Posted on 01/28/2011 6:12:00 AM PST by FredJake
An article at The Scientific American suggests that socialism may be the answer to the high homicide rate in America.
John Horgan writes:
Naturally, some researchers have reported data that fail to support the income-inequality theory of homicide. But I find it persuasive, especially because it points toward an attractive solution to high homicide rates: a more equitable economic system, perhaps with higher taxes for the wealthy and more generous welfare programs for the poor. In short, socialism. I hope that opponents of gun control will consider this modest, alternative proposal for reducing lethal shootings.
It's not that some people are just nuts and want to kill, it's because some people have more money than others, if one buys into Horgan's analysis.
How does the homicide rate in the United States compare to socialist countries?
Attempting to compare the crime rate in America with the former Soviet Union - arguably one of the most socialist in recent memory - is difficult, primarily because comprehensive statistics were not maintained during the Soviet Era, however, crime did increase significantly due largely to increased consumption of alcohol after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
According to a 1973 document at Open Society Archives, Soviet journalist L. Vladimirov said:
"It is forbidden to mention ... the number of crimes in any category for the country as a whole or for regions, district, provinces or cities".
The same document quotes B. A. Viktorov, Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs. According to a 1972 account of the proceedings at the fourth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime in Kyoto, he said:
"...the elimination of private property in the means of production, the eradication of the exploitation of one person by another, and the resolution of social antagonisms led to the disappearance of basic...
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
I just cancelled my SA subscription.
That's not "science."
That's personal prejudice with a false-veneer of science.
Try using the DP more often, locking them up for full sentences, and NO DAMN plea bargaining. NO Glamor slammers either.
gun crime is low under communism? well of course... they have a death penalty for nearly everything. on top of that, communism likes to wipe out a large chunk of the population when it starts... 24m for the USSR, Mao.. 50m +
bring it to the US... 30m easy
funny how the incidents of crime decrease when you kill or threaten to kill everyone
I dropped mine in the early 90s when they moved from being a science magazine to a promoter of social justice.
So the moron wants to go from individual murderers like Jared Loughman to State Murderers like Stalin?
I’d rather take my chances with individual nutballs, thank you. At least I can shoot back with some hope of winning.
What a straw man. One that only the least intelligent couldn't knock down.
First-There are 50-80 million gun owners in this country. There are VASTLY more gun owners with guns THAT DON'T commit murders than do. So GUNS themselves aren't the issue.
Second-There are millions of poor people in this country who DON'T commit crimes. IF income inequality was the cause, WHY DON'T these people commit crimes also?
Third-IF poverty WERE the cause of crime, then what is the cause of crime amongst middle to wealthy people?
Leftist refuse to believe that morals have an outcome on society.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams
ScienceBeDamned American.
If that is the leftist logic, then let us go one step further, enact an Islamic theocracy like Saudi Arabia. They have very low crime and even lower HIV rate. Harmful cigarettes and alcohol is banned. Healthy, very little crime and very orderly society compared to the wild west free Americans./sarcasm
Well, OK, let me consider it....
NO!
Look who got elected to POTUS. I would say their assumption may have some veracity to it.
Scientific American is then neither.
That’s pretty much the conclusion the author had. He quoted Adams also.
Dear Skippy: under socialism, what you would consider forgivable and even meritorious become tantamount to high treason. Nipping something becomes theft from the State, right? Screwing around with the equipment, even to get it working better, wrecks the Plan and thus injures the State. No wonder as to why the punitive arm never lacks for work.
Consequently, why would any "good socialist" go to the bother of killing someone when it's much easier to rat 'em out? Amounts to the same thing in many cases, except the government does the killing for them.
This guy is supposed to be one of the smart ones?
Claiming that Socialism is a “more equitable economic system”?
What Planet did they say they got this idiot from?
Pretty much. I remember a time when SA and most other scientific publications presented serious papers by credible authors. A some point we entered the age of pseudo science when any hack could get their stuff published b/c it was the In Thing rather than good science. The logical conclusion of this ‘movement’ is a flat earth et al. Then again we’re daily assured these people are way smarter than us.....
Translation: there’s too much private killing. Killing should be the job of the state.
“I hope that opponents of gun control will consider this modest, alternative proposal for reducing lethal shootings.”
In keeping with the new, kinder, gentler public discourse, I’ve undertaken just such a consideration as Mr. Horgan suggests.
And, upon due reflection, I find his proposition to be fully and completely in opposition to the notions of free will and personal responsibility upon which free nations are founded.
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