On Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 9:30 AM, Deepa Mohan <[email protected]> wrote: [...] > I think it's been ascribed to Mahatma Gandhi, but I don't know who actually > said it :Civilization is when a jewel-bedecked, beautiful woman can walk > through the streets alone at night, without fear. Or words to that effect.
I would describe that outcome as the castration of humanity. I like a safe and peaceful society as much as anyone else, but I believe that the expectation that all human beings can share a common view on any single idea to be utterly false. Humans tend to disagree, it is at least as important as our tendency to agree occasionally. Peace can only reign if we wipe out the entire gene & behavioral (nature and nurture) pool of violence which would be a pretty large chunk of the human population. Mandatory death penalty to all rule violators might be the way to get there - you know, like killing all people caught without a ticket on the trains, and perhaps also kill all of their extended family and friends. Sooner or later, I suppose after 3 or 4 generations of steadfastly applying this policy you will get peace for sure, and you'll be lucky if to have any people left. Switzerland is probably the most peaceful country I have been in. My mental image of the Swiss protestor is one who will throw a rock in anger and immediately run after it to pick it up and drop it in a dustbin out of force of habit. Bizarrely there are days of scheduled violence where the swiss teens can let loose their rebellious streak. May 1 in Zurich is recognized annually as a day of protest, rioting and rowdyism, supposedly against capitalism, but in reality they happen for no reason other than to protest. The police warn all normal folk away from the areas of protest in advance, and the Police won't bother harassing the protestors as long as they stay within the declared protest areas. My imagination here is that the protestor who is trashing the place on May 1st, is also the city janitor who is cleaning up the mess the next day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOzZXXlV9mk You don't see a single policeman in the area, and that's typically the case - the police don't step in unless things get really out of hand. They are willing to tolerate a few burnt cars and spray painted walls. Cheeni
