This is my first podcast and post by Kaizen I’ve read and listened to, and I’m absolutely blown away! Kaizen you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post! You are better than 99% of journalists out there in the world today! The examples you gave of the bad experiences you and your friends had in LA are just a couple of examples of how out of control crime is in many of America’s big cities. This is a real problem and one that can’t be denied. Yes, the crime rate in Washington D.C. is at a 30-year low and that is outstanding. I applaud the Washington D.C. Police for the great work they’ve done to make that possible. But it’s deceptive because they act like that means Washington D.C. is now safe. Nonsense! Crime in D.C. despite this fact, remains high. Like you said, one must look at the base rate of these statistics.
The statistics you provided in your post are very helpful and informative as well. The federalization of D.C. by the invoking of the Home Rule Act by President Trump was absolutely the right thing to do! Mayor Bowser wasn’t lifting a finger to clean up the city, so the President had to step in. He did what a President should do to help his country’s citizens and make the streets of our nation’s capital safe to walk in. On the subject of homelessness, your absolutely right that it’s a big problem in many of our big cities and we should have empathy for homeless folks but also enforce boundaries. It’s not okay for the homeless to set up a tent on a public beach, park or sidewalk, it’s not okay for them to be using drugs or masturbating in the open, it’s not okay for them to defecate or urinate in the street, it’s not okay for them to threaten people or attack them.
We can have empathy and get these folks some help while also drawing boundaries. Here are some ideas, put the homeless to work building affordable housing and pay them a salary. Give them store credit cards in exchange for ziplock bags of used needles. Open community centers where the mentally ill can be cared for and receive treatment. The inner cities need to be cleaned up and companies should open up stores and factories out there and create jobs. Treatment for drug addicts should be mandatory and laws against public drug use strictly enforced. We should have more police on the streets and give the police more funding. This is just a few of the things we can do as a society to tackle these problems.
This: "you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post" really exasperates me. The fact that people still don't know that those outlets have never been anything more than intelligence run propaganda outlets is staggering to me. When are we going to get out of the grip of the propagandists who have purposely brought this nation to it's divided knees so that we could be rolled into the communist/liberal/new world order? Refusing to look the marxists in the eye and deal with them in their true roles will guarantee our defeat. The decay is not accidental. Neither is the homelessness. YOU CANNOT HELP US with your eyes closed, not matter how well meaning you might be. Look into CFR, Tri-lateral commission, United Nations,... on and on and on. Again, you can't solve a problem that you cannot see.
Your comments, my friend, are easily the most balanced,well considered and rational I’ve come across. Noah has said it so well. Your voice and work need a larger stage! That’s said with all due respect to Substack which has become my drug of choice.
Yes, Kaizen is fantastic !!! That said, your comment that "you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post" is patently ridiculous, you do know that those two publications write in support of Crime and Homelessness, don't you ? He should be on Fox News, or write for the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal.
I completely agree with you with exception of the reports that someone in the DC police department was doctoring the crime data to make it look as though it dropped. Statistics are so easy to manipulate. That’s why ethical statistics are so important. The problem is, who is overseeing the data collection and implementation. My issue is the trustworthiness of either side. I’m so middle of the road in my political beliefs that I’m having a hard time believing either side.
The PD Chief directed her officers to use lesser charges or to not charge people at all. This is a direct manipulation of real stats. She did do this. This is not something you can disagree with. It happened. This is only happening on the left.
Very well put, and as a cognitive psychologist who studies biases in probabilistic judgment, I love that you brought in the base-rate fallacy in the way that you did.
I really agree with what you say. We seem to have lost the ability to look at a problem and discuss it objectively- and if anything you say does not match the hearer’s list of approved biases, you are labeled - and disregarded. That is very disturbing. And to the point of your comparison of cities - what is it that other large cities are doing to be so safe, that we are not doing? Is it better funding for those who would be or do become homeless? Is it something in the governance that keeps marginal people from acting badly? How marvelous and how healing it would be to have a wide research and discussion of this specific issue. Thank you so much for your intelligent, thoughtful words! Keep on talking! JL
One point I disagree with is anyone saying there are illegal immigrants who have not committed any crimes. Entering the country illegally is in it's self a Federal Crime, I believe a felony but not certain on that, so ALL illegal immigrants are Criminals plain and simple.
I have no problem with immigrants, my ancestors came from England, Ireland, Germany, and I'm sure others I don't know about, and they did so according to the laws at the time. Come to America, just do it legally people.
Hey Douglas, I think the question he is addressing about rhetoric around illegal immigrants is probably around both punishment for the crime and the association of illegal immigrants to "criminals" - as in, felony crimes committed after entrance into the country. You aren't totally wrong, it is a crime to enter the country without a visa of some kind, but illegal entrance to our country is similar to a DUI or trespassing on someone's property (which makes sense! ) - it is a misdemeanor, not a felony until a second or third offense.
Actually first offense is a misdemeanor and a second is a felony carrying up to 20 years in prison and deportation. when released.
8 U.S.C. §§ 1325 and 1326
§§ 1325 and 1326 are misdemeanor and felony violations, respectively, in the criminal context. Under federal law, people who enter or reenter the United States without authorization are subject not only to civil immigration detention and deportation proceedings but also to criminal sanctions. In other words, after being charged with § 1326, for example, an individual with prior convictions could be put in federal prison for up to a 20-year sentence.
Yep, that was the second part of my statement at the end. I do wonder percentage of people who are repeat offenders and wouldn't be surprised if repeat offense does indeed correlate with further criminal intent (like drug smuggling) as well
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. There was one block of homeless people (all men) on Skid Row. I agree that it is about governance. I am 64 and left my beloved state 5yrs ago due to this. Not enforcing immigration led to massive drug infiltration. Pot, cocaine, fentanyl etc. ruined good people’s lives. As well as wars where kids came back with drug habits and PTSD. Government did nothing accept raise money to get reelected. Funny that BLUE states have the worst of these problems. Mudslinging but still no plan. Disposable needle boxes did not work. One night Shelters did not work. Housing for homeless did not work. As you stated Judith, no objective discussion.
Great perspectives...but what about these illegal migrants...speaking harshly about these people may cause problems? First of all, they bypassed the legal/proper system to immigrate into the US. Also, how do millions of migrants affect homelessness? Resources that could be used to address the homeless problem are going to illegal migrants, and in some cases the migrants themselves become part of the homeless population. How many migrants can the US accommodate? And why does their presence give more House seats to Democrats? And they're not even citizens!
I agree with this. You can be empathetic and still be a solution finder. The way to find a solution is to discuss it. People have become so 'precious' they can't hear anything. It's crazy! Conservative isn't perfect but it does have safer cities in US. Abroad, people have an expectation of civility and their police wouldn't put up with shenanigans, at least a lot of places are like that.
I just heard this today, and you are spot on, as others have noted. I will join in this discussion of the illegal immigrants some have raised here. That they have bypassed the system means they HAVE committed a crime. They were allowed to do so by the previous administration, but they are still criminals under the law, just not necessarily violent.
I have a genuine reason to be strongly opposed to what has happened with all of this and how it has impacted legal immigration.
I became friends with a lovely family from Brazil, a man, his wife, and three children. They had come here on a temporary visa and were in the process of filing to be legal residents and become citizens of this country. They had done everything right, had an attorney representing them, and the process had started. However, the flood of illegals was put ahead of them. Thousands of them, not just a few, so their temp visas ran out.
I worked with them to try to get them visas that would allow them to remain until they were again at the top of the list, but nothing came of it. They eventually had to leave ahead of being deported. They are good people, with three beautiful children who were trying to leave the madness in Brazil and raise their family here in the US. They were robbed of this opportunity by Biden's crazy border policy.
So, yes, they are all criminals, and I will never see it any other way. They have robbed others of their chance at living here as free citizens because of the backlog that was created and the fact that they were put on the "fast track" to citizenship, which did put them ahead of people who were legally trying to immigrate, good, productive people with skills to offer who were vetted and would not be a drain on our social systems.
This is my first podcast and post by Kaizen I’ve read and listened to, and I’m absolutely blown away! Kaizen you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post! You are better than 99% of journalists out there in the world today! The examples you gave of the bad experiences you and your friends had in LA are just a couple of examples of how out of control crime is in many of America’s big cities. This is a real problem and one that can’t be denied. Yes, the crime rate in Washington D.C. is at a 30-year low and that is outstanding. I applaud the Washington D.C. Police for the great work they’ve done to make that possible. But it’s deceptive because they act like that means Washington D.C. is now safe. Nonsense! Crime in D.C. despite this fact, remains high. Like you said, one must look at the base rate of these statistics.
The statistics you provided in your post are very helpful and informative as well. The federalization of D.C. by the invoking of the Home Rule Act by President Trump was absolutely the right thing to do! Mayor Bowser wasn’t lifting a finger to clean up the city, so the President had to step in. He did what a President should do to help his country’s citizens and make the streets of our nation’s capital safe to walk in. On the subject of homelessness, your absolutely right that it’s a big problem in many of our big cities and we should have empathy for homeless folks but also enforce boundaries. It’s not okay for the homeless to set up a tent on a public beach, park or sidewalk, it’s not okay for them to be using drugs or masturbating in the open, it’s not okay for them to defecate or urinate in the street, it’s not okay for them to threaten people or attack them.
We can have empathy and get these folks some help while also drawing boundaries. Here are some ideas, put the homeless to work building affordable housing and pay them a salary. Give them store credit cards in exchange for ziplock bags of used needles. Open community centers where the mentally ill can be cared for and receive treatment. The inner cities need to be cleaned up and companies should open up stores and factories out there and create jobs. Treatment for drug addicts should be mandatory and laws against public drug use strictly enforced. We should have more police on the streets and give the police more funding. This is just a few of the things we can do as a society to tackle these problems.
Well said, and thank you for staying solution-oriented Noah!
This: "you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post" really exasperates me. The fact that people still don't know that those outlets have never been anything more than intelligence run propaganda outlets is staggering to me. When are we going to get out of the grip of the propagandists who have purposely brought this nation to it's divided knees so that we could be rolled into the communist/liberal/new world order? Refusing to look the marxists in the eye and deal with them in their true roles will guarantee our defeat. The decay is not accidental. Neither is the homelessness. YOU CANNOT HELP US with your eyes closed, not matter how well meaning you might be. Look into CFR, Tri-lateral commission, United Nations,... on and on and on. Again, you can't solve a problem that you cannot see.
Your comments, my friend, are easily the most balanced,well considered and rational I’ve come across. Noah has said it so well. Your voice and work need a larger stage! That’s said with all due respect to Substack which has become my drug of choice.
Yes, Kaizen is fantastic !!! That said, your comment that "you need to be writing for the New York Times or the Washington Post" is patently ridiculous, you do know that those two publications write in support of Crime and Homelessness, don't you ? He should be on Fox News, or write for the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal.
Please keep doing what you do, I feel we both try to stay as neutral as our experiences allow us to. This can be difficult under these trying times.
I completely agree with you with exception of the reports that someone in the DC police department was doctoring the crime data to make it look as though it dropped. Statistics are so easy to manipulate. That’s why ethical statistics are so important. The problem is, who is overseeing the data collection and implementation. My issue is the trustworthiness of either side. I’m so middle of the road in my political beliefs that I’m having a hard time believing either side.
The PD Chief directed her officers to use lesser charges or to not charge people at all. This is a direct manipulation of real stats. She did do this. This is not something you can disagree with. It happened. This is only happening on the left.
LOVE you, Kaizen...please keep speaking these awesome logical truths.
Love you too
Very well put, and as a cognitive psychologist who studies biases in probabilistic judgment, I love that you brought in the base-rate fallacy in the way that you did.
I really agree with what you say. We seem to have lost the ability to look at a problem and discuss it objectively- and if anything you say does not match the hearer’s list of approved biases, you are labeled - and disregarded. That is very disturbing. And to the point of your comparison of cities - what is it that other large cities are doing to be so safe, that we are not doing? Is it better funding for those who would be or do become homeless? Is it something in the governance that keeps marginal people from acting badly? How marvelous and how healing it would be to have a wide research and discussion of this specific issue. Thank you so much for your intelligent, thoughtful words! Keep on talking! JL
It's a beast of a challenge but we need you as leader in government.
Yes please!
Thank you!
Finally, a commonsense man, thank you.
One point I disagree with is anyone saying there are illegal immigrants who have not committed any crimes. Entering the country illegally is in it's self a Federal Crime, I believe a felony but not certain on that, so ALL illegal immigrants are Criminals plain and simple.
I have no problem with immigrants, my ancestors came from England, Ireland, Germany, and I'm sure others I don't know about, and they did so according to the laws at the time. Come to America, just do it legally people.
Hey Douglas, I think the question he is addressing about rhetoric around illegal immigrants is probably around both punishment for the crime and the association of illegal immigrants to "criminals" - as in, felony crimes committed after entrance into the country. You aren't totally wrong, it is a crime to enter the country without a visa of some kind, but illegal entrance to our country is similar to a DUI or trespassing on someone's property (which makes sense! ) - it is a misdemeanor, not a felony until a second or third offense.
Actually first offense is a misdemeanor and a second is a felony carrying up to 20 years in prison and deportation. when released.
8 U.S.C. §§ 1325 and 1326
§§ 1325 and 1326 are misdemeanor and felony violations, respectively, in the criminal context. Under federal law, people who enter or reenter the United States without authorization are subject not only to civil immigration detention and deportation proceedings but also to criminal sanctions. In other words, after being charged with § 1326, for example, an individual with prior convictions could be put in federal prison for up to a 20-year sentence.
Yep, that was the second part of my statement at the end. I do wonder percentage of people who are repeat offenders and wouldn't be surprised if repeat offense does indeed correlate with further criminal intent (like drug smuggling) as well
“Figures do not lie, but liars figure!”
Finally, a commonsense man, thank you.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. There was one block of homeless people (all men) on Skid Row. I agree that it is about governance. I am 64 and left my beloved state 5yrs ago due to this. Not enforcing immigration led to massive drug infiltration. Pot, cocaine, fentanyl etc. ruined good people’s lives. As well as wars where kids came back with drug habits and PTSD. Government did nothing accept raise money to get reelected. Funny that BLUE states have the worst of these problems. Mudslinging but still no plan. Disposable needle boxes did not work. One night Shelters did not work. Housing for homeless did not work. As you stated Judith, no objective discussion.
Great perspectives...but what about these illegal migrants...speaking harshly about these people may cause problems? First of all, they bypassed the legal/proper system to immigrate into the US. Also, how do millions of migrants affect homelessness? Resources that could be used to address the homeless problem are going to illegal migrants, and in some cases the migrants themselves become part of the homeless population. How many migrants can the US accommodate? And why does their presence give more House seats to Democrats? And they're not even citizens!
I agree with this. You can be empathetic and still be a solution finder. The way to find a solution is to discuss it. People have become so 'precious' they can't hear anything. It's crazy! Conservative isn't perfect but it does have safer cities in US. Abroad, people have an expectation of civility and their police wouldn't put up with shenanigans, at least a lot of places are like that.
Love you, Kaizen.
I just heard this today, and you are spot on, as others have noted. I will join in this discussion of the illegal immigrants some have raised here. That they have bypassed the system means they HAVE committed a crime. They were allowed to do so by the previous administration, but they are still criminals under the law, just not necessarily violent.
I have a genuine reason to be strongly opposed to what has happened with all of this and how it has impacted legal immigration.
I became friends with a lovely family from Brazil, a man, his wife, and three children. They had come here on a temporary visa and were in the process of filing to be legal residents and become citizens of this country. They had done everything right, had an attorney representing them, and the process had started. However, the flood of illegals was put ahead of them. Thousands of them, not just a few, so their temp visas ran out.
I worked with them to try to get them visas that would allow them to remain until they were again at the top of the list, but nothing came of it. They eventually had to leave ahead of being deported. They are good people, with three beautiful children who were trying to leave the madness in Brazil and raise their family here in the US. They were robbed of this opportunity by Biden's crazy border policy.
So, yes, they are all criminals, and I will never see it any other way. They have robbed others of their chance at living here as free citizens because of the backlog that was created and the fact that they were put on the "fast track" to citizenship, which did put them ahead of people who were legally trying to immigrate, good, productive people with skills to offer who were vetted and would not be a drain on our social systems.