CNN: Violent crime rising in US cities, study finds

[haele]

22. The summer heat. Media-influanced social polarization

There are certain types of investment to be made on an propaganda policy that promotes an uptick of general social nastiness and short-fused tribal thinking.

Monetary - in a tribal mindset, people who don't possess healthy skepticism and self confidence will become afraid of the neighbors they would normally ignore as well as the odd stranger who has enough significant difference from them and their immediate acquaintances. These people can be easily influenced to go out of their way to spend the majority of their income on safety blanket purchases and the hoarding resources they feel will protect them and their families from those people (who are usually demonized as lazy opportunists who feed off so-called normal folks). Chaos = profit for a few. And if those few started out with wealth, they can then turn chaos into -

Political investment - us-against-them simplifies a political campaign into easy to digest chunks. For all everyone talks about how important it is to look at issues and think about the future, it really is easier to deal with yes/no, black/white issues. Politicians and political backers have made the calculated risk that if you can keep a mass promotion campaign of variations on a simple (or simplistic) answer to the metaphorical world problems going constantly, thoughtful people won't have time to get out the long-term ramifications of what you are promoting until too late. More people will listen sports analogies and explanations in abstract than a graduate thesis study on why a particular set of policies and compromises could eventually lead to better (or worse) environment for a society at large.

Unusual, uncomfortable environments just makes it a bit more difficult to think clearly and for any length of time. It's far easier to develop the habit of just reacting.

Mix induced chaos with bad weather and the restrictions that come with both, you get an uptick in crime.

Haele