Poseidon28
Moderator
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The US locks up a higher percentage of its population than anybody else. The government at all levels has simply stuck its nose into too many things.
The US locks up a higher percentage of its population than anybody else. The government at all levels has simply stuck its nose into too many things.
A misleading and useless statistic that does not give support to the conclusion following.
the prison industrial complex
The U.S. has a little over 2 million currently in jail and over HALF of them are in prison for NON-violent drug crimes, China has around 1.5 million in prison...remember also that China doesn't have the humanitarian laws that we do, they can and do lock people up for reasoned dissent.
and mostly for economic crimes (including drugs)
That very term shows the bias of the source.
On the other hand, I could argue that the reason for a lower prison polulation is that China executes between 1700 and 10,000 folks a year
And this shows your bias. I have yet to see a statement about a law or regulatory agency that you didn't think was wonderful and essential. That's your right to feel that way - but the "prison industrial complex" is a very good description of a governmental industry dedicated to having as many people behind bars as possible in order to enrich the prison guards unions and their members. In California the prison guards' union is very active in trying to keep drugs from being decriminalized because they would lose jobs and they know it. Deny it all you want but it's a fact.That very term shows the bias of the source.
They certainly do. Crime stories give them their biggest ratings. If they weren't dependent on selling crime as stories, then why the heck do you think they fill no less than a third of their content with it? You can't watch the news on any channel without getting at least the first five minutes being full of crime stories. Have you seen the lineup on prime time TV? Law and Order in its various forms, NCIS, Castle, Cold Case, Cops...almost half of it crime and police shows. It's been that way for the past two decades at very least.The corporate media doesn't sell and thrive on crime, keeping the population scared