Criminalized Mores
It’s a curious thing about our society that we are so much about law-‘n-order and yet we are remarkably inefficient in enforcing the former and maintaining the latter. Consider how many times you see in the newspaper or hear on the television a reference to some miscreant as a member of an organized crime family.
We hear about Mafia leaders, people at the top of the Russian mob, notorious black, Asian, and Mexican gang bosses. So the question arises, if the news media and the cops who feed their information know that these people are running criminal enterprises – enough so they can say it in print and not be sued for libel – why aren’t they in prison?
A recent article about the yakuza in Japan underscores our need to deal with these corporatized brigands more effectively. The yakuza are criminal enterprises that operate openly in Japan, dealing in sex, drugs, and gambling. They are known to the government and their local neighbors as part of the national fabric. These activities will go on anyway, so the thinking goes, so why not have it be more visible.
Indeed, while I don’t endorse criminality, it seems a better way to manage vices that our laws define as illegal. If prostitution were legal, unwanted pregnancies, STDs, rape, and pimp-related crimes would all decline radically. Plus some cities could balance their budgets with the new taxes and reduced requirement for policing and adjudication.
Similarly, decriminalizing drugs would dramatically cut law enforcement and prison costs, as well as helping to restabilize countries like Mexico and Afghanistan.
Finally, considering the amount of money being gambled at the plague of Indian casinos – not to mention that enormous casino called Wall Street – ya gotta think that removing most of the laws against gambling and taxing the activities instead would make a lot more sense, dollars and sense.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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