Actually, the United States has about 5% of the world's population and about 25% of the world's prisoners. Thank you Intro to Law class freshman year and of course Mrs. Horihan..
Consider for a moment that you have to reach into ORGAN HARVESTING territory to find something worse than what the US does. Oh, and the US also has death penalty.
Just look up the prisoner numbers, crime statistics and resocialisation measures in other western countries, which is what you should compare with instead of freaking North Corea. Something terribly is going wrong in the US. All the poor are in prison, a billionair is running for president without political solutions, its capitalism in final stage
As a criminal justice major, I'd like to add to this.
Not only does the United States have the largest number of people incarcerated, but also keep in mind that out of our entire prison population, it is also overwhelmingly poor people, people of color and just over half are incarcerated for drugs.
There's a very good documentary I just watched in my CRJ Ethics class called 13th. It's available on Netflix and primarily focuses on the huge prison population and the racial injustices in regards to it.
Dyodeny that people in prison are those whom committed a crime and the justice system produced the evidence for a jury of their peers to find guilty? If yes, then the issue you seem to have with the U.S.A is that too many criminals are caught and convicted.
The poor commit crimes everywhere there are poor, as do the rich. But here the law has resources to investigate and prove crimes to the end result of conviction. Here the rich have resources to hide evidence where the poor do not; but also here, there is technology that assists law enforcement as well as... people.
Other countries accept criminals walking their streets for most crimes; but here, we accept segregation of those whom choose to live the thug life. U.S.A. is expected to be a nation of hard workers, earning a living rather than taking from those who do. THAT is why prisons are numerous and populated. The people don't want to live in fear of what they've worked for, being taken, at the possible cost of their lives.
Incarceration for minor "quality of life" and non-violent offenses make up a good chunk of the prison population, not the mention three strike rules and recidivism.
Three strike rule definitely plays a huge part. Each state has a slightly different three strike rule, but a lot of states are locking up people for a long time for just 3 minor felonies and not focusing on locking up violent offenders.
I've never understood why you guys still gush about freedom? The US has some of the worst policies and morals about life I've ever heard of, yet you boast about how amazing you are. Guns are a 'right' what the fuck ?? You praise your soldiers on their heroism but how many innocent lives have they killed in the process of war? There are far worse countries yes and far better but don't pretend you're the best because you're not by a long shot
@garlog: YES!
@guest: kindly fuck yourself for talking about the handful of military vets that have caused bloodshed. They are merely a drop in the bucket of our TENS AND TENS AND TENS OF MILLIONS of vets that have served (and continue to serve and support) our country. You try doing a few (or many) years of military service and then come out the other side undamaged and brag about how cool you are. On the plus side: maybe then you will understand the true sacrifice that has to take place for freedom to exist. Last, we don't pretend that we are "better"; we just know we are awesome.
@guest Yet when other countries have a problem oh say with an invasion or a financial / natural crisis the US is the first one they request help from. Kind of odd that we are so bad socially and morally. I don't see other countries coming to help when we have a crisis. Do you have any idea how much aid was mobilized for the last disaster in Japan or Haiti? I am sorry but I am getting very tired of people complaining about or making fun of America and Americans when I've seen what gets published in European news about the US. Its about 1/4 the story most of the time and very rarely the truth. I don't pretend to know what goes on in other countries until I get all of the facts. I wish others wouldn't pretend to know what goes on here.
"I don't see other countries coming to help when we have a crisis."
To be fair, that has more to do with the US having a lot money compared to the countries that generally need help in crises.
@garlog what do you "to be fair" since when is money the only form of help. In many instances our first responders and other medical personnel go over on their own to help, not to mention food and supplies.
Since when does helping anyone have to do with money and how is that fair? Other countries do not even offer, yet have the nerve to comment on our policies and morality. I am just getting sick of people who do not live here passing judgement.
We do have freedom, we are proud of it. It is not the freedom to commit a crime but it is the freedom to make our own decisions when it comes to many things including protecting ourselves. I've lived several places around the world and despite our problems (which every country has problems) the US is one of the better places to live. For those who comment on our patriotism and how proud we are, I don't see very many other countries stepping up and doing anything that their citizens can be proud of.
"In many instances our first responders and other medical personnel go over on their own to help, not to mention food and supplies."
That all costs money.
"how is that fair?"
How is what fair? Being generous? It's not by it's own nature.
"Other countries do not even offer, yet have the nerve to comment on our policies and morality. I am just getting sick of people who do not live here passing judgement."
Individuals commenting isn't the same as a country making an official comment.
"I don't see very many other countries stepping up and doing anything that their citizens can be proud of."
Then you're not looking particularly hard. There are plenty of countries with things to be proud of.
"That all costs money" individual citizens and corporations helping are you telling me other countries do not have either of those that are willing to help others?
I did not say that individuals commenting is the same as a country making an official comment. Sorry I did not explicitly say the people making comments against America usually come from countries who do not even bother to help yet they (the individuals) feel the right to pass judgment and comment on the morality in a country they've probably never been in. It just seemed overly verbose.
Please reread the last part of my previous comment I suspect you misunderstood the point of it. I also suspect that by pulling it apart line by line you missed the point of the entire reply.
People in general seem to think that it is not okay to "trigger" someone and you have to be careful about being sensitive but it is okay to bash another culture without basis as long as it is America.
"individual citizens and corporations helping are you telling me other countries do not have either of those that are willing to help others?"
It costs those people money too.
"I did not say that individuals commenting is the same as a country making an official comment."
No, but you make it seem like you do.
"Sorry I did not explicitly say the people making comments against America usually come from countries who do not even bother to help yet they (the individuals) feel the right to pass judgment and comment on the morality in a country they've probably never been in."
Sort of like this. Just because they come from a country that doesn't do a lot to help doesn't mean they support that. You can't assume an individual represents the values/actions of their country.
And I didn't respond to the last part of you comment because I didn't say anything about that stuff previously, nor do I disagree with it besides the part that I did respond to.
I would hate to live in a country where no one does humanitarian works because of lack of money. You would be amazed at how much you can do with very little money. People here donated time and yes money - some gave 10 cents while others gave thousands of dollars. Are you telling me no one in any country could take up a collection or write a letter? That there is no form of assistance that you can think of?
"You can't assume an individual represents the values of their country" Sorry but I believe a country is made up of individuals and an individual can act whether their country does or does not. When a person comments on a forum or in a comments section they are representing their country to individuals around the world. The comments against the US are not being made by other countries they are being made by individuals.
"Are you telling me no one in any country could take up a collection or write a letter? That there is no form of assistance that you can think of?"
No, people in various countries do stuff like that all the time. You don't generally hear about that, though, because it's so small in scale. Additionally, there are countries where those kinds of things actually aren't available to the people.
"a country is made up of individuals"
It's a little more complicated than that, and there are many non-democratic countries where the government doesn't represent the will of the people.
Somebody lobbied real hard for the three strikes law to put the super predators behind bars. Maybe we could find that person and throw it into a jail cell.
The US has an enormous overpopulation of Blacks in the prison system, unfortunately caused by their over representation in committing crimes. The US addicts them and other poor to "society owes me" mentality by giving out welfare with no conditions of having to look for work. If any of them try to break the mold by succeeding, they're criticized as "acting white" by the "Black Community." And the hand-wringing apologists make nothing but excuses, so additionally there's the soft bias of low expectations.
But luckily, soon all of us enlightened Europeans will get the same equality thanks to letting in "refugees" who are nearly all young, male and violent. Plus, they don't want to adapt to our culture, but reform it into the culture of the $#!+hole that they left.
Not only does the United States have the largest number of people incarcerated, but also keep in mind that out of our entire prison population, it is also overwhelmingly poor people, people of color and just over half are incarcerated for drugs.
There's a very good documentary I just watched in my CRJ Ethics class called 13th. It's available on Netflix and primarily focuses on the huge prison population and the racial injustices in regards to it.
The poor commit crimes everywhere there are poor, as do the rich. But here the law has resources to investigate and prove crimes to the end result of conviction. Here the rich have resources to hide evidence where the poor do not; but also here, there is technology that assists law enforcement as well as... people.
Other countries accept criminals walking their streets for most crimes; but here, we accept segregation of those whom choose to live the thug life. U.S.A. is expected to be a nation of hard workers, earning a living rather than taking from those who do. THAT is why prisons are numerous and populated. The people don't want to live in fear of what they've worked for, being taken, at the possible cost of their lives.
Kek.
@guest: kindly fuck yourself for talking about the handful of military vets that have caused bloodshed. They are merely a drop in the bucket of our TENS AND TENS AND TENS OF MILLIONS of vets that have served (and continue to serve and support) our country. You try doing a few (or many) years of military service and then come out the other side undamaged and brag about how cool you are. On the plus side: maybe then you will understand the true sacrifice that has to take place for freedom to exist. Last, we don't pretend that we are "better"; we just know we are awesome.
To be fair, that has more to do with the US having a lot money compared to the countries that generally need help in crises.
@garlog Truthfully we have no money. We are nearly $20,000,000,000,000 in debt.
Since when does helping anyone have to do with money and how is that fair? Other countries do not even offer, yet have the nerve to comment on our policies and morality. I am just getting sick of people who do not live here passing judgement.
We do have freedom, we are proud of it. It is not the freedom to commit a crime but it is the freedom to make our own decisions when it comes to many things including protecting ourselves. I've lived several places around the world and despite our problems (which every country has problems) the US is one of the better places to live. For those who comment on our patriotism and how proud we are, I don't see very many other countries stepping up and doing anything that their citizens can be proud of.
That all costs money.
"how is that fair?"
How is what fair? Being generous? It's not by it's own nature.
"Other countries do not even offer, yet have the nerve to comment on our policies and morality. I am just getting sick of people who do not live here passing judgement."
Individuals commenting isn't the same as a country making an official comment.
"I don't see very many other countries stepping up and doing anything that their citizens can be proud of."
Then you're not looking particularly hard. There are plenty of countries with things to be proud of.
I did not say that individuals commenting is the same as a country making an official comment. Sorry I did not explicitly say the people making comments against America usually come from countries who do not even bother to help yet they (the individuals) feel the right to pass judgment and comment on the morality in a country they've probably never been in. It just seemed overly verbose.
Please reread the last part of my previous comment I suspect you misunderstood the point of it. I also suspect that by pulling it apart line by line you missed the point of the entire reply.
People in general seem to think that it is not okay to "trigger" someone and you have to be careful about being sensitive but it is okay to bash another culture without basis as long as it is America.
It costs those people money too.
"I did not say that individuals commenting is the same as a country making an official comment."
No, but you make it seem like you do.
"Sorry I did not explicitly say the people making comments against America usually come from countries who do not even bother to help yet they (the individuals) feel the right to pass judgment and comment on the morality in a country they've probably never been in."
Sort of like this. Just because they come from a country that doesn't do a lot to help doesn't mean they support that. You can't assume an individual represents the values/actions of their country.
And I didn't respond to the last part of you comment because I didn't say anything about that stuff previously, nor do I disagree with it besides the part that I did respond to.
"You can't assume an individual represents the values of their country" Sorry but I believe a country is made up of individuals and an individual can act whether their country does or does not. When a person comments on a forum or in a comments section they are representing their country to individuals around the world. The comments against the US are not being made by other countries they are being made by individuals.
No, people in various countries do stuff like that all the time. You don't generally hear about that, though, because it's so small in scale. Additionally, there are countries where those kinds of things actually aren't available to the people.
"a country is made up of individuals"
It's a little more complicated than that, and there are many non-democratic countries where the government doesn't represent the will of the people.
But luckily, soon all of us enlightened Europeans will get the same equality thanks to letting in "refugees" who are nearly all young, male and violent. Plus, they don't want to adapt to our culture, but reform it into the culture of the $#!+hole that they left.