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Zevele, what do you see?
sekim:
Remember guys, I was just posing a 'hypothetical' situation. Things are what things are. I was just curious to see different views.
The world is not going to change based on postings in this board. I know it has wavered somewhat from the original topic. But, this happens quite a bit around here. So, that said, thank you for your views.
My views are just that, mine. Neither right or wrong, just my take on things. Besides, it's always interesting to see what someone else has to say.
Again, thanks.
Mike
zevele1:
Calliphumpian
You are rigth.
But the general 'soul' of the people plays a role
Put 100 skinheads as a crow to a concert,you get hell
Put 1000 people at a Grateful Dead or Phish concert,you get an happy crow with kids in the crow
In Germany you see people waiting to cross the road,even if the street is empty,because the light is red for them
In England,before you have the first feet on the zebra to cross a street without traffic light,drivers stop
In France ,they do not stop,they just pass you few centimeters before or after you
All of this things built a society and his safeness or not
Try to deliver milk in Paris as they do in England.I bet no more than 1% of the people would find they bottles in the front of they door in the morning
Concerning London:spend few months in Paris,after that spend few months in London.You will feel London is a village
GUNS:
A society where someone kills friends,teachers and others because he did not like the taste of the cornflakes he had for breakfeast is a society who is sick
A society where people have guns for fun,thinking they are John Wayne
is not an enlightened society
tullio:
Wow! This thread covers a lot of ground. It's very hard to identify all the factors that contribute to a sense of security or vulnerability within a society, but when you try to make comparisons between societies the job beomes almost impossible, unless, of course, you get very simplistic. Then it becomes easy.
Let me suggest a few factors that may contribute to the sense of security Zevele has in Israel.
1. Solidarity in opposition to a common enemy. When faced with a common threat, members of any social group are less likely to prey on each other.
2. Ethnic solidarity. The history of anti-semitism is long and ugly. Over the centuries Jews have learned to rely on and trust each other. And in Israel the sense of being Jewish is much more powerful that any previous national identity (French, or German, or Russian).
3. Solidarity of purpose. You are building a nation. Together. And despite all the arguments and haggling about how to do it, down deep you know it is a common goal.
Zevele, I don't mean to suggest that you live in a crime-free utopia. I know as well as you that Jews rob other Jews, assault other Jews, even (rarely) murder other Jews. You have criminals, and courts, and jails. But for the reasons I've listed above, and a lot more that you could certainly add, there is less likelihood of crime in Israel than in pluralistic, fragmented societies like the US or France.
Personally, I find the question of perception vs. reality to be especially intriguing. Overwhelmingly, Americans believe they are more vulnerable than they actually are. There has been considerable research on this. In survey after survey, Americans overestimate by far their chances of being a victim of a crime, especially of a violent crime.
Some of the most interesting work has been done by George Gerbner, who, since 1967, has been studying the effect of mass media on American society. One facet of his work deals specifically with the question of how violence on television affects our perception of personal danger. This is the lead-in to one of his articles:
The argument over whether television violence causes real violence misses the point. It's true that there are documented cases of copy-cat murders, and studies do confirm that there is a correlation between violence on television and violent behavior. But more significantly, the alienating culture of television has taken the place of other forms of communication that at one time tied us together in families and communities, and gave us all the opportunity to participate in creating and passing along our cultural story.
George Gerbner, professor of communications and dean emeritus of the Annenberg School of Communication in Philadelphia, has directed a number of studies of mass communications and its effects on culture. He is also a founder of the Cultural Environment Movement, which is working to reassert democratic influence on the media.
--- End quote ---
You can read the whole article at context.org/ICLIB/IC38/Gerbner
Another very interesting article by Gerbner is at
newdimensions.org/article/gerbner.html
JimH:
Bump. It's 21 years old now, but this thread was pretty powerful then. And now.
JimH:
And another one. https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=6297
I miss Zevele.
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