Hypothetical question about the role of government.

[Direckshun]

I know we have a lot of conservatives and libertarians on this board, so I have a question to see exactly what role you think the government should have in promoting public health.

Follow me, because I think this is fascinating.

So there is a fascinating body of research growing that is starting to argue that having ample amounts of lead in the atmosphere can absolutely **** with your brain. Research has confirmed on an individual level, neighborhood level, city level and country level that people exposed to lead can adapt more violent tendencies. Cities and neighborhoods and people that are more exposed to more lead have much higher crime rates than cities and neighborhoods and people that don't. Once a city's lead presence grows, so does its violent crime, almost exactly at the same time and at the same rate. Once its lead presence recedes, so goes violent crime.

Now, obviously this is not the cause of crime, nor would reducing it be the answer to eliminating it. But there is a growing body of research that proves lead is an extremely strong factor in violent crime rates.

This same negative influence applies to critical thinking and IQ as well, which is less surprising given that that's largely accepted knowledge.

Most of our lead is gone, now. Lead paint and lead gas are banned. But the lead used all those decades ago still lingers, particularly in urban neighborhoods, in the soil and in old houses that didn't remove the lead paint properly while it still lingers in old windows.

Even with its diminished presence, the chemical influence of lead adds to our violent crime rates, and further stocks our prisons, and makes less intelligent citizens who will most likely earn less and contribute less to the economy.

They've conducted research on what it would take to right this wrong, and what it would cost us as well as save/create for us:

• To eradicate lead from our soil and old homes, it would take about $2 billion a year for ten years -- $20 billion.
• The savings in prisons from the violent crime reduction, as well as the estimated impact to our economy from smarter citizens with higher IQs could, combined, be somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 billion.

That's a 10-to-1 profit. Even if you thought that figure was high, and you want to reduce it to something ridiculously lower, like $50 billion, that's still a profit. Not to mention we'd have far less of the emotional burden from violent crime, which isn't nothing.

Now this being DC, some will dispute the findings and projections. So be it.

But here's a couple hypothetical questions for all my conservative and libertarian friends on this board:

Assuming researchers could prove these numbers to your satisfaction -- that a $20 billion investment in cleaning up lead over 10 years could yeild ten times the savings and profit for our economy -- would you personally support it? Do you think this is a fair function for the government to take on for society?

Thanks in advance.

[Comrade Crapski]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I know we have a lot of conservatives and libertarians on this board.

As opposed to communist scumbags like you.

[Direckshun]

I feel like we're off to a great start.

[HonestChieffan]

Why should the taxpayer be forced to fund it if the benefit is so clear to doing it ourselves?

[MagicHef]

Yep

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

...there is a fascinating body of research growing that is starting to argue that having ample amounts of lead in the atmosphere can absolutely **** with your brain.

Scientists say that the effect can be especially destructive when the lead enters your brain in the form of a bullet.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

Scientists say that the effect can be especially destructive when the lead enters your brain in the form of a bullet.

Stop trying to /thread my thread.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Stop trying to /thread my thread.

At least I didn't call you a communist scumbag, you leftist extortionist.

[LiveSteam]

you leftist, extortionist extraordinaire