial domination. The fraction of people who survived the onslaught of Old-World diseases were not equipped to effectively resist the influx of predatory Europeans. That was and is a very violent process. It's not over.
> Something that never seems to come up in discussions of violence rates in the Americas is our history of colonial domination. because its not relevant to the topic being discussed.
You don't think that Brazil today is affected by the Brazil of 200, 400, 500 years ago? You don't think that colonial attitudes persist? You don't think that it would be a different nation had not so many natives been killed or enslaved? You don't think that violence is a self-perpetuating cycle?
How the hell does that work?
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Something that never seems to come up in discussions of violence rates in the Americas is our history of colonial domination. because its not relevant to the topic being discussed.
You don't think that Brazil today is affected by the Brazil of 200, 400, 500 years ago? You don't think that colonial attitudes persist? You don't think that it would be a different nation had not so many natives been killed or enslaved? You don't think that violence is a self-perpetuating cycle? How the hell does that work?
Its very easy to blame others, its very difficult to accept failure.
Are going to blame colonialism for all the presidential corruption scandals as well?
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Brazil? I don't think US gun mentality works there. Have you seen what middle class houses look like in Sao Paulo? They have metal bars in all windows, tall spiked gates and tetra locks are fairly common. But that doesn't stop thieves from being crafty and daring. They rob people at gunpoint at busy intersections and ATMs in broad daylight, do flash kidnappings, etc. There was even a raid at a police headquarters…
Well, yes, they do it because they know the population is not armed.
Not really, they do it because they know can get away with it.
I've heard horror stories of people that got attacked by like 7 guys holding assault rifles when the wife was pulling into the garage. Your safety magnum in the bedroom isn't gonna do anything for you in that case, and chances are they are just gonna steal it from you if they find it.
Also, a lot of robberies happen on the streets. A middle-class person open-carrying a gun is just going to be a pickpocket target, and concealed carry is going to be vulnerable to two-team robbers (one approaches you, the hidden one shoots you from the back if you fight back).
In a favela, the drug gang would probably just raid your house and steal your gun, if you could even afford one. Or, more likely, your kid would end up joining the gang.
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't think that Brazil today is affected by the Brazil of 200, 400, 500 years ago? You don't think that colonial attitudes persist? You don't think that it would be a different nation had not so many natives been killed or enslaved? You don't think that violence is a self-perpetuating cycle? How the hell does that work?
Its very easy to blame others, its very difficult to accept failure. Are going to blame colonialism for all the presidential corruption scandals as well?
Blame? What is that? Are you making a moral argument? I'm talking about cause and effect, and I mentioned one cause that exists in Brazil but not in e.g. France.
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
Its very easy to blame others, its very difficult to accept failure. Are going to blame colonialism for all the presidential corruption scandals as well?
Blame? What is that? Are you making a moral argument? I'm talking about cause and effect, and I mentioned one cause that exists in Brazil but not in e.g. France.
Blame - feel or declare that (someone or something) is responsible for a fault or wrong, which is exactly what you are doing.
So colonialism is the cause for the recent presidential corruption scandals?
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#177Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, yes, they do it because they know the population is not armed.
Not really, they do it because they know can get away with it. I've heard horror stories of people that got attacked by like 7 guys holding assault rifles when the wife was pulling into the garage. Your safety magnum in the bedroom isn't gonna do anything for you in that case, and chances are they are just gonna steal it from you if they find it. Also, a lot of robberies happen on the streets. A middle-class person o…
It’s not a dichotomy. Both are reasons why they do it.
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
I just want to make sure we're talking about the same thing. 'Making drugs legal' is frequently miss-understood. Treating addiction as a public health problem by decriminalising addicts and personal posession while keeping the trade in drugs firmly illegal, as in Portugal and now Norway, looks like the way to go. The recent changes to the law in Norway are widely reported as 'decriminalising drugs'. That is highly mi…
Decriminalizing possession doesn't do anything to help the violence associated with the drug trade though, does it? I thought that was one of the main reasons for the "legalize completely" argument.
Yes it does, by dramatically reducing rates of addiction and drug use. Take away vast swathes of the market for illegal drugs and the violence associated with it subsides. At least that’s what has happened in Portugal. Now that Norway is following suit, in the years to come we will have another case study to look at.
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
I just want to make sure we're talking about the same thing. 'Making drugs legal' is frequently miss-understood. Treating addiction as a public health problem by decriminalising addicts and personal posession while keeping the trade in drugs firmly illegal, as in Portugal and now Norway, looks like the way to go. The recent changes to the law in Norway are widely reported as 'decriminalising drugs'. That is highly mi…
Different thing. There aren't black markets for things that aren't illegal. Often, the gang murders we thing of are "turf wars" where one gang is competing with another gang for the same sales territory. So legalizing drug trade likely decreases drug gangs, which likely decreases murders. People might still die from drug use, but that becomes a separate problem.
We dont know if this is true,because no developed country has decriminalised the drug trade. It seems to me that doing that would increase drug use and the associated public health and social problems. I’m much more in favour of decriminalising use but keeping the trade itself illegal, as in Portugal. That enables attacking the problem from both directions at the same time. Restrict availability through cracking down on dealers, while also removing the market through treatment and rehabilitation.
Re: Brazil sets new record for homicides
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
Blame? What is that? Are you making a moral argument? I'm talking about cause and effect, and I mentioned one cause that exists in Brazil but not in e.g. France.
Blame - feel or declare that (someone or something) is responsible for a fault or wrong, which is exactly what you are doing. So colonialism is the cause for the recent presidential corruption scandals?
You are the only one talking about presidential corruption. Besides Brazil certainly isn't leading the world on that measure.