Gangsterism...

[SckizoBoy]

I ask out of simple curiosity, what is your view of gangsters (i.e. the networked organised crime variety, that is)? Are they the same wherever you go or does it depend on the country?

Spoiler

As a side note, the jury's still out on whether Yakuza are... 'worth it' or not. They participate in all manner of illegal activities, including prostitution, drug-trafficking, extortion etc. etc. but the Rokudaime Yamaguchi-gumi were notable for commencing aid operations a lot faster and a lot more efficiently than the Japanese government after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. And the irony is that with such a massive presence in Kobe, that city has the lowest incidence of violent crime in Japan...

 

[DigitalSushi]

I've heard rumours or urban legends that the Japanese Police are so light that the Yakuza in fact in-force a lot of policies that us westerners take for granted, things like debt collection is handled by them in some area's because the police over there do not do that, but I've not been to Japan or seen it first hand, I've only heard third person stories about it.

You get a lot of organised crime everywhere, I've mostly seen the trafficking drugs trade myself, none of that Hollywood "disrespect my family and you sleep with the fishies" type stuff, and of course thuggish "we're a gang and this is our turf and we will fuck you up" type stuff too, which is fucking pathetic because those people only hurt each other forever over a piece of decrepit landscape.

 

[Doc Theta Sigma]

Fun fact. The city of Kobe, the home city of the largest yakuza syndicate Yamaguchi-gumi, is one of the safest cities in Japan, because "cheap" criminals such as street gangs and thugs are afraid to attract the yakuza's attention so they avoid being active in the city.

The more you learn. Pay it forward.