One wonders how much of this is cultural contagion. Remember in earlier decades we had far more political assassinations, far more than today. Same with hi-jackings and serial killers.
One wonders if the supply of crazy people who do such things is more stable than we think, but the outlets (and resultant casualties) change with the 'fashion' of the time.
-------------------------------- If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.
Posts: 33811 | Location: On the Hudson | Registered: 20 April 2005
Of course the 'fashionable methods' would change in part due to changes in the ease of pulling off the methods. Important politicians are harder to kill than before, hijackings much harder, guns easier and easier.
-------------------------------- If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.
Posts: 33811 | Location: On the Hudson | Registered: 20 April 2005
Bombings are another example. We had a wave in the 70s. Not too often these days.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting the methods are interchangeable, and its the same profile of perp doing all of them. I just that, by looking at a single method at a time, we might miss something important.
-------------------------------- If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.
Posts: 33811 | Location: On the Hudson | Registered: 20 April 2005
If the something important is important in coming up with a fix, that's ... important!
The things we came up with to fix earlier problems tended to be specific to the issues of the times. The political assassinations and bombings led to changes in security procedures (around public figures), and changes in national security procedures to help identify and neutralize the groups that were involved (Red Guards, etc). Highjacking led to changes in air travel procedures, first with armed air marshals and then on to TSA and taking off shoes. Not sure these earlier "fixes" worried too much about broader connections.
Posts: 12759 | Location: Williamsburg, VA | Registered: 19 July 2005
Jodi
