1/Time for a random rant.
Every time I read the phrase "gang violence", I sort of shake my head. What a dumb concept!
Every time I read the phrase "gang violence", I sort of shake my head. What a dumb concept!
2/There are two things in this world that we call a "gang":
1. An organized crime syndicate
2. A group of friends
These are not the same thing, or even similar things, really.
1. An organized crime syndicate
2. A group of friends
These are not the same thing, or even similar things, really.
3/The distinction gets blurred, because sometimes friends help each other do illegal things like sell weed, or go beat someone up. But fundamentally, an organized crime syndicate is a *business*, while a group of friends is not a business.
4/Do organized crime syndicates cause crime? That's an interesting question.
Since they operate in black markets, they have to enforce (implicit or explicit) contracts with violence instead of with the courts. That obviously leads to violence...
Since they operate in black markets, they have to enforce (implicit or explicit) contracts with violence instead of with the courts. That obviously leads to violence...
5/For example, organized crime syndicates can fight over land (turf), distribution channels, suppliers, or refusal to honor contracts. All of these cases are standard plot elements of many movies, comic books, detective novels, etc.
6/But whether breaking up or decapitating crime syndicates can ever reduce crime is an open question. There are lots of cases where breaking up a local monopoly just leads to more competition - involving more violence.
Organized crime antitrust might not be a good idea.
Organized crime antitrust might not be a good idea.
7/But OK. A lot of the time, when people say "gang violence", what they mean is NOT competitive violence by organized crime syndicates - it's just interpersonal violence by groups of friends.
And treating that as "gang violence" is stupid.
And treating that as "gang violence" is stupid.
8/If someone beats up or shoots my friend, what am I going to do?
If there's a functioning, fair system of police and courts, I'll call the cops and see the culprits arrested.
But what if the cops don't care (or will just arrest me instead)?
If there's a functioning, fair system of police and courts, I'll call the cops and see the culprits arrested.
But what if the cops don't care (or will just arrest me instead)?
9/In a Hobbesian state of nature, I have to retaliate. I have to grab my baseball bat, gun, or (in England) sword-umbrella and go get the guys who hurt my buddy.
This is perfectly natural and reasonable behavior in a world where the justice system doesn't work.
This is perfectly natural and reasonable behavior in a world where the justice system doesn't work.
10/You can't get rid of this type of "gang". You're not going to stop people from having friends. You can't stop people from wanting to back their friends up, protect their friends, or get revenge for attacks on their friends.
11/To treat friend groups like organized crime syndicates is incredibly stupid.
The only way to stop this kind of "gang" violence is to make a world where individual people don't want to commit violence.
The only way to stop this kind of "gang" violence is to make a world where individual people don't want to commit violence.
12/And the way to stop regular old interpersonal violence is to create a functioning justice system, which can be relied upon to punish offenders (and not punish the innocent), so that regular citizens don't have to take the law into their own hands.
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