Quote (EndlessSky @ Aug 29 2020 10:20pm)
one of the things I've pointed out to some people since the riots began is that Mayor Frey's decision to allow the 3rd precinct to fall, has directly unleashed the chain of events that has led to 25+ excess murders in Minneapolis alone and maybe hundreds nationwide
when the rule of law itself is tested and allowed to crumple, it sends and unmistakable green light to criminals and the result of the ensuing chaos is many deaths.
so when the decision was based (at least ostensibly) on protecting human life over property, the result was a far greater loss of human life.
In philosophical terms, this is like the distinction of rule utilitarianism- that actions don't exist in a vacuum and the very rules we follow have an implicit value, and when people are allowed to break them, it carries actual, if diffuse, costs. The classical example being speed limits. People can rationalize under act utilitarianism that speeding when outside thick traffic is 'almost' entirely safe, and gets them where they want to go faster. So why should they be ticketed for it? Because if you let people violate the speed limit on the basis of their discretion or lack thereof, it will lead to a massive surge in traffic deaths.
Well, when criminals believe that attempting to loot or riot or burn cities down will result in either serious felony charges or being killed in self-defense, it will lead to criminals being unwilling to commit those inherently dangerous crimes. When criminals think they can get away with anything, they won't stop at looting and arson, they'll always graduate to rapes and murders