no worries. I studied social evolution at college, so am in agreement that there's no such thing as altruism :)
I admit that my hypothetical course of action might not change behaviour. However the generality of social disapproval, embodied in 'green' taxes and other more indirect methods is what we are all trying to create. Making it socially unacceptable to waste fossil energy is the objective, and every little helps, even if a single incident does not precipitate behavioural change in a single induhvidual.
I certainly support the idea that the overthrow of Hitler was a just cause and necessary, and in that cause certain things that, taken on their own, would be considered atrocities can be justified. I am thinking about the mass bombing raids on german cities here.
The first world war is less clear cut. In the end it was all about intra-european imperialsim between Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia and France. England and the rest of the British empire only got involved because Germany decided to invade France through Belgium, whose neutrality we were sworn to uphold. It was, in the final analysis, a completely moronic war, and the only people who came out of it with any merit were the conscientious objectors who got shot for their refusal to take part.
I think the people taking part were mostly wondering why we weren't killing the French like we're supposed to.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2007-12-01 11:38 pm (UTC)I admit that my hypothetical course of action might not change behaviour. However the generality of social disapproval, embodied in 'green' taxes and other more indirect methods is what we are all trying to create. Making it socially unacceptable to waste fossil energy is the objective, and every little helps, even if a single incident does not precipitate behavioural change in a single induhvidual.
I certainly support the idea that the overthrow of Hitler was a just cause and necessary, and in that cause certain things that, taken on their own, would be considered atrocities can be justified. I am thinking about the mass bombing raids on german cities here.
The first world war is less clear cut. In the end it was all about intra-european imperialsim between Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia and France. England and the rest of the British empire only got involved because Germany decided to invade France through Belgium, whose neutrality we were sworn to uphold. It was, in the final analysis, a completely moronic war, and the only people who came out of it with any merit were the conscientious objectors who got shot for their refusal to take part.
I think the people taking part were mostly wondering why we weren't killing the French like we're supposed to.