US Authoritarianism

Of course, I don't see why you're getting downvoted so hard. I think that asking people to back things up with sources should be standard practice.

In this case, I don't have concrete proof, but I let you know that it's an opinion influenced by certain facts, like private prisons generating profits and them using lobbists to further their interests.

Some people, however, make wild claims or assumptions that they're pushing as pure facts, but can't produce any kind of verifiable source.

Some people are saying they don't want to do your homework for you, and just to google it. To be fair, that's all I did to get those links. But their thinking is backwards. The one who makes the claim has the burden of proof, not everyone else.

If someone makes a claim, but can't support it at all, it can be disregarded. But if someone makes a claim, and provides proof, and someone else is able to provide proof contrary to that point, now we have a debate. More proof and evidence will be required to see who is correct.

Otherwise we end up with people just firing off unverified claims, backed up with ad hominem and defended with strawmen and slippery slopes.

So keep asking people for proof and sources, more people need to be checked on their shit.