It's not "criminal culture" (often used as a dog whistle...), it's poverty culture https://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2010/10/a-cultu...

> "If you are a young person living in an environment where violence is frequent and random, the willingness to meet any hint of violence with yet more violence is a shield."

Bingo. It's an entirely natural reaction to a violent environment. It's not the cause of the environment though, any more than GIs brawling during R&R caused the Vietnam War.

People are not robbing dollar stores because rap music told them to.

You’re saying the culture is just rap music and nothing else?

I'm saying blaming violence on "culture" sounds like a Republican dog-whistle for "poor black people deserve their fate". (And I'm not even American.)

Are there any instances of "criminal culture" flourishing in wealthy areas?

Or is "criminal culture" the byproduct of poverty and desperation?