Since 9-11 we have less crime but more fear of crime. A win-win for our rulers!

Summary:  Today we look at falling crime rates in America and our blindness to this good news, 16th in the seemingly endless series of posts showing Americans’ disconnect from reality, our inability or unwillingness to clearly see the world around us. This is the 2nd of 2 posts today.

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I see no large reality-based community in America. Not on the Left; not on the Right — although each clearly sees their foes’ flaws. We stumble blindly into the 21st century. I doubt this will work well for us. Perhaps it’s for the best that we’re led by the 1% until that day we decide to rip off the blindfolds, again to see and stand like citizens.

Most of these posts discuss our inability to see our problems. Today we have the opposite, as we allow the government and Hollywood to conceal good news about falling crime rates. Gallup asks how many Americans believe the rate of crime has risen from last year? They compare the answers with the DoJ’s crime statistics.

There was an uptick in the violent crime rate during 2011 and 2012. The FBI’s 2013 report shows the estimated number of violent crimes in 2013 decreased 4.4% YoY and property crimes decreased 4.1%. The FBI prefers to use the 5-year average, which smooths out the noise.

Something happened in 2001.

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Note that the two lines tracked from 1996 to 2001. Over the next 8 years our perception that crime was rising increased by 80% (33 percentage points), after which it has slowly dropped. What happened in 2001? Not just 9/11, but also the start of the US government’s massive fear bombardment on the American people (supported by its allies in think tanks and the news media). What a tribute to their ability to shape our opinions, making us more fearful while crime rates actually fell! We are a gullible people, a gift to our rulers.

Pew Research gives us more detail on the falling crime rates, while explaining that experts disagree on its causes. See this graph from their typically magisterial report “Gun Homicide Rate Down 49% Since 1993 Peak; Public Unaware“, 7 May 2013.  For more information see their interactive graphic of trends in Gun Homicide and Violent Crime.

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Conclusions.

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We have all the tools we need to clearly see the world, and with that information we can govern ourselves. But we lack to the will to do either. Until that changes the 1% will increase their political and economic power, as they govern us in their own interest. As Disney tells us, quite accurately and remorselessly, that is the Great Circle of Life.  Accept it or fight it; don’t whine about it.

For More Information.

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Hat tip to Thomas More, who pointed this our in a comment on a previous post.

Good news — There are signs of change: “In a Safer Age, U.S. Rethinks Its ‘Tough on Crime’ System“, NYT, 13 January 2015. Also see an article about a possible cause of the rise and fall of crime rates: “America’s Real Criminal Element: Lead“, Kevin Drum, Mother Jones, January/February 2015 — “New research finds Pb is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing.”

Gallup has some valuable research on these matters:

1. “U.S. Crime Is Up, but Americans Don’t Seem to Have Noticed“, 31 October 2013.
2. “More Say Crime Is Serious Problem in U.S. Than Locally“, 1 November 2013.
3. “U.S. Minorities Less Confident in Police“, 21 June 2013.
4. “U.S. Confidence in Police About Average for Wealthy Countries“, 7 December 2014.

Also see the posts on the FM website about these matters:

1. About the quiet coup now underway in America.
2. Reforming America: steps to political change.
3. About vision.
4. About crime.
5. About our injustice system.

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