Prisons, welfare, and Repukes who just don't get it ... just another topic

[codjh9]

Hey all - haven't been on here much for weeks due to trying to deal with real life after the election. Although w/the auto bailout problems, it looks like real life could get rougher.

Anyway - I just heard on NPR that we have something like 1 out of every 31 (I think it was) adults in the US either in prison or on probation. Think about that! It's f-ing unreal! I think we have the highest percent of any country except perhaps Russia, and/or perhaps one of the African countries (sorry, not taking the time right now to look it up). And another reason I'm doing this post is that a woman just came by a few days ago to pick up something I was giving away on Freecycle and we ended up having a long talk, wherein she said that she taught classes at a nearby prison, and that the prison operating company (I forget what you call those) made a humongous profit last year (this is in TX, ya'll :^), but spent a really low percentage of their 'take' on the prisoners themselves (poor quality AND quantity of food). Bastards! Not to mention that large percentage of inmates who hadn't done anything worse than have a few joints on their possession. I blurted out that there shouldn't BE a profit motive in prisons, dammit (not to mention national park concessions, Iraq soldiers (Blackhawk, anyone?), etc etc etc., and she agreed with me.

Then I thought of the conservative mantra against all those lazy welfare recipients who cost all of us hardworking taxpayers all this money... but they're always so quick to say throw all those horrible druggie criminals in prison. They never make the connection that they're paying $29,000 a year (in TX) to feed, clothe and house (all poorly) people, some of whom (the minor drug offenders) shouldn't be in prison anyway, and could be out working, not only paying TAXES but not being a cause of SPENDING tax dollars, being with their families, friends, etc.

It's just another topic where conservatives don't really think. It's deeper than a sound bite.

Thanks for listening - back to struggling with real life things. :^)

[Blue Meany]

1. Oh yeah, but your forgetting that many of those prisoners are

working at slave-wage rates for outside companies. If we let those prisoners out, how can American compete in the global economy? And what about the poor guards who would then be laid off? What are you trying to do, bring down the economy??? <SARCASM>

[peacetalksforall]

2. There is another angle to their purpose. They have probably conducted

psychological analyses (or they made some up) that show that those who smoke pot are more likely to protest and take stands against injustices and thievery by the ones at the top. Those who take harder drugs are more likely to rampage.

Just like in Iraq - they took xxxxxx number of able bodied men off the streets so that the pipelines would be safe and the invaders could move around and haven some fun while occupying the country - but not only did they take them off the streets - they practised torture methods.

Never forget this about these people -

they always strive to gain a handful of benefits from one act.

Profiting from prisons is coupled with extracting activists from the streets, maintaining the image that they have a war on drugs, perpetuate fear, keep the drug profits for themselves.

There never is just ONE benefit.

That's what think tanks are for - maximization. Cluster benefits.