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In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

nytimes.com

151–160 of 457 posts

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#151
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds really expensive for the municipality. The local jailers are probably doing well, though sticking it to the local rubes who support them.

Many people are happy to spend money to hurt members of out-groups.

And they don't even care if it hurts them too, as long as the out-group suffers more.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#152
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

None so blind as them what won't see. I'm European. We don't have favelas, as far as I've seen. The destitute in my country, and there are plenty, have far higher living standards than in yours. Take a little drive round Memphis, or New Orleans. The parts you wouldn't normally go.

I'm talking about how bad comparisons of the US are to actual third world countries and your counter arguments is comparison to Europe, a very NOT third world area?

I was a bit angry and wrote a longer post, most of which I thought better of. Apologies if I didn't formally address your concern.

It is my opinion, having travelled a little in Africa and India, that the slums in some of your cities are directly comparable to slums in those places.

I don't have high hopes that this is a productive conversation. Please just know that it's not a uniquely American thing to view conditions on the ground in your country as "third world".

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#155

I feel that nolo contendre [No Contest] is underrated, and Imma keep leaning on its elegant simplicity.

Expressing the wish to adopt a Latin idiom using Gen-Z slang and AAVE. A linguist could write a PhD thesis on your comment alone.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#156
post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not only that, but it explains the disdain for Europe in the current American government. European society proves that Americans could have true freedom and quality of life if it weren't for corporations and oligarchs effectively owning our government. Fascists hate a counterexample.

Corporations and oligarchs effectively own European governments too. Just possibly a bit less than in the US.

They own European governments far more. They just have several hundred years of extra practice at being subtle.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#157
post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not only that, but it explains the disdain for Europe in the current American government. European society proves that Americans could have true freedom and quality of life if it weren't for corporations and oligarchs effectively owning our government. Fascists hate a counterexample.

Corporations and oligarchs effectively own European governments too. Just possibly a bit less than in the US.

And this is a very important point: there's no "perfect" situation (mandatory Churchill quote: "democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried"). But there are so many nuances of gray that it's most important to differentiate. Yes, there's stupid EU bureaucracy. But citizens can influence it, look at the legendary straight banana regulation: it was repealed. And so on, slow, imperfect, annoying and at times even dangerous, but it kinda works. However, it will need much more to be able to withstand these times...

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#158
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, not really, this is a separate issue. yes, American exceptionalism relies on a comparing itself to the worst countries in the world and ignoring that developed nations exist and work out decently. but there really is a skepticism about some Europe nations, can they - and the bloc - sustain its 21st century advances and social safety nets while adequately paying for its own defense? inquiring minds would like to k…

Does rule of law require the same investments as healthcare? Isn't America spending the most per capita on healthcare in the world with horrible outcomes (life expectancy 4 years behind poor countries like Portugal)? Aren't there public healthcare systems outside of Europe? Doesn't America have an insane amount of natural resources and the benefit of controlling world's exchange currency to make up for any additional…

> life expectancy 4 years behind poor countries like Portugal

Demographics has a big impact on life expectancies. Asian Americans have a life expectancy of 84 years for instance. Which is better than Portugal by 3 years. Comparing life expectancies on a per country basis is fraught with error if attempting to attribute differences to health systems. Genetics, climate, diet — all have huge impacts on life expectancy.

Puerto Rico has a life expectancy of over 82 years and has the same system as the U.S. It’s a year higher than Cuba in fact. Why does Puerto Rico do better than Cuba when the Cuban system is often claimed to have a better health system? Puerto Rico also has a higher life expectancy than Portugal.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#159
post #120
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a similar phenomena with how Russians view Ukraine. "Who allowed them to live so well?".

You should have seen what Ryssians say about Europe

Before or after they emigrate to Europe? Or are they coming to Switzerland out of spite?

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#160
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, not really, this is a separate issue. yes, American exceptionalism relies on a comparing itself to the worst countries in the world and ignoring that developed nations exist and work out decently. but there really is a skepticism about some Europe nations, can they - and the bloc - sustain its 21st century advances and social safety nets while adequately paying for its own defense? inquiring minds would like to k…

These are separate issues. Healthcare aint cheap anywhere for the state, but its perfectly fundable for any but the most poor and broken countries in the world, to a very decent level. But US is broken in another way - everything is for-profit, no real oversight, and unrestricted capitalism full throttle. Then you get what you got. There are 2 absolutely basic pillars of modern free society worth living in - 1) how i…

> no real oversight

The US health system is excessively regulated. It’s anything but unrestricted capitalism. I would argue that the regulation is what makes the system so broken.

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