Switzerland, such a “peaceful” country. Known for being “neutral” during the war. Turns out it is a fascist dictatorship like all the rest of them. They enjoy jailing people over a technicality of travel documents.
Civilization is a thin veneer over barbarism. Events of the last 19 months have proven that this veneer was just an illusion.
I read a fascinating study conducted after WWII. Unlike the propaganda that tried to sell German soldiers who were not in the SS as benign patriots, many, probably most, had participated in brutal murder of civilians. It was expected that those soldiers would return to civilian life and continue their brutal ways. Turns out their behavior was no more barbaric than would be expected in any western society.
The study concluded that people act in whatever way is socially acceptable to the general populace. When brutal behavior fell out of “style” and civilization came back into vogue the vast majority of Germans, including those who served in the SS, Gestapo and other terror organizations simply blended in to the civilized society imposed by the Allies.
This may explain why American society is getting so violent. BLM, riots, thefts are all being winked at. Since society at large approves of robbing Walgreens, assaulting children in schools, it’s okay now.
A friend’s very lightly built son was brutally attacked in a hallway at high school. At a meeting with all the parents they reviewed the video. The school said they were expelling all the boys. But the father said, “You’re not expelling my son. He was minding his own business and he was attacked.” But, zero tolerance. When the father threatened the school with legal action they relented and only expelled the black children. One of the black fathers got loud, screaming racism. A black deputy Sherriff who had been standing against the wall interviewed. The deputy told my buddy, “I’m here because we see those four parents a lot. And as nasty as they are, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll walk you and your wife to the car.”
Happy ending. The son refused to go back to school. He home schooled himself while working a near full time off books job. He graduated 18 months early and is working on an HVAC license.
But, essentially, our society has become a third world $%^& pit.
I am absolutely in love with the Lake Lugano region. Plan on going back there for a month soon...
It is beauty beyond words.