#Cops, Courts, Crooks
6 messages in this thread
Why can't mankind's good intentions be enough to change the state of the world?
The world has changed alot in the last thousand years or so, and with increased
communication world-wide, those changes have only accelerated.
Rodney Somerstein 73167,2165
Rodney,
Change can be good or bad. Rapid and widespread communication has
allowed both the good and the bad ideas to be spread. Terrorism wouldn't be
nearly as effective if no one knew about it. There are lots of other examples
in both directions.
The way I see it…overall, the 2 effects cancel each other.
Don
Don,
I believe that due to self-preservation instincts, people tend to choose what
is best, or good, for them in the long run. While both good and bad ideas are
spread through better communication, bad ideas are more often exposed as such
through widespread discussion and can be curtailed more easily.
Rodney Somerstein 73167,2165
Rodney,
Bad news gets much more dissemination than good news does. Good news
is the expected norm so isn't noteworthy. Look at how many people stayed away
from international travel over the last few years due to terrorists incidents.
Yet compare the actual number of those incidents to the number of folks who
travelled with no incident and it doesn't make sense. 4 or 5 airliners were
hijacked out of how many thousands that weren't. 1 ship was hijacked out of
how many that had no problems. Yet folks reacted to the bad news and ignored
the "normal".
Same is true for any form of communication…bad ideas are spread more
than good ideas. How many sports figures use cocaine…yet the impression one
gets is that the majority of them do…which is far from the truth. Spreading
bad ideas popularizes them…and in some folks minds makes the "good ideas".
I'm NOT in any way suggestion any limitation on the press or other
forms of communication….I'm only suggesting that one must view it in proper
perspective.
Don
Don, I wouldn't want to take away freedom of the press either – it is a
necessary evil. What I do resent strongly is that the network news has become
an entertainment, money making monster that no longer is concerned about
informing people but with ratings. A prime example is a typical 10PM 1 minute
news update that goes something like – "Another over the counter drug found to
be laced with cyanide, story at eleven" Boy are they doing us a service! How
many people will purchase or take that drug between 10 and 11? Is their job to
report the damn news or entice us to watch them joke around with each other?
Just another thing to drive me crazy!
Marlene
Rodney:
It is a matter of belief and not really a matter that can be argued. I
just do not think that man is able to stay on a course that is best for mankind
overall. The world has changed but the basic morality has not changed as much
as many would like us to believe.
73,
bill