Personally, I Think This Is More Like It Troy!

OK, Troy, this is more like me than the dumb jock that I posted on the RGD Factor. J/K. I guess I'm a little of both, but I look more like this guy. I sing better than this freak though. Sunsets are pretty cool, I enjoy those quite a bit.
Peace out.

Short lifespan in Rio drug gangs

I posted this here because I lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the early 90s. A favela is a slum or shanty town, the photos in this article really don't describe the favela. Favelas are composed of makeshift homes constructed out of scrap wood and scrap corrugated tin. The favela dwellers get their electricity by constructing makeshift power lines between their dwelling and the main power lines. There is no running water or sewer in the favela. Water is usually obtained from a nearby river which also happens to be where the sewage goes as well. If you've ever been near a sewage treatment plant, this is what the entire favela smells like. It's important to stay away from the ditches on the side of the road as they contain human waste. An average favela dweller lives on roughly $50 USD a month if they're lucky. Many of them are illiterate and uneducated and the only way of life for them is crime. A movie that shows a realistic example of this is "Cidade de Deus (City of God)" by Bráulio Mantovani adapted from the book by Paulo Lins. I just watched "Cidade de Deus" for the first time tonight. The gist of the movie is that crime is often the only choice for many of these people and it perpetuates itself.

My personal opinion is that poverty is a bi-product of ignorance, corrupt government, socialism, high taxes, and general apathy; all of which exist in great abundance in Brazil. I see the United States of America gradually becoming more and more like Brazil. It won't occur overnight, but if we don't take steps to prevent ignorance, corruption, socialism, high taxes, and apathy - America will soon be no better off than the third world.

RGD (Mister G)
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Short lifespan in Rio drug gangs

By Steve Kingstone BBC News, Sao Paulo

Critics say police shoot first and ask questions later in Rio's favelas

As many as one-fifth of youths in the drug gangs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are killed within two years, usually by police, a new study has indicated.

The report's authors followed 230 young people belonging to gangs in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, or shanty towns, for two years.

The majority were black or of mixed race and in their late teens.

During the two year survey period one in five of those taking part was killed, in most cases by police.

The study was compiled by Observatorio de Favelas, an independent research group operating in the city's poorest communities.

Long hours

The report's authors spoke to young men performing a range of paid roles for drug gangs.

Some were dealers, others worked as look-outs.

A third group were known as "soldiers", protecting their territory from rivals.

There are frequent shoot-outs between police and drug gangs

One-third of those questioned said they had joined a gang to make money and nearly half said they spent their earnings on clothes.

Other reasons offered for turning to crime included the feeling of power and the rush of adrenalin it gave.

But as the report makes plain, the reality of this world does not live up to the apparent glamour.

Sixty percent of those questioned worked for more than 10 hours a day.

Half were on duty seven days a week and a majority had been involved in armed conflicts with rival gangs.

Frequent shoot-outs

Most pointedly, during the period of the survey 45 young people, or a fifth of those taking part, were killed.

The authors say two-thirds were shot dead by the police.

Rio's favelas are frequently the scene of shoot-outs between officers and gang members.

The report stresses that the police were also victims of the violence.

State-wide, 33 officers were killed last year but nonetheless there is an on-going debate here about the use of lethal force by Brazil's police.

Human rights groups say the instinct of many officers is to shoot first and ask questions later.

They also accuse state authorities of not doing enough to investigate such killings.

Although this survey focused on Rio, the issue also resonates in other big Brazilian cities, notably Sao Paulo.

State of the Union

I listened to part of the State of the Union address tonight on NBC. It just ended. The first thing the commentator on NBC mentioned was not anything materially related to the President's speech, but instead a comment on how his approval rating in his first State of the Union address was 82% and now it's at an all-time low of 28%. Tell me, what has that got to do with the substance of the President's speech? It almost seems to me that comments like that are designed to remind people that the President is unpopular and to downplay anything he might have said that appealed to anyone that might be sitting on the fence. I seem to recall that Jesus Christ's political approval with the Pharisees was at an all-time low too just before he performed his most remarkable miracle.

Just out of curiosity, I switched over to Fox to see what Brit Hume had to say. He waited until the President was done exiting the Senate and then he commented on the President's proposal to reduce fuel consumption by 20% and to increase health care for those that don't have it. Another one of their pundits commented that he was most impressed by the foreign policy proposals.

Out of curiosity, I switched back over to NBC and they were talking about what the Democrats would likely mention in their response.

Who's biased?

Fox played the Democrats' response and they talked about what they liked in it. The only questions they had were a statement, the Dems made, that most of the troops do not support the war; they wanted to see evidence of it and a comment that the Democrats want a favorable conclusion in Iraq. They said that in contrast the President said he wants victory. Fox said that "favorable conclusion" could mean different things to different people.

Now they have Rudy Giuliani talking about the Democrats' response.

I really do think Fox IS "fair and balanced" compared to what I saw and heard on NBC. Just my observation and opinion, I could be wrong.

RGD