The general feeling after reading Roberto Motta's "A Construção da Maldade" is one of impotence. As a Brazilian, one is aware of our alarming crime statistics, but Motta does a phenomenal job showcasing why it is we are in such a dire straits.
A lenient penal code, progressive ideologies and an overall system that does not disencourage wrongdoing has put Brazilian criminal numbers amongst those of countries in war zones. This is not an isolated phenomenon, however; the USA and other Western countries have also trailed a similar path, with equally alarming results.
It is most worrying since we seem to have no perspective of breaking out of this cycle. A must read.