On the Influential Assertion That Poorer Living Conditions Invariably Lead to Higher Crime-Rates 4

My colleagues are right about one thing, though. People in a state of abject poverty/powerlessness are far less likely to engage in a full-bore rebellion (though, no, even here it isn't absolute - world history is spattered with examples of slave rebellions, for example) than those who've ultimately achieved a modicum of success (this point was brilliantly articulated in Eric Hoffer's seminal, "The True Believer") . But it can also be said that a lot of these populations have in fact gone through a similar trajectory; the Chinese folks in America, the West-Indian Blacks in America, African-Americans, the Chinese minority in Burma, the Armenian minority in Turkey, etc. and that it's only been the African-American minority in America that has shown a sharp downward spiral in overall achievement. I don't know, folks, I think that we really need to examine this issue a little more thoughtfully and NOT frigging jump all over Bill Cosby whenever the poor bastard opens his mouth.