In 1940 Americans would act pretty much the same as europeans. People back then were honorable and had a moral code they adhered to. Just about everyone belonged to a church and worshiped regularly. This is not true anymore. Morality has slipped considerably since 1941.
In Europe there was nowhere to go unless you had family in the country. Not true, there are farms and small towns in Europe the same as America. But I never heard of rampaging mobs in England killing farmers to take their homes during the Blitz.
Once again morality rules.
As for having to persuade people to evacuate for a hurricane, some people believe that their home can withstand the storm or the storm won't be too bad so they opt to stay and ride the storm out. No one is daft enough to think they can ride out a nuclear explosion. Of course not. But people will take the chance that the bomb won't go off near their home. They did in England.
During WWII they used dumb iron bombs with a blast radius of a hundred yards or so. If you went to the air raid shelter and the bombs missed by half a block you were OK, you dusted yourself off and life went on. If a nuke misses you by a quarter of a mile, you are dead. Hopefully instantly.
American people have guns and so will the hundreds of thousands that fled the city with little more than the clothes on their back and think that it's unfair that you have a warm house and food and they don't How do you know? There is no historical evidence. Are you judging other people by what you would do? Would you point a gun at someone to take their home? I wouldn't. And I doubt if very many people would have the nads to threaten someone just because they were frightened by a terrorist.
Human nature dictates that survival is the first priority. This trait can be tempered only by morality and civilization. We are a lot less moral and have more of an entitlement mentality than our countrymen had 60 plus years ago. The thin veneer of civilization is a lot thinner now, and being cold, hungry and scared for a week and their family's survival will make taking someone elses property or their life seem justified.
I don't think I would ever rob or kill someone and I hope to God I'm right and am never put into a situation where this would be put to a test. 165 posted on 09/23/2004 5:45:13 PM EDT by Dan Evans [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 161 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
I think you're right, many of us have changed for the worse.
On the other hand I think there are huge differences between people in this country, socially and geographically. I was doing some research on U.S. crime rates and noticed how in 2002 Detroit Mi has a murder rate about eight times the national average. Fargo ND had a murder rate of zero.
But I think people in the heartland haven't changed much. I watched that TV series Amish in the City because I was curious about what those people were like. In manner and civility, the difference between them and the city kids they were living with was like night and day. I got the impression I was looking back in time at the early pioneers.
If a bomb goes off in this country, what happens next is going to depend on where it happens.
Keep your powder dry.