Ah, the media. You really, really don’t despise them enough.
They have an agenda, and a narrative, and anything that challenges or questions either of those has to be debunked — even if it means denying reality and straight-up lying.
Enter The Economist, which is lamenting the fact ‘iron fist policies’ don’t curb gang violence, which is a major (and growing) problem in Latin America. Which, give our open borders and soft-on-crime blue cities is also an American problem.
Gangs are gaining ground in Latin America. This is why iron-fist policies won’t beat them back: https://t.co/EwPOQvDLBC 👇
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 12, 2024
They write (emphasis added):
Duran in Ecuador is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Its murder rate of 148 per 100,000 residents in 2023 was almost 50% higher than the next most violent place, Mandela Bay in South Africa. Poor, and with about 300,000 inhabitants, Durán lies across the river from Guayaquil, one of the most important export hubs for cocaine. It is the worst example of a scourge that has brought misery to Latin America. Despite being home to just 8% of the world’s population, the region accounts for a third of its murders.
To deal with the violence, Latin American leaders often resort to mano dura, the iron fist. They impose states of emergency, which may last indefinitely; they send the army into the streets; they carry out indiscriminate mass arrests. Mano dura has been championed by El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, who has locked up almost 80,000 people—over 1% of the population—in the past two years. The murder rate has plunged. Officials from across the region praise and seek to copy what they call the “Bukele model”. They shouldn’t.
The murder rate plunged. The Economist admits as much, and that it was because El Salvador’s president locked up a lot of people.
And other countries shouldn’t emulate this?
Cool story, bro.
But never fear, the Community Note put this into perspective:
El Salvador’s iron-fist gang crackdown led to murders dropping by 70% in 2023.
In our world, that’s an effective policy.
“You’re thirsty. This is why drinking water won’t work” –The Economist probably
— geebot (Jake) (@Essncgee) May 12, 2024
Pretty much.
‘You’re tired. This is why sleeping won’t work.’
Why do “iron-fist policies” work on your website but not in Latin America? pic.twitter.com/4V4jWBemeA
— Pierre Rochard (@BitcoinPierre) May 12, 2024
Heh. Excellent point.
Iron-fist policies will, but journos support murder, crime, and all forms of evil, so good things make them sad.
— James Kirkpatrick (@VDAREJamesK) May 12, 2024
The Left — and let’s be honest, that includes 99% of the media — love criminals. Not only because it’s clickbait for their jobs, but because it’s their political belief.
El Salvador just did exactly that. And you know they did too, but you continue to lie.
Desperately trying to hold on to the globalist “LiBeRaL dEmOCrAcy” psyop.
— Ryder Selmi (@RyderSelmi) May 12, 2024
Lying is what they do best.
How to admit you’re a tool for the global elite, without admitting that you’re a tool for the global elite
— Simon Case (@simoncase78) May 12, 2024
Exactly.
A major tool.
There is a zero recidivism rate among the imprisoned and executed.
— Claude Rains, Zombie (@CRainsZombie) May 12, 2024
Correct. Zero recidivism.
You know what else won’t work. Soft on crime procedural perfectionism.
— 🇮🇱 MaTT 🇮🇱 (@matt_clarke) May 13, 2024
They don’t want effective policies.
They want things that make them feel good and consolidate their political power.
You can either have a civilization or you can have endless compassion for the feelings of criminals. You cannot have both. https://t.co/GBtgwqPkXZ
— The Chivalry Guild (@ChivalryGuild) May 12, 2024
And the Left chose the latter.
The main purpose of the press is to lecture you about the evils of living in a well ordered and prosperous society https://t.co/l3owMocoFy
— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) May 12, 2024
And to lie. Don’t forget the lying.
The corporate press is the enemy of the people https://t.co/S8P3xjALNZ
— Jared Rabel (@JradRabel) May 13, 2024
Yes, they are.
The iron fisted approach always works.
If it is really iron fisted, that is.
You see: criminals – even leaders of criminal gangs – are invariably stupid and cowardly. They will not stand and fight. Hit them, and they quit. https://t.co/crv3i6IIsd
— Mark Noonan (@Mark_E_Noonan) May 12, 2024
All of this.
Restoring human rights for 6 1/2 million Salvadorans has virtually eliminated gang violence.
El Salvador is now the safest country in the hemisphere. @TheEconomist’s blatant and grotesque act of journalistic malpractice here is mind boggling. https://t.co/yWuxKG6MXD
— Max Keiser (@maxkeiser) May 12, 2024
It’s less mind boggling when you realize they hate law and order and the average citizen.
They prefer the criminals.
We just did 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/ZabdNXNHVK
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) May 12, 2024
And we’ll leave you with that, because he’s the man responsible for a 70% drop in crime in El Salvador.
He’s right. The Economist is wrong. End of story.