Comments on: Is crime good for society?

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 15 May 2010 01:57:28 +0000

Are you trying to be silly?

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 15 May 2010 01:56:22 +0000

No, of course crime is not good for society, nobody wants crime but, it provides a sense of propriety and feeling of righteousness for those who do not commit crimes because they share moral indignation about those who do violate society's norms. Crime allows for a social change. It prevents a society from having too much rigidity and from becoming too soft in its obedience to norms.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sat, 15 May 2010 01:47:33 +0000

It is nor an ignorant comment. You just don't understand it; maybe you should take a sociology class. Sal's answer is absolutely valid. Sociologist Emile Durkheim stated that deviancy, including crime, is functional and exists in all societies because it is needed to establish moral boundaries and to distinguish between those who obey and those who disobey society's rules.
I believe that crime is functional and I don't mean that it is good or that I encourage it, it just helps establish moral boundaries.

By: Mr.Mustache

Mr.Mustache — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:04:07 +0000

Crime indeed holds together OUR society. But no crime (Which we all know is impossible) leads to a utopian society.

By: Liberaltarian91

Liberaltarian91 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:07:38 +0000

Crime is never good for society.

By: Liberaltarian91

Liberaltarian91 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:06:37 +0000

This is the most ignorant comment on this website that I have ever read. And I've read a lot of comments from you and Jared…

By: Touchman

Touchman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:01:22 +0000

Indeed I am referring to Frederic Bastiat. It is a fallacy to consider only the benefits from crime prevention/clean up when discussing crime's consequences. The resources used for this activity could have likely been better used for something else more constructive. So, crime actually makes us all poorer by channeling limited resources to less constructive activities than they would have been otherwise.

By: Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:48:52 +0000

If you're talking Bastiat (and not the more recent "broken window" theory of crime), yes.

It is a fallacy to presume the act is of benefit, but lots of people like to think that all the activity and money involved in preventing destructive acts, or cleaning up after them is a net benefit. It is an opportunity cost preventing creative acts instead.

By: Touchman

Touchman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:33:55 +0000

You mean the broken window fallacy?

By: papadawg

papadawg — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:44:40 +0000

Sociological viewpoint? Please tell me, Sal, just how do criminals benefit our society?

I offer you the crimes of rape, murder, burglary, grand theft, child molestation, purse snatching and general muggings to name just a few. Now throw in the Bernie Madoff's of the world. Just how in the sam hell is all that beneficial to society?

Gang bangers take over complete neighborhoods to the point that those who live there live in total terror. Just how the sam hell is that beneficial to society?

What IS beneficial to society is civil disobedience – I allude to the below reference to Miss Parks – against a custom or law that is detrimental to society, or protestations of government activities that are not beneficial to society like what is currently happening all over our country(and being ignored not only by the news media, but those in government as well).

There never has been, nor can there ever be a sociological benefit to crime!