[thechat] [ugh]

[Erika Meyer]

okay, I was thinking about low-level street crime mentality... the
kind I've dealt with in my life.  Education & empowerment is no
quick-fix either... but most street criminals lack this.

Yes, I am puzzled by white-collar criminals... but then, I couldn't
work as a corporate executive AT ALL, because the basic mentality
appears to be to value money above all else, which IMO is just
horrible, even though it is socially acceptable (even desirable) in
our culture.  Maybe that's where the crime lies.

Don't they remember the Bible verse about rich man and the camel and
the needle?

Greed. I really don't understand how greed works in people, though I
do know that it is not frowned upon in our society. And that it is
responsible for so much destruction.

I do not understand why anyone with children would behave in such a
way to jepordize future generations by (for example) destroying the
environment (and/or other humans) for a financial gain, when that
person already has enough to eat, a mansion to live in, etc...

No, greed and lust for power is something very powerful I admit I do
not understand.

Is it a spiritual hole?  Probably... trying to fill a spiritual hole
with possessions and power.  Socially, we value power and possessions.

& power corrupts, so it is said.

"empowerment" and "power" are not the same.

Erika



>--- Erika Meyer <emeyer at lclark.edu> wrote:
>
>>  How to deal with criminal behavior?  Deal with
>>  social problems. Educate, feed, and empower people.
>
>>  It oughta be a no-brainer.
>
>Yes, and following this logic we should be able to
>count on the educated, well-fed, empowered leaders
>of Enron, Worldcom, and other companies not to
>engage in criminal behavior. Wait a minute. . . .
>
>Well, we can certainly count on government officials
>not to engage in criminal behavior. Oops.
>
>But of course, no educated, well-fed, empowered
>person would engage in child molestation or rape
>would they? Oh.
>
>Hmm, it seems this isn't a no-brainer after all.
>
>Terry

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