The importance of growing inequality in society as a cause of violence seems to have been ignored by both sides in this debate* America seems to be getting more violent the more hierachical it gets.
By contrast the Temiar or Semai of Mayalsia are thought to be some of the most peace and egalitarian peoples in the world, they use rifles (&/or blow darts) for hunting, there doesn’t seem to be single case of gun murder.
For young males in particular who feel ever more insignificant in the face of the ever more awesome and stellar “achievements” of elites in society violence may seem like the only way to compete for dominance (especially when they’re relentlessly told a gun will make them the world’s greatest hero by the “enterntainment” industry). This is not quite as fanciful it sounds, if we were chimps mindless violence could make a young male the alpha with a harem.
Closely related is the proven fact that inequality dramatically increases stress for those at the bottom , which increases mental illness.
I would speculate that if guns were completely banned and “loosers” had no way of hurting others they would simply resort to self-destruction through risk taking, addictions, suicide, the net blood on the hands of hierarchical society might be exactly the same.
Obviously there need to be limits placed on the destructive power of weapons & who can get them as the democrats (in particular) are saying but I don’t see this as more of a symptom than cause.
*(E.G.,It has been found that the more inequality in a society the more formal and informal terror called the Hierarchy- Terror Principle (Sidanius, Pratto. Social Dominace p219-20)
The importance of growing inequality in society as a cause of violence seems to have been ignored by both sides in this debate* America seems to be getting more violent the more hierachical it gets.
By contrast the Temiar or Semai of Mayalsia are thought to be some of the most peace and egalitarian peoples in the world, they use rifles (&/or blow darts) for hunting, there doesn’t seem to be single case of gun murder.
For young males in particular who feel ever more insignificant in the face of the ever more awesome and stellar “achievements” of elites in society violence may seem like the only way to compete for dominance (especially when they’re relentlessly told a gun will make them the world’s greatest hero by the “enterntainment” industry). This is not quite as fanciful it sounds, if we were chimps mindless violence could make a young male the alpha with a harem.
Closely related is the proven fact that inequality dramatically increases stress for those at the bottom , which increases mental illness.
I would speculate that if guns were completely banned and “loosers” had no way of hurting others they would simply resort to self-destruction through risk taking, addictions, suicide, the net blood on the hands of hierarchical society might be exactly the same.
Obviously there need to be limits placed on the destructive power of weapons & who can get them as the democrats (in particular) are saying but I don’t see this as more of a symptom than cause.
*(E.G.,It has been found that the more inequality in a society the more formal and informal terror called the Hierarchy- Terror Principle (Sidanius, Pratto. Social Dominace p219-20)