72 Shot, 12 Killed in Chicago Over Weekend

[Indy]

I didn't say wealth distribution is the answer.

What I was pointing out is that "wealth distribution" to the poor makes every talk radio show talking points list year-round.

When the vast majority of wealth is redistributed to literally the top 10%, 1%--you don't hear about that. Because you're busy being told about how those black people are getting your hard earned tax dollars to buy Obamaphones.

It's a pretty obvious misdirection.

[John Galt]

[Indy]

I'd start with education.

[John Galt]

well, sure, education. chicago is already second per pupil in spending after NYC. i would start if you wanted to mix it up with increasing voucher programs for poor people, because throwing more money at it obviously isn't doing jack shit.

however, in the end, people still want drugs. sure, poor people want drugs more, but their lives suck more. this doesn't mean that other people don't want drugs, they just have more to lose and their lives don't suck as much. but there will always be a demand. and if there's a demand, there's gonna be gangs. so i think really the key to addressing gang violence in this country is addressing prohibition.

other types of violence need other solutions but gang violence is all about prohibition, and chicago's major violence problem is gang related.

[John Galt]

[Indy]

[lnrw]

I get an uneasiness with having only 2% of the population producing 100% of the food. Automation can do far more than yesterday's 30 horsepower Farmall. But so few people doing so much, will cut too many corners. Because no matter which way you cut it, you have to get dirty, work long hard hours, be weather dependent, and do a shitload of the work by hand. there's no automation at this time that has made agriculture that efficient.

[John Galt]

we have 5% of the world's population, yet 25% of the world's prisoners. the war on drugs, mandatory minimums, and suffocating people with tons of charges so they give up and plea out, these things are all terrible. and prison does horrible things to people, and they get stuck in a terrible pattern because it's hard -- unless you're rich of course (like martha stewart) -- to leave prison and get back on your feet. so they turn to crime... and it all continues.

i feel like other punishments should be used more (community service, corporal punishment, fines) and prison should be for real criminals (killers, rapists, people that steal more than like 100K (i don't know exactly how much, but a lot), etc)

[Indy]

I agree.

[Dobby]