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1、UNITFOURTEXTONEAsAmericasdigestthenewsofanothergunatrocity,amallshootinginNebraskaonDecember5th,theycannotbeblamedforthinkingthatgunsareintooreadysupply.ButanarticleinthelatestEconomicJournasuggeststhatthedemandforillegalguns,atleast,isnotmetaseasilyaspeoplemightfear.SudhirVenkat
2、esh,nowofColumbiaUniversity,hastalkedto132gang-members,77prostitutes,116gun-owningyouths,23gun-dealersandnumerousotherdenizensofChicago'sGrandBoulevardandWashingtonParkneighbourhoods.Hedidnotfindmanysatisfiedcustomers.Chicagohasunusuallytoughrestrictionsonlegalhandguns.Evensotheb
3、lackmarketissurprisingly“thin”,attractingrelativelyfewbuyersandsellers.Theauthorsreckonthatthe48,000residentsofthetwoneighbourhoodsbuyperhaps1,400gunsayear,comparedwithatleast200,000cocainepurchases.Undergroundbrokerssellgunsfor$150-350,amark-upofperhaps200%overthelegalprice.They
4、alsodemandafeeof$30-50fororchestratingthedeal.Eventhen,30-40%ofthetransactionsfallthroughbecausethesellercannotsecureagun,getscoldfeetorcannotagreeonalocationforthedeal.Buyersalsofindithardtoverifythequalityofthemerchandise.Theyoftenknowlittleabouttheweaponstheycovet.“Tony”,whoow
5、nsa.38calibrehandgun,learnthowtousehisweaponbyfiddlingwithit.Heevenputastoneinit.“Diditfire?”MrVenkateshasked.“I'mnotsure.Ithinkitdid,”Tonysaid.FortunatelyforTonyandhispeers,theirrivalsandthevictimsofcrimecannottelliftheirgunsworkanybetterthantheycan.Often,showingthe“bulge”isenou
6、ghtogaintherespectofrivalgangs.Inrobberiesbrandishingtheweaponwillusuallydo.Storekeepersdonotwaitforproofthatitworks.Marketscanovercomethinness,thepapersays;theycanalsoovercomeillegality.Buttheycannotovercomeboth.Athinmarketmustrelyonadvertisingoracentralisedexchange:eBay,forexam
7、ple,hasdedicatedpagesmatchingsellersofimitationpearlpinsorAnnetteFunicellobearstothefew,scatteredbuyersthatcanbefound.Butsuchsolutionsaretoocumbersomeandconspicuousforanundergroundmarket.Thedrugsmarket,bycontrast,slipsthroughthelaw'sfingersbecauseofthenaturaldensityofdrugtransact
8、ions.Dealerscanalwaysfindcustomersonthei
