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January 12, 2010
Crime down? Let's look at "ready availability of intoxicants, contraception, and automobiles."
"I'm arguing a more general case that subsumes Levitt/Dubner.
That is, that modern life makes juke traits more dangerous to reproductive success than they used to be. Automobiles are a good example. Before they became ubiquitous, most people didn't own anything that they used every single day and that so often rewarded a moment's inattention with injury or death. Ready availability of cheap booze and powerful drugs means people with addictive personalities can kill themselves faster. Easy access to contraception and abortion means impulse fucks are less likely to actually produce offspring. More generally, as people gain more control over their lives and faster ways to screw up, the selective consequences from bad judgment and the selective premium on good judgment both increase." -- Eric Raymond, Beyond root causes
Posted by Vanderleun at January 12, 2010 8:53 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
Crime among us little people is down, but crime among the 'educated class' is WWWAAAYYYY up.
Posted by: Don Rodrigo at January 12, 2010 1:08 PM