Missing the point

Was over at the Porch reading Tam's take on this.  Tam get's it, but the Brits and the politicians once again miss the point.

Your damn country has more cameras per capita than any other place on earth*.  Congrats you beat out the U.S. and China way to go.  How's that working for you?

It has nothing to do with catching the signs. Unless your going to arrest everyone who says anything critical of anything.  In which case you'll surpass the U.S. as the most incarcerating place on earth. Won't that be fun.

The problem is governments like to be the only one's with the ability to resort to force, but they have no ability to control access to force (even in prison) so they essentially turn their subjects into victims.

We're unable to stop the criminals but we can stop the law abiding citizens - we just turn anyone who doesn't want to be a victim into a criminal.  Support your government - be a good little victim.

Someone once said - Talk softly and carry a big stick,  I think Teddy might have meant a Boom Stick.  Makes more sense that way.

*That might be a tiny bit of hyperbole, but not much. 

Prison System

A friend of mine came up with this idea - the more I think about it the more I like it, which means it has no chance of actually happening - which should make the bleeding harts and the criminals happy.

Problems - Over crowded prisions, cost of running prisions too high.

Solution - Contract our prisons to China.   Yep - pay China to run them, in China.

Think of the upsides:
Much better deterrent.
It'll be much cheaper.
We won't care if they escape.
We can use that real estate for something useful.
Property values will go up in those areas.

Downside:
slight increase in our massive trade imbalance - really slight, less than the rounding errors.

Oh yeah, the people who are more concerned with criminal rights than victim rights won't like it.   Wait - what victim rights, we don't have victim rights.

In keeping with my belief that people should take responsiblity for they're own actions.  Unless someone was actually holding a gun/knife on you or a family member.  When you do something - it was your decision, your action therefore your responsibility.  It wasn't society or your parents or your bad teachers - you decided, you acted, you're responsible.

So, I'm thinking sentences should be based on how long it will take the future inmate to pay off his dept to the victims, and repay the system for having to deal with their crap.

So - you work or you don't eat, and you don't sleep inside.
You work enough and you get 3 good meals from food you grew your self (or traded for), and you get to sleep inside.    You work a bit harder and you get to start paying off the victim.   A bit harder and you get to start paying off your incarceration fee.   When your balance hits zero - we let you go.  Have a nice day.

Some people are going to think this is a bit harsh - well how harsh was it when the criminal violated the rights of the victim?