Why do drug dealers live with their moms? By analyzing the studies of Sudhir Venkatesh, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, Levitt and Dubner have exposed the inner workings of the drug markets and discovered why drug dealers still live with their mothers. What started with a life or death encounter with a gang of drug dealers turned out to be an experience that has provided a wealth of information pertaining to the hierarchy of drug dealers and its similarity to the hierarchies of some of the most succesful corporations ever founded. Venkatesh's research has shown that only the executives of the drug industry, much like the executives of a major corporation rake in large incomes. While the executives earn around $200,000 a year, the foot soldiers (who do the actual dealing) earn less than half of the minimum wage (around $3.30 an hour). This explains why drug dealers still live with their moms. Not only do the foot soldiers earn less than half of minimum wage, their working conditions are the worst in the world- they risk being arrested, shot at by crackheads and/or rival gangs, etc. There is a 25% that a drug dealer will get killed while on the job. How can people still hold drug dealers in high esteem when they still live with their mothers, earn less than half of the minimum wage, and have a 25% chance of getting killed?
In this chunk, Levitt and Dubner also tackle the sudden decrease in crime rates in the 1990s. Again, Levitt's unconventional methods yield unexpected answers that are nonetheless highly plausible. The steep drop of crime rates in the 1990s have raised many questions about how and why they dropped. Although all fingers point to laws pertaining to the stricter law enforcement and harsher punishments, Levitt has proven that the real reason behind it was the legalization of abortion. Most criminals originate from households with single or negligent parents who either don't have the time to care or just don't care. These parents don't provide the necessary care for their children and therefore, their childern inevitably deviate from a correct the correct path and are bred into criminals. However, Levitt has reasoned that because these potential criminals were never born, their imminent crimes were never committed. The preventing of the births of potential criminals is the main reason that crime rates have dropped. Again, the unconventional thinking of Levitt and Dubner have provided unforeseen answers to everyday questions.
Tone: technical and sincere
Rhetorical Terms:
1. Appeal to Logos: this whole book appeals to logic, no matter how unconventional it may be. With assumably accurate facts and statistics, Levitt and Dubner validate their arguments.
2. Statistics: their specific numbers pertaining to the drug industry and drop in crime rates adds credibility to the argument.
Questions:
1. Do the beneficial effects of the legalization of abortions outweigh the moral discrepancies of abortion itself?
2. Why do drug dealers still deal drugs even with all of its drawbacks?
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1 comment:
Good analysis. Indeed, drug dealers don't earn enough money to move out of their parent's house. The media has materialized the appearance of the top "ganstas",riding their escalades and wearing their bling-bling. You see everyone wanting the street riches and bags full of cash. It's not worth so much, for so little, like some people say. Future lies more secure when you pursue your education, but not all can embrace that gift.
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