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General => Archive => Political and Religious => Topic started by: adace on June 13, 2012, 11:56:27 PM

Title: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: adace on June 13, 2012, 11:56:27 PM
Thoughts?
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-prohibits-sales-guns-ammunition-16478887#.T9l8s8VMcz4 (https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-prohibits-sales-guns-ammunition-16478887#.T9l8s8VMcz4)
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: rumborak on June 14, 2012, 04:29:08 AM
Seems like it's mostly pre-election positioning, given how it will have zero impact.

rumborak
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Odysseus on June 14, 2012, 04:43:16 AM
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*
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: El Barto on June 14, 2012, 08:23:08 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Scheavo on June 14, 2012, 10:31:12 PM
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.
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: El Barto on June 14, 2012, 10:56:38 PM
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. 
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Scheavo on June 14, 2012, 11:59:04 PM
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.
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Super Dude on June 15, 2012, 05:54:54 AM
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).
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: El Barto on June 15, 2012, 07:59:12 AM
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.
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Scheavo on June 15, 2012, 12:33:38 PM
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.
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: El Barto on June 15, 2012, 12:42:21 PM
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.
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: ohgar on July 02, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
I don't live in Venezuela so I'm not sure why I should have an opinion?
Title: Re: Venezuela Prohibits Sales of Guns, Ammunition
Post by: Super Dude on July 02, 2012, 08:34:01 PM
Yet you post in here anyway, more than two weeks after the thread died?