Jay Hanson wrote:
>
[snip]
> TIME
> January 14, 1974
> It looked like a hand grenade, so the Albany, N.Y., station
> operator played it safe and assumed that it was a hand grenade.
> He gave the man who was toting it all the gas he wanted.
[snip]
> The gas shortage is sparking other types of deviant behavior.
> Flouting of the law is on the rise.
[snip]
I remember the gas shortages well. for at least 15 years
afterwards, I'd never let my gas tank get below 1/2
full.
The story succinctly makes a generally
important point: If we want people to behave
in a civilized way, then they need to have their
needs securely met. If we don't want people
shooting each other at gas stations, then we
need more than enough gas for everyone (or to enable
them to live a genteel life without
using a car at all). It is also well
known that a very small "shortfall" can trigger
panic, which leads to hoarding which makes
the shortage much worse, etc.
If we want persons to be virtuous (help
their fellows, etc.), then
we need to avoid putting them in situations which
test their character. The ones who behave
badly even then show their [lack of] character
all the more clearly. This is a point which J-w-h
didn't "get" when J-w-h tested Job.
Student: Happy the land which breeds a hero.
Galileo: No... Unhappy the land that needs a hero.
(--Bertolt Brecht)
\brad mccormick
--
Mankind is not the master of all the stuff that exists, but
Everyman (woman, child) is a judge of the world.
Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua, NY 10514-3403 USA
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