Why did Japan have almost no crime after World War II according to Les?
Japan had almost no crime after World War II because police handled offenses immediately and harshly on the sidewalk, often beating offenders severely, rather than sending them through courts and jails. That severe enforcement left little crime at that time.
Les explains that a friend who served in the Occupational Forces in Japan after World War II reported that nobody was in jail and the courts had little to do, because the police dealt with offenses on the sidewalk. They would practically beat someone to death if caught stealing or snatching a purse. At that time, he said, Japan had practically no crime because they dealt with it. Les connects this to Israel’s instructions: a no-good, rebellious, drunkard son was to be turned over to authorities, stoned, and then hanged on a tree as a public spectacle, so the public would know how Israel dealt with such an individual. He admits it may look barbaric, but notes they did not have the crime problem we have now.