[lbo-talk] crime rising in US cities

[Miles Jackson]

Carrol Cox wrote:
> Doug Henwood wrote:
>   
>
>   
>> As I recall, that's not the theory - it's not the vets that do the
>> crimes, it's the sight of state-sponsored violence abroad that
>> inspires crime at home. There was some sociologist or criminologist
>> linked to this theory, but it all escapes me now. This is what
>> happens as you approach the near-elderly demographic.
>>     
>
> Well, if you and I both remember it (however vaguely) it must be true.
> And I'm fairly sure of my memory on the one point -- that it wasn't
> veterans (or just veterans) but sectors of the populace not touched
> directly by the war. I don't recall any particular theorizing on it --
> one obvious but not necessarily true theory would be that legal violence
> (in great quantities) has the effect of legitimizing violence as a way
> of :-) handling contradictions.
>
> Carrol
>
> _
Here's my LBO message from about a year ago on this [6/12/2006]; maybe 
this is what you guys are recalling.

Dane Archer's actually done some interesting archival research on this.  
During the 20th century, murder rates are significantly higher when a 
country is at war or immediately following wartime.  Moreover, this 
increase cannot simply be due to returning veterans, because the murder 
rate also increases among women and age groups that could not have 
served in the war.  Archer's argument is that the legitimate violence 
conducted by the state provides a ubiquitous role model for aggression 
in everyday life.

Miles