--- Dennis Claxton <ddclaxton at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> Thefts of copper and catalytic converters have been
> increasing
> nationwide for some time.
>
[WS:] It would be interesting to know if this is a "tip of an iceberg." Wide-spread stealing from mainstream institutions by ordinary citizens, and the growth of the informal or "underground" economy can ideed be an indicator of declining trust in- and legitimacy of- mainstream institutions. If it is something "homegrown" rather than "imported" - that is - people who used to be "law abiding citizens" increasingly turning to the undeground economy (as opposed to outsiders "importing" their old country customs) - that may indeed signify an erosion of the empire.
Wojtek
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