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Comment by demosito666 | Hacker News Reader

What baffles me about this "gang-related" cases of violence is that it's presumably over drug money. And Sweden has rather low drug consumption level and is essentially cashless, so any transaction larger than shopping for groceries goes via a bank. And Swedish banks are very transparent and compliant and have very strict KYC/AML rules. I once had to explain to the bank why my friend transferred me an equivalent of $200 and every ATM deposit as well, even if it's $20. How the fuck are the drug money passed around in enough quantities to warrant "gang wars" here?

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It's not always about money, it's also hurt pride and dumb principles.

That's why in Sweden you see these "gangs" that are essentially one family, one "clan" is what they often call them in media.

Just like the early italian mafia in the states I guess, one patriarch, their sons, their son's friends, their cousins, their nephews. They're all related somehow, and they enter into blood fueds over hurt pride that just snowball.

I don't think I've ever heard the claim that Sweden of all countries had low drug use. Do you have a source for that claim?

Anyway, the shadow economy always finds a way. Most probably there's just a cash-only sub-economy that you personally don't participate in.

From what I could quickly google, there is this report from The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs [1] which says that at least for students the number is 50% lower than EU average (p. 28).

[1] https://www.can.se/app/uploads/2020/01/can-rapport-163-drug-...

Don’t believe the lies from the Swedish anti-drug organizations. They are fueled by religious zeal, not science.

It is probably true that Sweden has a below average cannabis usage, compared to the rest of Europe, but recent studies from the Swedish customs(?) show much higher numbers.

Smoking pot in Sweden is incredibly taboo - so those who do keep their mouths shut about. Still plenty of people do it, we had the internet early on and could see through the propaganda.

I was fairly open about smoking(and growing) while I lived in Sweden so I got to know and discuss this issue quite well. It is one of the reasons I no longer live in Sweden - on paper it is free and democratic, but if you go against the group think there will be consequences.

https://www.tv4.se/artikel/10foijSmC66PWj0LCoIS6J/oroande-si...

Here in Chicago business is a secondary cause of murders. The biggest reason is honestly just fragile egos. If one of your opps posts something on social media about you or writes a song dissing you the street ethos many have bought into requires you to kill them. Honestly the biggest cause of violence is fragile egos.

>If one of your opps posts something on social media about you or writes a song dissing you the street ethos many have bought into requires you to kill them.

Relevant:

TIL that Chicago street gangs today identify themselves by song. By listening to what drill music (a Chicago form of gansta rap) is playing, youths can tell which gang's territory they are in, or even when gangs are working together. <https://np.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/5t7ig0/til_th...>

To put another way, I've heard it said that drill rap may be the first music genre that becomes extinct because its practitioners kill each other off.

I'm pretty sure drug users in Sweden don't buy drugs with their credit card.

Yes, but I mean it should presumably be very hard to even spend the money for the sellers here, let alone to launder them, which will be needed if you're selling all the time.

They use Swish: https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/hundreds-of-suspected-cocai...

And again the same question: I have a friend who had to physically go to the restaurant to get a confirmation that he in fact had paid about $250 for dinner for six people and they then swished him back. How will you explain hundreds of transactions a month when you don't even have an official source of income?

Guns are also illegal there... It is almost like gangs do not respect regulations...

I don't think they are illegal, but barrier to get a permit is relatively high.

Buying a gun is a very rare transaction happening 100% in the physical world and leaving no traces per se. Receiving/spending money here is digital in 99% of cases and is recorded forever.

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