By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
sc94597 on 17 July 2015
Edit Thread
Scoobes said:
sc94597 said:
Scoobes said:
sc94597 said:

You must not be familiar with the perpetuating drug wars that have been flowing across the U.S - Mexican border (which originated in Mexico.) Such cartels are responsible for a large number of shootings, either directly or indirectly, in the U.S.  I can't think of an analogous case for much of Western Europe. 

No, we're just next to Russia and have the issues in Ukraine. Then there's Libya and the short hop across the Mediterranean sea to Italy, Greece and Turkey. Oh, let's not forget the border with Iraq and Syria, those two countries where we're fighting ISIS.

But no, we've got nothing on the US/Mexican border...

Most of Western Europe is not next to Russia. If you want to make that comparison, I might as well through in all of Central and South America. The distances between England and Russia is something like 3,000 miles. Meanwhile the distance from Pennsylvania and Columbia is 2,500 miles. Alaska is closer to much of Russia. ;) 

Anyway, I would argue that drug cartels are more responsible for criminal activity in the U.S than the Ukrainian civil war in most of Europe outside of Ukraine.

Using that logic I could easily say that New York isn't exactly next to Mexico either, but has its fair share of crime. Or that the bible belt shouldn't really count as part of the US stats as the culture is so different to the coastal states.

Europe is Europe, and the US is the US. Throughout history, and today geographically, it is far more vulnerable to violence from neighbouring states. Where do you think a large portion of terrorists come from? 

The border with Mexico doesn't really compare considering this is the same country where many go for Spring Break (don't see that happening in Ukraine, Libya, Iraq or Syria at the present time).

So now we come full circle to the topic at hand, because you're right, in most of Europe criminal activity isn't anywhere near as bad the gun crime/homicides you get via the Cartels even with the more dangerous neighbouring countries as we haven't had the huge gun culture the US has had over the years. Less guns coming in, less going out.

The effects of drug prohibition and cartels travel all the way to New York, however. That's a empirical dataset. Can the same be true with regards to Ukraine's civil war and London?

"From neighboring states" is the key word here. A lot of crime isn't commited by de jure states though, but by smaller organizations.

The question is how does the border affect crime rates. It isn't about where one will vacation to. The crime rates of the U.S are more influenced by Mexico's situation, than European countries with regards to Librya, Iraq, or Syria.

It has very little do do with "gun culture" and much more to do with power differences between those involved in the drug trade. Cartels are worst in "gun controlled" Mexico than they are in the U.S, for example.