[News] What is wrong with this country

[Wokeworrier]

You didn’t even open that link let alone read it, did you? If you had you’d see from very the opening sentence the article argues against your point.

“Germany has been slowly regaining the unenviable title of “the sick man of Europe” in recent weeks, although some economists aren’t convinced it’s a fair and accurate description of Europe’s largest economy.”

Out of interest, on a scale of 1 to 10, how stupid do you now feel?

Well yes, it found an economist that says Germany is suffering from a different sort of economic illness compared to the last time it was labelled the sick man of Europe but still has major structural problems that show no sign of being remedied. Plus the worst G7 economic performance/forecast for 2023 and the FT pointing out more worrying data/news ... thoughts and prayers to you and your German friends HT

 

[Horses Arse]

Even compared to other western European countries in terms of attitudes to sexuality, women, racism etc. Still a way to go but we are ahead of most European countries for sure in those aspects.

We've been rapidly trying to catch the others up based on those metrics under the frauds in charge over the last decade+. Killing this country.

I do think Germany maybe a better place to be though (based on limited knowledge and never living there!). Holland too perhaps, although it is so dull aesthetically.

 

[Van Cleef]

Regards the kicking and slapping the horse - its the country set who were involved and they also run the judiciary .. The group have been involved with fox hunting with dogs which is also against the law but again they never get punished even when its been caught on video.

The woman involved stated it was "a snippet of video taken out of context".
I'm struggling to think of any "context" that would make this OK.

 

[beorhthelm]

that was fun. someone brings up something about soft sentancing and we've had wealth distribution & envy, immigrants, divide & rule and its better/worse in Germany. not really much on sentancing but plenty of axes ground there, well done everyone.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well yes, it found an economist that says Germany is suffering from a different sort of economic illness compared to the last time it was labelled the sick man of Europe but still has major structural problems that show no sign of being remedied. Plus the worst G7 economic performance/forecast for 2023 and the FT pointing out more worrying data/news ... thoughts and prayers to you and your German friends HT

I’m not arguing this. I’m arguing fact you posted a link you hadn’t even opened let alone read.

 

[Peteinblack]

The Law is a shambles in the UK. Mostly down to the Police and CPS being underfunded and Wokes making ridiculous decisions in senior roles.

"Mostly down to the Police and CPS being underfunded" - remind me who has been in government for the last 14 years, and is therefore responsible for this underfunding - would it be the self-professed 'Party of law-and-order'?

"and Wokes making ridiculous decisions in senior roles." Ah, yes, the Tory Culture Warriors latest divide-and-rule blame-shifting tactic - anything bad happens, or any disapproved-of decision is taken, blame the Woke. Better still if it can be blamed on the "Guardian-reading, Tofu-eating, Wokerati."

It used to be reds-under-the bed, then it was the loony Left, then it was political-correctness-gone-mad, now its all the fault 'the Woke'. Guess it plays well with the Tories' Daily Mail-reading base and Red Wall converts.

The Tories - the Party which preaches 'responsibility', but never accepts any itself; like a juvenile delinquent caught wrong-doing, always blame someone else and play the victim card.

 

[marcos3263]

back to the soft sentencing, how can he only get 12 years drink driving and killing some one is horrendous obviously but to hide the body show no remorse or compassion at all. How can you deprive a family of a loved one and not be utter scum.
He killed someone which was an accident (granted an avoidable selfish accident) so there is a penalty for that. but then to go back and bury the body and hid it - that's calculating and evil.

 

[MJsGhost]

Horse says No!

Unlikely.

All the horses I've known have been naysayers

 

[Eric the meek]

There are countless studies showing a link between inequality and crime.

It wouldn't seem to be the driver in the cases mentioned in the OP but I fail to see how they relate to your perceived "entitlement epidemic" either.

Do people feel more entitled to slap horses and murder cyclists these days? Can't say the thought has crossed my mind.


As for a sense of injustice being a "manifestation of entitlement", that's just tosh. A sense of fairness is something that has evolved in humans and is an essential characteristic. It exists in other animals too. There's one study where monkeys are happily chowing down on bits of cucumber offered by researchers until one is given a grape. The grapeless monkey is terribly aggrieved and refuses subsequent offers of cucumber. So angry that he could slap a horse.

'There are countless studies showing a link between inequality and crime'.

I know there are. I didn't say there wasn't. What I was questioning was the effectiveness of a redistribution of wealth as a solution to crime.

What I actually asked was how a redistribution of wealth would prevent a drink driver killing a cyclist and burying his body, a woman slapping a horse, and a couple stripping a hotel room bare. These are three very different recent, relevant, real-world examples of crimes in the news.

So, how would a redistribution of wealth have prevented these crimes? Same question to @Louis MacNeice.

 

[Bakero]

'There are countless studies showing a link between inequality and crime'.

I know there are. I didn't say there wasn't. What I was questioning was the effectiveness of a redistribution of wealth as a solution to crime.

What I actually asked was how a redistribution of wealth would prevent a drink driver killing a cyclist and burying his body, a woman slapping a horse, and a couple stripping a hotel room bare. These are three very different recent, relevant, real-world examples of crimes in the news.

So, how would a redistribution of wealth have prevented these crimes? Same question to @Louis MacNeice.

When you said, "So fix the wealth distribution and crime will cease? Really? Do you have any supporting evidence?", I didn't think you actually meant cease altogether.

But would reduced inequality lead to a reduction in crime? The evidence suggests it would.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

that was fun. someone brings up something about soft sentancing and we've had wealth distribution & envy, immigrants, divide & rule and its better/worse in Germany. not really much on sentancing but plenty of axes ground there, well done everyone.

NSC at its best/worst

 

[BN41Albion]

that was fun. someone brings up something about soft sentancing and we've had wealth distribution & envy, immigrants, divide & rule and its better/worse in Germany. not really much on sentancing but plenty of axes ground there, well done everyone.

To be fair, the hyperbolic thread title invited it somewhat

 

[Eric the meek]

When you said, "So fix the wealth distribution and crime will cease? Really? Do you have any supporting evidence?", I didn't think you actually meant cease altogether.

But would reduced inequality lead to a reduction in crime? The evidence suggests it would.

I'm not surprised that you didn't have a go at answering my questions on how a redistribution of wealth would prevent the crimes specified. It's hard, isn't it?

Here is what @Comrade Sam, had to say:
'Whilst we have some of the highest levels of incarnation in Europe, the USA shows it clearly isn't a solution to crime. Wealth distribution certainly is.'

That was strong stuff. Let's read that again in one sentence. 'Wealth distribution is certainly a solution to crime'. That's a solution. Not a reduction.

At the time of writing, nobody has actually provided any evidence of that claim.

The reason is that when you look at specific crimes (drunkenly killing a cyclist and burying the body, slapping a horse and stripping a hotel room bare), it becomes hard to see how the solution could be applied and work in the real world.

The acid test of a theory, comes when you introduce specificity. You are then into the realms of finding reasons why the solution doesn't apply in all cases (or any cases if you haven't found any cases in which it works).

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Will reducing inequalities in wealth and income reduce levels of crime? Yes, because it will reduce acquisitive crime, promote social cohesion and encourage mutual recognition and respect; this is what the decades of peer reviewed research have recorded.

Will eliminating all such inequalities see an end to all crime? No, not least because not all crime has those causes. Interestingly the three Eric the Meek refers to do have elements of acquisitiveness, anti- social behaviour and a lack of respect, so they may be changed by reducing inequalities.

So reducing inequalities would have a positive impact on people's experience of crime, but it wouldn't do away with crime completely; there's something about not letting the perfect (no crime) be the enemy of the good (less crime) in there surely?

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[Worried Man Blues]

If all the wealth was distributed what would each of us be worth? Over 16s only

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If all the wealth was distributed what would each of us be worth? Over 16s only

No idea, but I’d be disappointed if it was less than @taz Or maybe he’s under 16 ?

 

[Bakero]

I'm not surprised that you didn't have a go at answering my questions on how a redistribution of wealth would prevent the crimes specified. It's hard, isn't it?

Here is what @Comrade Sam, had to say:
'Whilst we have some of the highest levels of incarnation in Europe, the USA shows it clearly isn't a solution to crime. Wealth distribution certainly is.'

That was strong stuff. Let's read that again in one sentence. 'Wealth distribution is certainly a solution to crime'. That's a solution. Not a reduction.

At the time of writing, nobody has actually provided any evidence of that claim.

The reason is that when you look at specific crimes (drunkenly killing a cyclist and burying the body, slapping a horse and stripping a hotel room bare), it becomes hard to see how the solution could be applied and work in the real world.

The acid test of a theory, comes when you introduce specificity. You are then into the realms of finding reasons why the solution doesn't apply in all cases (or any cases if you haven't found any cases in which it works).

I addressed your first question in my earlier post and provided a link to numerous studies outlining the connection between inequality and crime.

 

[Wardy's twin]

The woman involved stated it was "a snippet of video taken out of context".
I'm struggling to think of any "context" that would make this OK.

Normally she hits them with a brick.

 

[Randy McNob]

Unlikely.

All the horses I've known have been naysayers

the law is an ass

 

[dsr-burnley]

If all the wealth was distributed what would each of us be worth? Over 16s only

It would be impossible to say, because so much of wealth is vested in the value of companies, which would become pretty much worthless if no-one could profit from them, and in land, which would also be pretty much worthless because no-one could sell it. Credit Suisse reckoned in 2022 that the average wealth per adult (no idea why they would exclude children from the share-out!) was $87,000 which is about £75k.