Why Are We So Much More Violent Than Our Neighbors?

[RodalfoWalsh]

So I saw this chart making the rounds on social media as part of the response to the shooting in Las Vegas but what jumped out at me were the differences in outcomes between Argentina & Chile. What is Chile doing right with respect to gun ownership and what are we doing wrong?

 

[Ceviche]

Gun owner ship is not the issue.

Take away the guns. People start using trucks!

 

[ben]

Per your chart, gun ownership is specifically irrelevant to this.

Your chart says that Argentina & Chile have roughly the same gun ownership, and very different fatality rates.

It would appear there are other factors at play. Anybody who's spent time in both cities may have some guesses as to what those factors are.

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

Per your chart, gun ownership is specifically irrelevant to this.

Your chart says that Argentina & Chile have roughly the same gun ownership, and very different fatality rates.

It would appear there are other factors at play. Anybody who's spent time in both cities may have some guesses as to what those factors are.

Clearly other factors come into play, that's what this whole thread is about. If the trend line explained things then there wouldn't be much to wonder about. Why is Argentina over performing so much in this category?

 

[ben]

Really no idea.

Perhaps huge poverty, undereducation, and decades of populist government having created a general culture of entitlement just may have something to do with it? Just spitballing here.

Oh, and a justice system which nearly always defines the poorer person as the underdog and takes their side, whether it's an employee you fired for cause, or defending yourself against a violent crime. Where owning a firearm and discharging it in a home invasion is not an open and shut case.

 

[toongeorges]

Maybe Argentina attracts a lot of US expats

I do not see Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico in the graph. My assumption would be that South/Latin America in general is more violent than elsewhere, with the exception maybe of Chile.

 

[BsAsCommuter]

With respect, I don't think the chart gives enough detail for definite conclusions to be drawn. How many deaths are, for instance, self-inflicted? I'm under the impression that suicide by shooting is culturally more acceptable in Argentina than many other places. Based on the entirely subjective evidence that I personally know more families that have been affected by firearm suicide in Argentina than I know anywhere else

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

With respect, I don't think the chart gives enough detail for definite conclusions to be drawn. How many deaths are, for instance, self-inflicted? I'm under the impression that suicide by shooting is culturally more acceptable in Argentina than many other places. Based on the entirely subjective evidence that I personally know more families that have been affected by firearm suicide in Argentina than I know anywhere else

Maybe Argentina attracts a lot of US expats

I do not see Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico in the graph. My assumption would be that South/Latin America in general is more violent than elsewhere, with the exception maybe of Chile.

The graph includes countries with "very high" (the highest category) HDIs supposedly. Anyway the graph is kind of bullshit boarding on fake news and have been grilling the writer at vox who has been using it on Facebook all day.

That said the data for Argentina and Chile appears to be accurate and the difference is pretty striking.

 

[toongeorges]

Here is another graph that puts things in more perspective:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate#/media/File%3AList_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate.jpg

There are more gun related deaths in Venezuela, Colombia or Brazil than in Argentina

More complete list at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate