As a spate of progressive district attorneys takes office throughout the country, violent recidivism has some Philadelphians second-guessing their reformist district attorney.
That's exactly how, in my opinion, jorunalism should read like: granular, informative and argumentative. Mr. Greenwald, "Outside voices" is a great project as well as its contributors. All the best
"campaign promises... decriminalized offenses such as possession of marijuana, prostitution, and retail theft under $500"
Now I can understand the first 2, they are "victimless" or at most "self-victimizing" behaviours and there are plenty of people who can get behind decriminalizing them. But petty theft? Who is that for? Does anyone seriously believe that theft isn't a crime or that it shouldn't be punished? Who is voting for that?
The editor's forward on this was missing one key district: Portland. Rioters in a revolving door of arrest and release being out the very next night sometimes re-arrested and re-released on consecutive days. The DA Mike Schmidt was notorious for non-prosecution of offenders. The low risk of consequences is an important part of the calculus that incentivizes this behavior.
These Riots / Protests are relatively not violent towards the general citizenry except for the property destruction and intimidation, but they are a serious drain on the police, who are already operating under-manned. Meanwhile actual violent crime, including gun violence is on the rise in the same jurisdiction, no doubt in part due to the reduction in the police's ability to patrol. Both due to the lack of resources, and political interference in operations including the disbanding of the gun-crime unit.
Great piece, especially as trial of a 'new' format. Keep it up.
I realize that this article was focused on how the DA letting violent offenders off was bad.
Would love to see a piece on Philly (or Chester or Camden, or Newark) talking about how these young , typically men, got here. And that either 'let them all go' or 'lock em all up' is far too late in their lives to get their shit together. Unpacking the systemic issues such as school unions, breaking up the traditional family and ... well hell, I start sounding like Candace Owens, which isn't a good thing.
PS - without even checking, I'm guessing that DA lives in Bucks Co or on the main line, never having to deal with the real Philly.
First, hasn’t the overall crime rate (excluding drug/gang related murders) been going down since Krasner was elected?
Second, the line taken here is very odd: “While arrests for gun crimes by the cops have nearly tripled since Krasner took office, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, the conviction rate for gun crimes has fallen from 63% to 49%.” This would be *incredible* success in prosecution, if true!
Glenn, this is your tribe. So what's changed? It it is not just Philly but look at the chaos and rising crime in major cities run by progressives. Many are black run administrations. I'm sure many on this chain would suggest it's a direct link to white supremacy because they can't help themselves. You've tried the experiment and it doesn't work. It is the racist destructive nature of the white left elites whos altruism on steroids' is responsible for the carnage. Just this year 108 children have been shot in Chicago with 16 dead. 38 children killed in that same city killed in 2020. Where are the marches? Progressives wasted no time mobilizing pro Iranian/Hamas marches and riots resulting from the recent conflict in the middle East but say nothing when black children and innocence are slaughtered in American cities. Here's an idea. All section 8 housing should only be placed in neighborhoods with house hold incomes of $150K. Same for all asylum seekers waiting for a trial. The feds should purchase properties in left leaning neighborhoods and convert them into joint housing for recently released felons. It is communities like mine and others that have to absorb all this BS so time to share. But I doubt the white collar élite will. You all prefer to haul your one black friend around like some trophy but many of us see through your bullshit.
I am going to dissent from all of you. You cannot fix something that is working as intended. The law is not, has not, nor ever will be good or noble. What the law is doing to Assange is all the law does, ever, to all people, at all times at every scale. The broken do not realize this. I do not mean broken like a machine that no longer works, I mean broken, like a horse, for riding.
Domesticated.
One can only believe government helps some children by actively, willfully, ignorantly looking away from all the harm the government is doing to other children. One can only believe the government helps some people by actively, willfully, ignorantly looking away from all the people being harmed by government.
And one can only have such extreme cognitive dissonance when one has been subjected to six thousand years of the argumentum ad baculum, hidden behind the argumentum ad verecundiam.
This monopoly on force you all have been violently conditioned to call "law" is nothing of the kind. These "laws" are demands, and the first demand is that you call their demands "laws".
Giving any group of people a monopoly on force will be used to steal from everyone who is not in control of the monopoly on force. It is not an if. It is only a matter of time, and the monoply on force will be stolen by the greatest thieves among your number, and used against you.
"If you attempt to defend your property, you will be arrested. If you resist arrest, you will be clubbed. If you defend yourself against clubbing, you will be shot dead. These procedures are known as the Rule of Law." - Edward Abbey
The only thing the "law" does is focus the attention of the greatest thieves among us, for there is nothing greater or more valuable to steal for them than your delusion of "law".
If your system of demands did not exist, it could not be stolen.
Lysander Spooner and Fredrick Bastiat made this all abundantly clear in "The Constitution of No Authority" and "La Loi".
I have debated social justice addicted secular liberals on the subject for decades. The issue is that they have adopted their politics as a replacement for their lacking spirituality and thus they are defensive in the face of evidence that the black urban community has self-destructed due to decades of failed liberal policies. They simply cannot accept that their "religion" is responsible, and thus they cling to irrational explanations like "cops target blacks and that is responsible for them being upset and acting out". Seriously, they believe it. It is their cult. They are not fit to be in positions of power over the people; yet they are the most motivated to pursue and take power.
That's exactly how, in my opinion, jorunalism should read like: granular, informative and argumentative. Mr. Greenwald, "Outside voices" is a great project as well as its contributors. All the best
Thank you for this investigative reporting, citing clear evidence of what is happening in many of our cities.
"campaign promises... decriminalized offenses such as possession of marijuana, prostitution, and retail theft under $500"
Now I can understand the first 2, they are "victimless" or at most "self-victimizing" behaviours and there are plenty of people who can get behind decriminalizing them. But petty theft? Who is that for? Does anyone seriously believe that theft isn't a crime or that it shouldn't be punished? Who is voting for that?
The editor's forward on this was missing one key district: Portland. Rioters in a revolving door of arrest and release being out the very next night sometimes re-arrested and re-released on consecutive days. The DA Mike Schmidt was notorious for non-prosecution of offenders. The low risk of consequences is an important part of the calculus that incentivizes this behavior.
These Riots / Protests are relatively not violent towards the general citizenry except for the property destruction and intimidation, but they are a serious drain on the police, who are already operating under-manned. Meanwhile actual violent crime, including gun violence is on the rise in the same jurisdiction, no doubt in part due to the reduction in the police's ability to patrol. Both due to the lack of resources, and political interference in operations including the disbanding of the gun-crime unit.
Great piece, especially as trial of a 'new' format. Keep it up.
I realize that this article was focused on how the DA letting violent offenders off was bad.
Would love to see a piece on Philly (or Chester or Camden, or Newark) talking about how these young , typically men, got here. And that either 'let them all go' or 'lock em all up' is far too late in their lives to get their shit together. Unpacking the systemic issues such as school unions, breaking up the traditional family and ... well hell, I start sounding like Candace Owens, which isn't a good thing.
PS - without even checking, I'm guessing that DA lives in Bucks Co or on the main line, never having to deal with the real Philly.
Odd article in a couple places.
First, hasn’t the overall crime rate (excluding drug/gang related murders) been going down since Krasner was elected?
Second, the line taken here is very odd: “While arrests for gun crimes by the cops have nearly tripled since Krasner took office, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, the conviction rate for gun crimes has fallen from 63% to 49%.” This would be *incredible* success in prosecution, if true!
Glenn, this is your tribe. So what's changed? It it is not just Philly but look at the chaos and rising crime in major cities run by progressives. Many are black run administrations. I'm sure many on this chain would suggest it's a direct link to white supremacy because they can't help themselves. You've tried the experiment and it doesn't work. It is the racist destructive nature of the white left elites whos altruism on steroids' is responsible for the carnage. Just this year 108 children have been shot in Chicago with 16 dead. 38 children killed in that same city killed in 2020. Where are the marches? Progressives wasted no time mobilizing pro Iranian/Hamas marches and riots resulting from the recent conflict in the middle East but say nothing when black children and innocence are slaughtered in American cities. Here's an idea. All section 8 housing should only be placed in neighborhoods with house hold incomes of $150K. Same for all asylum seekers waiting for a trial. The feds should purchase properties in left leaning neighborhoods and convert them into joint housing for recently released felons. It is communities like mine and others that have to absorb all this BS so time to share. But I doubt the white collar élite will. You all prefer to haul your one black friend around like some trophy but many of us see through your bullshit.
I am going to dissent from all of you. You cannot fix something that is working as intended. The law is not, has not, nor ever will be good or noble. What the law is doing to Assange is all the law does, ever, to all people, at all times at every scale. The broken do not realize this. I do not mean broken like a machine that no longer works, I mean broken, like a horse, for riding.
Domesticated.
One can only believe government helps some children by actively, willfully, ignorantly looking away from all the harm the government is doing to other children. One can only believe the government helps some people by actively, willfully, ignorantly looking away from all the people being harmed by government.
And one can only have such extreme cognitive dissonance when one has been subjected to six thousand years of the argumentum ad baculum, hidden behind the argumentum ad verecundiam.
This monopoly on force you all have been violently conditioned to call "law" is nothing of the kind. These "laws" are demands, and the first demand is that you call their demands "laws".
Giving any group of people a monopoly on force will be used to steal from everyone who is not in control of the monopoly on force. It is not an if. It is only a matter of time, and the monoply on force will be stolen by the greatest thieves among your number, and used against you.
"If you attempt to defend your property, you will be arrested. If you resist arrest, you will be clubbed. If you defend yourself against clubbing, you will be shot dead. These procedures are known as the Rule of Law." - Edward Abbey
The only thing the "law" does is focus the attention of the greatest thieves among us, for there is nothing greater or more valuable to steal for them than your delusion of "law".
If your system of demands did not exist, it could not be stolen.
Lysander Spooner and Fredrick Bastiat made this all abundantly clear in "The Constitution of No Authority" and "La Loi".
If I had skin in the game, and got to vote for or against Krasner, I would dig deeper and consider both articles as a starting point.
I have debated social justice addicted secular liberals on the subject for decades. The issue is that they have adopted their politics as a replacement for their lacking spirituality and thus they are defensive in the face of evidence that the black urban community has self-destructed due to decades of failed liberal policies. They simply cannot accept that their "religion" is responsible, and thus they cling to irrational explanations like "cops target blacks and that is responsible for them being upset and acting out". Seriously, they believe it. It is their cult. They are not fit to be in positions of power over the people; yet they are the most motivated to pursue and take power.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/24/there-were-at-least-12-mass-shootings-across-the-us-this-weekend/
So odd the media isnt talking about this under Biden I mean shocking I tell you.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/19/us/krasner-vega-philadelphia.html
The government they deserve.
He trounced his challenger. Wonder why there was no coverage in the four papers I read this morning. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-da-larry-krasner-wins-democratic-primary-over-challenger-carlos-vega/2819155/