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[Twi]

So, the ancient Celts had a law where the higher-ranked you were, the more severe the punishment for crimes.

I feel we should implement this.

It's common in Europe to have fines calculated as a sliding-scale based on your income. That would be a start. Then you might not get asshats like Justin Bieber drag racing in Lamborghini's and not giving a shit because the speeding fines so small, and they know they're not going to get jail time because they're so famous.

This would also be a great way to rake the dosh in, if they had fined Bieber millions for the reckless driving and also the marijuana possession, it would have brought in a ton of needed cash at the municipal level. Also, think about incentivizing the cops that rich people are worth more to bust. Right now they probably let a bunch of rich white kids get off scot free for the same offense they come down like a ton of bricks on some ghetto kids, so adding even a small monetary incentive to fine the rich kids would only be leveling the playing field.

Why is this not a thing here? D:

[Loud Whispers]

ISIS is making a killing off selling oil, though. Bizarrely, I think their biggest customer is feckin' Syria.

Syria is just the middleman, same way as with the Kurds. It's most amusing to see the Kurds and ISIS saying they send their oil off to a middleman and if it happens to end up in Turkish/Israeli hands than that's how the oil flows

[Bouchart]

We interrupt your regularly-scheduled thread to say: God Bless America.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Amateur.  He forgot the ammo!

[FearfulJesuit]

We interrupt your regularly-scheduled thread to say: God Bless America.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Amateur.  He forgot the ammo!

inb4 Wal-Mart starts selling Molotov cocktail launchers

[Helgoland]

So, the ancient Celts had a law where the higher-ranked you were, the more severe the punishment for crimes.

I feel we should implement this.

It's common in Europe to have fines calculated as a sliding-scale based on your income. That would be a start. Then you might not get asshats like Justin Bieber drag racing in Lamborghini's and not giving a shit because the speeding fines so small, and they know they're not going to get jail time because they're so famous.

This would also be a great way to rake the dosh in, if they had fined Bieber millions for the reckless driving and also the marijuana possession, it would have brought in a ton of needed cash at the municipal level. Also, think about incentivizing the cops that rich people are worth more to bust. Right now they probably let a bunch of rich white kids get off scot free for the same offense they come down like a ton of bricks on some ghetto kids, so adding even a small monetary incentive to fine the rich kids would only be leveling the playing field.

Why is this not a thing here? D:

Wait, this is not a thing in the US?

[origamiscienceguy]

If that were the case, than the whole situation would turn around. The cops would start looking for excuses to bust rich people. Not a good plan.

[Helgoland]

Not really. There's too few truly rich people to make that a problem, and they won't start disproportionally busting middle class folks because, well, cops themselves are middle class too. It's a class consciousness thing, at least sort of.

[Sheb]

Also, you just have to make it so that the police department themselves don't get the proceeds from the fine.

[mainiac]

Generally the officer themself keeping the fine is considered corruption in most places.  Police departments can keep some or all of the fine in the US however, which does lead to some conflicts of interest.  Even if there were scaled fines, abuses of this nature would still occur against the poor if they occurred because the poor are the ones who dont know how to contest things.

[Zangi]

If that were the case, than the whole situation would turn around. The cops would start looking for excuses to bust rich people. Not a good plan.

Well, there are people in expensive looking vehicles zooming down the highway.  Every day.  Big hauls, already there for the taking.  That'll learn em.

I believe the local court handling the matter takes a piece of the pie to, in some places at least.

EDIT: Also, no possible legal way for the cop giving the ticket to directly collect... as far as I know.  Indirectly by getting paid, sure. Civil Forfeiture below.

[Reelya]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2014/03/12/cops-use-traffic-stops-to-seize-millions-from-drivers-never-charged-with-a-crime/

Nor is Nevada an outlier.  Twenty-five other states allow police to pocket all of the proceeds from civil forfeiture.  Property owners must prove their innocence in civil forfeiture proceedings in 37 other states.

Well, they can and do shake people down for any spare cash you might have, then that goes to the precinct. Also been known that narcotics cops plant baggies in nice cars, claim them as proceeds of drugs, then they get impounded, and used as "undercover" vehicles. So it's definitely known that cops "legally" steal people's cars then get to drive them around. Back to the cash shake downs:

The New Yorker reported that cops even threatened drivers, that, if they didn’t turn over their cash, their children could be taken by Child Protective Services.

... Would anyone in their right mind goes to such lengths if they're not taking a cut of the proceeds.

[RedKing]

Latest on the Oregon standoff:

Ammon Bundy revealed to have taken out a $530,000 SBA loan from the government.
"I am not anti-government" Bundy stated.(The full quote should have been "I am not anti-government when they give me stuff, only when they want me to pay for it.")

The Guardian's reporters actually went and inventoried the militia's supplies.

It included a cardboard box of apples and oranges, a few dozen pots of instant ramen, 24 cans of chicken noodle soup, a similar number of cans of sweetcorn, peas, beans and chili, and 20 boxes of macaroni and cheese.

There were also three sacks of potatoes, one bag of flour, another of rolled oats, boxes of raisins, a single bag of pretzels and one granola bar.

This isn't a militia, this is what a frat house packs for Spring Break.

Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to cut the power to the buildings, followed by blocking phone service (and I'm doubting there's much cell reception out there) and eventually blocking the roads. This is going to turn into some weird reality show where we watch a group of terrible people become more terrible before our eyes, isn't it? Culminating in a mass shootout over that granola bar.

[Bauglir]

Hang on, they don't say how many boxes of raisins. They may be planning a raisin-based nutrition scheme, and for all we know it could last for years!

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I am all for this turning into shitty Kingdom of the Flies.

[RedKing]

I am all for this turning into shitty Kingdom of the Flies.

Maybe the reporters could make them run through pointless physical challenges in return for Hardee's Thickburgers.. Hell, I smell a sponsorship deal here...

The bigger question might be, did anyone bring toilet paper? Cause it might be turning into a REALLY shitty Lord of the Flies.

EDIT: I'm also wondering what they're going to do with flour but no butter, milk or sugar. Maybe they just brought a sack of flour because "that's what the pioneers did". Basic cooking fail.