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Chaos Begets Chaos

Discussion in 'The Intelligence Cell' started by msr, Jan 10, 2009.

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  1. msr

    msr LE

    http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2009/01/chaos_begets_chaos.php

    Last month social scientists in the Netherlands empirically demonstrated a phenomenon observed by policymakers and law-enforcement officials for years. When an envelope visibly containing a five-euro note was left hanging out of a mailbox on a sidewalk, 13 percent of the passersby snatched it up. When the same mailbox was covered in graffiti, however, more than double the number of the pedestrians (about 27 percent) stole the envelope.

    Graffiti was not the only misdemeanor that fostered a cavalier attitude toward theft. When the ground near the mailbox was covered in litter, 25 percent of the subjects stole the envelope. These results are significant for both social and statistical reasons. Is a disorderly environment responsible for disorderly conduct?

    I think this should serve as a model for the unemployed: clear the country up in exchange for your benefits.

    msr
     
    msr, Jan 10, 2009
    #1
  2. onfire

    onfire Old-Salt

    I totally agree ... why cant all people in receipt of benefits (in any form) be obliged / required to fulfill a certain amount of community service as a condition of eligibility?

    There are many arguments against this, but think it through ... a old / wheelchair bound (etc) person can make as valuable an impact in the voluntary sector as in regular employment ... and indeed they would be protected by law in that case. Why not have them picking up litter, delivering meals / home help, manning local charity efforts?
     
    onfire, Jan 10, 2009
    #2
  3. CQMS

    CQMS LE

    We have bred millions who's sole effort is state scrounging, they can't look after themselves, why do you think they can do anything else?
     
    CQMS, Jan 10, 2009
    #3
  4. msr

    msr LE

    They'll learn soon enough when the funding for their next plasma screen TV is cut off ;)

    msr
     
    msr, Jan 10, 2009
    #4
  5. BV_Technician

    BV_Technician LE

    Take their XBox360's away and have them work for play time on them.
    One slavishly dedicated workforce coming right up. ;-)
     
    BV_Technician, Jan 10, 2009
    #5
  6. bobthedog

    bobthedog LE

    The Dutch have always employed the broken window theory to the way they run their towns. If an empty building has a broken window, then vandals will put another window out, and so on. If you fix the broken window in the first place people will leave all the others intact. They dont let buildings and neighbourhoods get into disrepair in the first place.
    They do have environmental police to control rubbish, both littering and to ensure that rubbish is placed in the correct collection points on the right day of the week.
     
    bobthedog, Jan 10, 2009
    #6
  7. leveller

    leveller LE

    leveller, Jan 10, 2009
    #7
  9. mercurydancer

    mercurydancer LE Book Reviewer

    Bobthedog..There is much to admire about the Dutch
    In essence I dont mind environmental police. If I was spoken to by environmental "police" to look at what I could recycle or not put into landfill I would probably agree with them and comply. At present in our council area it is much more like Stasi tactics... We are watching and we will convict if we can gather covert evidence, that makes me uneasy. Our local council had over 200 RIPA covert surveillance operations in 2008. Its the wrong way of going about things.
     
    mercurydancer, Jan 10, 2009
    #8