On Prisons
 

Excellent section on America's prisons on John Oliver's show

It's because:
1- Gotta keep the minions in their place.
2- Gotta keep the legal system lucrative.
3- There's big money in private prisons.
4- We don't have any colonies to ship 'em to.

Oh wait, here's proof how prisons help society.
That'll teach her.
Jail all the minions!

A friend of mine was arrested for one gram of weed. She said it was one bud. Her deal was: fined $50, one month probation and court costs.

The court costs were over $800!

Trying to get blood from a stone. It's different for richie rich.

Are unpaid penalties a tax deduction for the judges, clerks, lawyers, and deputies?

Oh, look. A talking head pointing out aaalllllllll the problems of the correctional system, playing them up for jokes and laughs, and offering not one fucking word towards a solution. Not one word.

Why do we make people famous for bitching?

Also, that bit might have been only eight minutes long if Mr. Oliver spent 24 hours in one of our horrible, horrible prisons.

Also, too, a British man speaking to the US's system of punishment, when the Brits have used the most inhumane systems of torture imaginable to punish people over the past several centuries, is fucking hilarious.

Those appalling methods of punishment were during the middle ages and a few of them stuck around to the 18th century. Want to know how American slave owners punished their slaves during that time? What happened to suspected witches in Salem? And how did Americans execute their prisoners during the early 20th century? Was it by any chance electrocution with their eyeballs melting down their faces and smoke billowing out from their heads? Oh yes, I think it was.

We don't torture people now. We don't even execute people now.

Not that our prisons are anything to write home about - suicides in prison are up 60% since 2006. Rape is not uncommon. The vast majority of our prison population are functionally illiterate and levels of mental illness are sky high. Prisons are full of people serving time for minor offences, whilst corporate offenders who broke our economy get away with a slap on the wrist and a small fine.

I think he did offer solutions - stop farming it out to private companies to make profits from punishment - stop jailing people for minor criminality including minor drugs offences and offer better care for the mentally ill. he didn;t offer that as a British criticism of America - he offered it as an observer's criticism of the system in which he now lives, married to his American wife (an army medic).

Or, you could go all patriotic and ignore any valid criticisms because it's a Brit making them, and slag off the Brits just to drive your point home. The fact that every point he made has also been made by Americans over the last few years notwithstanding.

Better minds than me have been working on a solution, without success, for a long time. Unfortunately the people who want to do something to make it even a little better, long ago relinquished control to people who are profiting from the status quo. Those people aren't giving up their income stream without a fight.

Ironically, Pres Obama just admitted we have been torturing prisoner since 11 September. We don't torture people now except when extremist were rewriting the rules.

President Obama didn't prosecute anyone in connection with the use of torture thus reserving the right of anyone holding the office of President to do so with impunity and for all the world to know.

I suppose that makes him an extremist too as an accessory after the fact.

Have you been dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock?

But, I'm not up there taking potshots at your system for the sole purpose of comedy fodder. I was not talking about 'Brits'. I was talking about 'that' Brit. Oliver is a fucking jerk. I don't really care if you, or anyone else, for that matter, agrees with that.

I will sincerely endeavor to opine no more. It's just so fucking tiring to have people react like they caught me dry-fucking their mama in the ass whenever I express an opinion. Fuck it, it ain't worth the butt-hurt.

:mouthzippingsmilie:

As matter of fact, fuck it twice, I'm going for a ride on the scooter I won in a poker game. And Ima think evil, mean and nasty thoughts about Brits. All of them.

Except Emma Watson. I'm just gonna think nasty thoughts about her.

:nyahnyahnyahsmilie:

and Alex Kingston. Emma Watson and Alex Kingston.

That's cool, it's your right, but I would caution you not to shoot the messenger.
Yes, it's a comedy show but comedy often includes ridiculous irony.
I think many of his points are not only true, but ridiculously ironic.
So though I apparently disagree of this issue, I still love you. :heartpump






I figure a three way with Emma is better than nothin'.