They call the drug "Tranq"

[FireDragon76]

Add to that the legal system becoming more and more lax and law enforcement being diminished. My guess is Japan doesn't have a huge homeless drug user situation, because it's a society that still places value on responsibility, accountability and discipline.

Japan has drug use problems, but not nearly as significant as the US. Japan also has harsh prisons, and the police and judges all tend to assume suspects are guilty by default. Japan has an unbelievably high conviction rate.

Of course, most Japanese are indifferent to Christianity, and Japanese are averse to strident religion in general, because it's seen as wierd or anti-social. That goes hand in hand with their disdain for people that cause trouble in general, including drug addicts. It's not an individualistic society, there is limited social tolerance for self-expression, and most Japanese parents favor authoritarian parenting styles. They also tend to obey government and authority figures by default, unlike in the US.

Most hardcore drug users, according to what I was told by a former drug user, start off with getting high with their friends partying and then they start becoming addicted. And then they start building up tolerance, so they start progressing to harder drugs.

Not everybody that tries drugs becomes an addict. Most people that use opioids never become addicted.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Japan has drug use problems, but not nearly as significant as the US. Japan also has harsh prisons, and the police and judges all tend to assume suspects are guilty by default. Japan has an unbelievably high conviction rate.

But what about the culture itself? What does it teach when comes to responsibility, accountability and discipline.

Of course, most Japanese are indifferent to Christianity, and Japanese are averse to strident religion in general, because it's seen as wierd or anti-social. That goes hand in hand with their disdain for people that cause trouble in general, including drug addicts. It's not an individualistic society, there is limited social tolerance for self-expression, and most Japanese parents favor authoritarian parenting styles. They also tend to obey government and authority figures by default, unlike in the US.

How does that compare to pre 60s US?

Not everybody that tries drugs becomes an addict. Most people that use opioids never become addicted.

I didn't say everybody who takes recreational drugs becomes addicted. I said most who get addicted to hardcore drugs, start off with doing much softer drugs recreationally.

 

[FireDragon76]

But what about the culture itself? What does it teach when comes to responsibility, accountability and discipline.

Japan is heavily influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, which means you can't make comparisons between the two societies, and easily draw conclusions on American social policy on that. Japanese people have different ego structures and think of concepts such as duty and the self differently.

Buddhism does not believe an autonomous self actually exists. Instead, the self is seen as existing in relationship to the rest of the world. The basic concept of morality in Japan, besides not causing trouble for others, is the concept of giri or duty. But this isn't duty in the western sense, a duty measured against abstract principles or divine commandments. In Japan, duty is conceived in terms of social relations, not the relationship of the self to abstract principles, as in the western world.

 

[Ceallaigh]

I'd have to do more social studies to make better comparisons. But I'm pretty sure what's being experienced in the US is due to a sharp decline in discipline in favor of permissiveness. Peopl are being allowed to do more and more of whatever they want to with no repercussions. Because that's too repressive for the progressives. Apparently they thought people would naturally police themselves without any authoritarian enforcement.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Of course. It's bondage to sin. Trying to fill a void that only knowing God can fill with heroin instead.

Well, that is THE human condition isn't it? There is a spiritual component that people do not know or do not recognize. They are spiritually blinded.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I'd have to do more social studies to make better comparisons. But I'm pretty sure what's being experienced in the US is due to a sharp decline in discipline in favor of permissiveness. Peopl are being allowed to do more and more of whatever they want to with no repercussions. Because that's too repressive for the progressives. Apparently they thought people would naturally police themselves without any authoritarian enforcement.

Again, that is human nature. What I see is people back in the day over used "discipline" and it was more abuse than discipline. People know what is right to do, but they would rather do the wrong thing instead of the right thing. That is human nature.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I'd have to do more social studies to make better comparisons. But I'm pretty sure what's being experienced in the US is due to a sharp decline in discipline in favor of permissiveness. Peopl are being allowed to do more and more of whatever they want to with no repercussions. Because that's too repressive for the progressives. Apparently they thought people would naturally police themselves without any authoritarian enforcement.

Well, people do not want to be dictated to in America. And people are allowed to choose according to the law of the land.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Well, people do not want to be dictated to in America. And people are allowed to choose according to the law of the land.

We used to be taught to choose wisely. Now youth are left to choose poorly.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Again, that is human nature. What I see is people back in the day over used "discipline" and it was more abuse than discipline. People know what is right to do, but they would rather do the wrong thing instead of the right thing. That is human nature.

There was this pipe dream that youth left to dirft would become artists, but endless sea of homeless duggies on welfare camps and out of control crime is the outcome of liberal permissive progressivism.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Well, that is THE human condition isn't it? There is a spiritual component that people do not know or do not recognize. They are spiritually blinded.

Yes, but at least schools and government used to employ restraints.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

We used to be taught to choose wisely. Now youth are left to choose poorly.

Unfortunately this is true. But even those who have been taught to chose wisely, iow, they KNOW better, they choose to do wrong and suffer the consequences.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

There was this pipe dream that youth left to dirft would become artists, but endless sea of homeless duggies on welfare camps and out of control crime is the outcome of liberal permissive progressivism.

It is not a pipe dream as you are seeing it. And homelessness ( some of it, not all) is caused by, imho ,greed of those in power. The lust for more and more money. What is government suppose to do except provide for the common welfare of it's people.But we see politicians grabbing for more money in their pockets and more oppressive policies. And some who suppose to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ have little compassion for those who are spiritually blinded and who have little to no hope. All of the resources that has ever been in the world are still here.It is just being hoarded by a few greedy people who are loathed to help those less fortunate than they are.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Unfortunately this is true. But even those who have been taught to chose wisely, iow, they KNOW better, they choose to do wrong and suffer the consequences.

True, but they still need a society that values proper guidance and discipline as opposed to what we have going now instead.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Yes, but at least schools and government used to employ restraints.

True, but government has laws that people break all the time. Schools have teachers that do not teach.

 

[Ceallaigh]

It is not a pipe dream as you are seeing it. And homelessness ( some of it, not all) is caused by, imho ,greed of those in power. The lust for more and more money. What is government suppose to do except provide for the common welfare of it's people.

Welfare was originally designed during the FDR administration to help struggling families. Especially war widows with children. Not to financially support unemployed drug addiction.

But we see politicians grabbing for more money in their pockets and more oppressive policies. And some who suppose to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ have little compassion for those who are spiritually blinded and who have little to no hope. All of the resources that has ever been in the world are still here.It is just being hoarded by a few greedy people who are loathed to help those less fortunate than they are.

There's support and then there's enabling. It's strange how millions of immigrants are flocking to the US for a better life, yet somehow there's millions of US citizens who have little to no hope. And no hope of what? Holding a job, when there's help wanted signs everywhere?

Jesus Christ told people in bad situations to stop sinning or else something worse would happen to them. He told people to live righteously or else they would be thrown into Hell. That's the Biblical Jesus, not the concocted secular bleeding heart liberal Jesus who never existed.

And tell me, what resources are the greedy people withholding from me?

 

[Ceallaigh]

True, but government has laws that people break all the time. Schools have teachers that do not teach.

Now people have laws that aren't enforced, which according to liberal progressivism is supposed to be a step in the right direction. And teachers didn't use to be able to get away with not teaching. Again it comes down to a society that values and enforces responsibility, accountability and discipline, and a society that considers those values to be abusive, repressive and draconian.

 

[FireDragon76]

I'd have to do more social studies to make better comparisons. But I'm pretty sure what's being experienced in the US is due to a sharp decline in discipline in favor of permissiveness. Peopl are being allowed to do more and more of whatever they want to with no repercussions. Because that's too repressive for the progressives. Apparently they thought people would naturally police themselves without any authoritarian enforcement.

Not being a permissive or neglectful parent doesn't directly translate to a particular partisan politics.

Political progressives represent a tiny minority in the US. Most Democrats are centrists.

Welfare was originally designed during the FDR administration to help struggling families. Especially war widows with children. Not to financially support unemployed drug addiction.

There's support and then there's enabling. It's strange how thousands of immigrants are flocking to the US for a better life, yet somehow there's thousands of US citizens who have little to no hope. And no hope of what? Holding a job, when there's help wanted signs everywhere?

Why there is an increase in despondency is deeper than simply people being lazy. Work no longer brings dignity as it once did. Americans don't have "Protestant" etched into their cultural DNA anymore.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Not being a permissive or neglectful parent doesn't directly translate to a particular partisan politics.

Political progressives represent a tiny minority in the US. Most Democrats are centrists.

Why there is an increase in despondency is deeper than simply people being lazy. Work no longer brings dignity as it once did. Americans don't have "Protestant" etched into their cultural DNA anymore.

So why do you think US society is going down the toilet?

 

[FireDragon76]

So why do you think US society is going down the toilet?

Many reasons. There doesn't have to be a single cause. The most salient would be four decades of neoliberalism being the dominant ideology in all areas of society. However, economic realities not ammenable to simple political solutions are also a significant factor.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Many reasons. There doesn't have to be a single cause. The most salient would be four decades of neoliberalism being the dominant ideology in all areas of society. However, economic realities not ammenable to simple political solutions are also a significant factor.

And what kind of fixes are needed?