There are many plausible explanations for the recent crime downturn: sharper policing strategy, more police overtime, low unemployment, the lure of digital life, the post-pandemic return to normalcy. Each of these surely played a role. But only one theory can match the decline in its scope and scale: that the massive, post-pandemic investment in local governments deployed during the Biden administration, particularly through the American Rescue Plan Act, delivered a huge boost to the infrastructure and services of American communities—including those that suffered most from violent crime. That spending may be responsible for our current pax urbana
Crime by ICE and the border patrol is of course excluded from these statistics
If you were paying attention and weren’t too radicalized by this point, you knew at the time what a legislative and impactful victory the Biden American Rescue Plan Act was. Boring, establishment Democrats know that the needle of progress moves slowly, especially in the face of constant, unrelenting GOP obstruction. They lost the messaging war to the youth, whose desire for radical change blinded them while online anti-American propaganda turned them away from Kamala, the only candidate on the ticket able to deliver progress, and give the GOP free reign to ruin all our futures. The villain is still unquestioningly the GOP, but it’s time to start critically evaluating the online platforms and pop-up news outlets from which you get your information. Foreign actors tint the information you are receiving to make you hate America. To believe things are worse than they really are, even now. Apathy is the enemy of democracy. The fediverse is well enmeshed in the problem.