Asking out of good faith here. Isn't this essentially arguing the broken window theory?
> The broken windows theory is a criminological theory that states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes. The theory suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes.
Perhaps there are two interpretations of this. 1. That it's a meaningless first step or 2. That it is a small but meaningful first step. To those who see (1), I think this is akin to heavily policing a neighborhood and arresting people for talking too loudly.
> The M&Ms provision was included in Van Halen’s contracts not as an act of caprice, but because it served a practical purpose: to provide a simple way of determining whether the technical specifications of the contract had been thoroughly read and complied with.
Or is it arguing the canary in the coal mine (a sentinel species which is affected by too-high carbon monoxide levels before humans are, giving miners a warning signal)?
Personally, I don't think the BWT analogy is the right one given how BWT is so strongly coupled to funding the police - even in its original non-zero tolerance version - and the well-known racism in its real-world application in NYC. You can see from your quote the lack of consideration of non-policing methods to target vandalism, public drinking and fare evasion.
Eg, pay for more sanitation and cleaning crews to fix vandalism, change the laws to keep cops from being the subsidized security force for abandoned buildings, restore public health services to help the homeless (one I've read about is to create supervised "flop house", that is, very cheap and basic housing where addicts and drunks have safer place to drink), and support mechanisms like raised minimum wages, increased unionization, or basic income which help people have the money to pay for the subway fare and an increased desire to maintain the current social system.
> The broken windows theory is a criminological theory that states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes. The theory suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes.
Perhaps there are two interpretations of this. 1. That it's a meaningless first step or 2. That it is a small but meaningful first step. To those who see (1), I think this is akin to heavily policing a neighborhood and arresting people for talking too loudly.