Leader of the Free World? Hardly!

[Rubber Duck]

A new study of US prisons has found that numbers of people in jail are at an all-time high, with more than 1% of the adult population behind bars.

The Pew Center report calls the US the global leader in the rate at which it imprisons its citizens.

Over 2.3 million people were being held this year, it said - far ahead of other countries with large prison populations like China, Russia and Iran.....

The numbers were "especially startling", according to the Pew Center report, for some groups in the population.

"While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, for black males in that age group the figure is one in nine."

The total of 2.3 million adults held in prison - or one in every 99.1 adults - puts the US far head of other countries.

USA: 750 prisoners per 100,000 people
South Africa: 341 per 100,000
Iran: 222 per 100,000
China: 119 per 100,000

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world...as/7270607.stm


China, with its far greater population, has 1.5 million people behind bars, and Russia has 890,000.

[bwhhisc]

Originally Posted by Rubber Duck

China, with its far greater population, has 1.5 million people behind bars, and Russia has 890,000.

Do you really think they reports their counts accurately. LOL

I guess other countries don't count the forced "child labor" that is its own form of imprisonment.

[Rubber Duck]

Originally Posted by bwhhisc

Do you really think they reports their counts accurately. LOL

I guess other countries don't count the forced "child labor" that is its own form of imprisonment.

I think the US needs to undergo a re-evaluation. The UK has the highest prison population in Europe, that too does not make it one of the safest places to live. I think the US need to re-evaluate "the right to bear arms", which I believe is a primary factor in making it one the most violent societies in the World.

[thegenius1]

Its called Modern Day Slavery !

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by Rubber Duck

I think the US needs to undergo a re-evaluation. The UK has the highest prison population in Europe, that too does not make it one of the safest places to live. I think the US need to re-evaluate "the right to bear arms", which I believe is a primary factor in making it one the most violent societies in the World.

I disagree about the guns part. You know Finland has like the second highest gun ownership per-capita in the world (I think Oman was first), but there are hardly any gun related crimes here.

The real problem in the USA is the extremely wide gap between the "haves" and the "have nots". A lot of people are not equal, and they don't have much possibility to ever become equal. If you know that no matter what you do, you can never have the things that you see others have, well you figure it out...

A society which has some semblance of social equality, in my opinion, will have less violent crime. Implement a progressive-scale income tax in the USA and re-evaluate the violent crime level after 5-10 years :-)

.

[bwhhisc]

Originally Posted by Rubber Duck

I think the US needs to undergo a re-evaluation. The UK has the highest prison population in Europe, that too does not make it one of the safest places to live. I think the US need to re-evaluate "the right to bear arms", which I believe is a primary factor in making it one the most violent societies in the World.

Most of the crime is low income inner city, where there is a lot of drugs, gangs, and crimes on a daily basis. A lot of the
violence is due to cultural influences as well, especially glorifying drugs, crime etc. in movies, television, video games, etc.

All in all you can travel freely just about anywhere in 95% of the US and feel very safe, especially in populated and
tourist areas. Not so in some tourist places where crime is rampant right in broad daylight. Italy for one comes to mind,
not to mention a good few of your soccer games.

[Rubber Duck]

It all gives a pretty hollow ring, when Bush starts lecturing others on human rights.

Originally Posted by jacksonm

I disagree about the guns part. You know Finland has like the second highest gun ownership per-capita in the world (I think Oman was first), but there are hardly any gun related crimes here.

The real problem in the USA is the extremely wide gap between the "haves" and the "have nots". A lot of people are not equal, and they don't have much possibility to ever become equal. If you know that no matter what you do, you can never have the things that you see others have, well you figure it out...

A society which has some semblance of social equality, in my opinion, will have less violent crime. Implement a progressive-scale income tax in the USA and re-evaluate the violent crime level after 5-10 years :-)

.

[thegenius1]

I agree with Bill , about the reason why Crime is so prevalent in the inner cities but the people that end up with the guns and drugs are not the ones shipping them in and manufacturing them. It's modern day slavery to have people in jail working for 10cents per hour , more jails are going up then schools " Jail Privatization".

But if you look at the laws of the U.S and then Canada , and compare Detroit Michigan's homicide rate to Windsors Canada which is 2 minutes away you will see laws do have a impact.

edit: Im wrong about the homecides 418 Detroit in 2006 , 605 in Windsor , But Canada's crime rate is the lowest in 25 years.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7z9IrJ7W6JA

[touchring]

Originally Posted by bwhhisc

Do you really think they reports their counts accurately. LOL

I guess other countries don't count the forced "child labor" that is its own form of imprisonment.

I don't doubt their reports, it's not the number of people executed per year, but the number of people in jail. The situation in countries vary and law enforcement varies - having less prisoners does not mean less crime.

Take for example in malaysia, they now shoot to death robbers with firearms on the streets, there's no need to arrest, just gun them down in their getaway cars - definitely reduces the number of people in prisons.

In China, where the wealthy to poor divide is much larger than the US, petty crimes like theft and scamming are usually not investigated.

In Singapore, even the possession of a BB gun may incur a jail sentence. Usage of a BB gun in an offense (like shooting your neighbor) calls for mandatory whipping.

"Exhibiting imitation arms when committing scheduled offence: At least three strokes" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore

Petty crimes are usually commited by illegals and foreigners, so:

# Illegal entry into Singapore: At least three strokes
# Unlawful overstay in Singapore for over ninety days: At least three strokes

I remembered about 15 years ago, whenever i fly back to Singapore by plane, 15 minutes before landing, they would play a video informing passengers that drug trafficking is punishable by "hanging till death", and the video will show this!

[Rubber Duck]

Originally Posted by bwhhisc

Do you really think they reports their counts accurately. LOL

I guess other countries don't count the forced "child labor" that is its own form of imprisonment.

Well, they probably don't actually have officials whose job description includes lying to congressional committees.

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by touchring

In China, where the wealthy to poor divide is much larger than the US, petty crimes like theft and scamming are usually not investigated.

The wealthy people are generally not the targets or the antagonizers of the lower class - that position belongs to the USA's huge middle class. The middle class are the ones who have the things that the lower class wants - iPods, cheap sports cars, new sneakers, mobile phones, $200 in the wallet, etc. - things they can use for a few days then sell quickly for some drug money. One would stand out a bit too much trying to sell a stolen Bentley or pawn a $50k diamond necklace.

As a result, there is not nearly as much class friction between wealthy and poor as there is between middle class and poor. In addition, when the middle class and poor are nearly equal in size, there are lots of opportunities for friction between the two.

Just my 2 cents.

.

[touchring]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

Just my 2 cents.

.

How about finland, i would expect it to be almost entirely middleclass?

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by touchring

How about finland, i would expect it to be almost entirely middleclass?

Yes, that's the way it is. There are very few filthy rich and very few dirt poor. Even movie stars, sports stars, musicians, etc have pretty normal salaries. As such, there isn't much class friction. The only people here who are dirt poor are the ones who reject the available social assistance due to the desire to remain on drugs or stay drunk.

As opposed to the US, where one is locked out of better jobs unless in possession of an "Ivy League" degree which costs upwards of 300K USD, here all people have completely equal educational opportunities and the tuition is free.

There are a few things I don't like about a flat social class, though, having lived in places where that doesn't exist. For example, all people are distrusted equally when it comes to issues regarding money, regardless of whether you are wearing a suit or dressed like a bum. That might be taking it a bit to the extreme, but you get the point. And if you try to live a "finer" life, e.g. only eating finer foods or wearing nice clothes, then people will regard you as a snob and you won't fit in.

All in all, the rate of violent crime is pretty low. It mainly only happens when people are drunk and get into a fight with a stranger or something. It's more of a problem related to substance abuse than class friction.

.

[xxbossmanxx]

One of the most violent societys in the world lol, ya, we are right up there with darfur and iraq, holy shit a cruise missle just went down my street, oh wait it was just a teenage girl in a shiny new beetle on here iphone.

scary, violent stuff here.

[Rubber Duck]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

For example, all people are distrusted equally when it comes to issues regarding money, regardless of whether you are wearing a suit or dressed like a bum.
.

I would choose the bum over the suit every time, especially if it has got an American accent! OK, they probably both want you money, but the bum's approach is going to be a bit more straight forward.

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by Rubber Duck

I would choose the bum over the suit every time, especially if it has got an American accent! OK, they probably both want you money, but the bum's approach is going to be a bit more straight forward.

I was referring to cases where money needs to be paid out by the bum or the suit, not where they are on the receiving end of it. Sorry for being ambiguous.

.

[Rubber Duck]

I always turn up for work in Jeans.

I am probably the only one in the office that does. Thing is, I am temporary so I probably earn more than my boss and am more qualified, so the last thing I want to do is give the impression I am after anyone's job. So I get good money, low levels of stress and don't seem to upset anyone.