re: #294 Blue Spot Vlamingii Tang

In the broad picture individuals share responsibility for the society.

Not at all true. They share responsibily in proportion to how much power they have to affect the society.

Collectively they have what they choose to have, since they could clearly have more according to our standards.

That is so utterly fatuous. Some dude decides to speak up in favor of democracy, he gets shot in the face by a warlord’s minion. He chose to have different. The result was not having more, it was being shot in the face.

What solution do you offer? Sounds like indefinite occupation to me, even though I doubt that is what you mean. If you think another year or two of our resources and lives will change a theocratic culture; I don’t.

As I said, the change has to come from within. And not bombing them would help. Getting NGOs on the ground, the Red Crescent and other organizations like that. Progress has to be slow and steady. But not pretending that they’re choosing to live this way is also part of it.