Transcript Field of Possibles

• Field of Possibles: “Every man is defined
negatively by the sum total of possibles…”
Conventional Wisdom
• -“We associate truth with convenience…with
what most closely accords with self-interest and
personal well being or promises best to avoid
awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life.
We also find highly acceptable what contributes
most to self-esteem.”
• conventional wisdom: simple, convenient,
comfortable and comforting—though not
necessarily true
• Critical Thought: “Characterized by
careful, exact evaluation and judgment.”
Thinking “outside the box”
“The Black Disciples” Street Gang
Individual Branch make-up:
Leader (JT)
Enforcer
Runner
Treasurer
Foot Soldiers (25-75 members)
Rank-and-file (up to 200 members)
Black Disciples Statistics
Monthly revenues for the third year:
•
Drug sales:
$24,800
•
Dues (rank and file):
$5,100
•
Extortionary taxes:
$2,100
•
Total monthly revenues: $32,500
Black Disciples Statistics
Monthly Costs for the third year:
• Wholesale cost of drugs:
• Board of directors fee:
• Mercenary fighters:
• Weapons:
• Miscellaneous:
• Total monthly non-wage costs:
$5,000
$5,000
$1,300
$300
$2,400
$14,000
Black Disciples Statistics
Wages:
•
Three officers (combined): $2,100
•
Foot soldiers (combined): $7,400
•
Total wages (excluding JT): $9,500
• JT’s monthly wage was about $8,500 (about
$100,000 per year)
• Board of directors made roughly $500,000 per
year each
Black Disciples Statistics
Black Disciples as a whole:
•
Top 20 bosses: $500,000 salary
•
Next 100 were gang leaders like JT,
about $100,000 per year
•
The lowest (roughly 25,000 members,
foot-soldiers and rank-and-file) made very
little
Black Disciples Statistics
Statistics of working conditions for gang
members, based on four years of
employment:
•
Number of times arrested: 5.9
•
Number of nonfatal injuries: 2.4
•
Chance of being killed:
1 in 4
• Average hourly wage for foot soldiers:
$3.60