Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition

[adace]

Thoughts?
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-prohibits-sales-guns-ammunition-16478887#.T9l8s8VMcz4

[rumborak]

Seems like it's mostly pre-election positioning, given how it will have zero impact.

rumborak

[Odysseus]

Seems like it's mostly pre-election positioning, given how it will have zero impact.

rumborak

Sounds like you could be right.  However, prohibiting the sales of arms would appear to be better than allowing free access in a country that has a massive problem with violent crime.  Obviously it will take a long time for any effect to be felt on this particular aspect of policy, but I have to say I view the 'no guns in public places' legislation as being more effective in the short term.  But yes, it may be like putting a plaster on a broken leg..... *shrug*

[El Barto]

I'm real interested to see how this works out long term.  Obviously, the guns being used aren't purchased legally, much like here.  But if there's a zero tolerance policy which allows confiscation and arrest, they should start to see a decrease pretty quickly. The question is how big will the blood bath be in the interim. 

[Scheavo]

I could easily see the long term being worse. Prohibition just increases crime and gang related activity, and trying prohibition to prevent crime and gang related activity seems asinine.

[El Barto]

Perhaps so.  The biggest difference is that guns are harder to smuggle than drugs, and I can't grow a Sig Sauer in my closet. 

[Scheavo]

And most people can't process heroin or cocaine, but it's hardly impossible to get. It just means organized crime has to smuggle it in, and that organized crime get's even more money and power.

[Super Dude]

I could easily see the long term being worse. Prohibition just increases crime and gang related activity, and trying prohibition to prevent crime and gang related activity seems asinine.

Isn't Costa Rica totally disarmed? And I'm pretty sure Japan has been for like half a millennium (civilian population, I mean).

[El Barto]

And most people can't process heroin or cocaine, but it's hardly impossible to get. It just means organized crime has to smuggle it in, and that organized crime get's even more money and power.

Hence my point about guns being harder to smuggle.  To a large extent I think you're right.  I also see that other countries that banned guns long ago don't have a culture of gun violence.  I think we're talking about change happening very far down the road, but I think it can happen.  For the time being, there will be more criminals running around armed, but in a generation or two things might look very different to them.

[Scheavo]

And most people can't process heroin or cocaine, but it's hardly impossible to get. It just means organized crime has to smuggle it in, and that organized crime get's even more money and power.

Hence my point about guns being harder to smuggle.  To a large extent I think you're right.  I also see that other countries that banned guns long ago don't have a culture of gun violence.  I think we're talking about change happening very far down the road, but I think it can happen.  For the time being, there will be more criminals running around armed, but in a generation or two things might look very different to them.

I could easily see the long term being worse. Prohibition just increases crime and gang related activity, and trying prohibition to prevent crime and gang related activity seems asinine.

Isn't Costa Rica totally disarmed? And I'm pretty sure Japan has been for like half a millennium (civilian population, I mean).

And those situations are probably far more due to cultural and social forces, then the fact that there's a prohibition on. In Venezuela, right now, there's a much more hostile social environment, one that you can't really compare to Japan or Costa Rica.

EB: I won't deny that it's possible, but I just don't see this prohibition being the cause. Sociocultural factors are far more important, of which government is only a part.

[El Barto]

EB: I won't deny that it's possible, but I just don't see this prohibition being the cause. Sociocultural factors are far more important, of which government is only a part.

And if they can lessen the availability of guns, even a marginal amount, they might affect change in that culture.

It looks like be both agree that it could go either way.  Like I said to start this thing off, I'm real curious to see how it works out for them many years down the road.  I certainly wouldn't be placing any bets on the outcome.

[ohgar]

I don't live in Venezuela so I'm not sure why I should have an opinion?

[Super Dude]

Yet you post in here anyway, more than two weeks after the thread died?