Which is what happened, sort of. My elder son, realizing the degree of his transaction, and the impending correction coming towards his butt in the shape of my hand, dropped to the ground and curled up in a ball!
Understand, this child has been spanked on his little rear like twice before. His reaction was so overblown, my wife and I just stood there google-eyed.
We stood him up, took away his TV priveleges for the remainder of the month, made him apologize to his brother, and were on our way.
My point is my son loves me, wants to spend time with me, is generally well-mannered (with occational age-appropriate lapses), and is considered by all who know him to be a really neat kid. I have only had to spank him on two previous occations, neither of which were anywhere near as intense as I received when growing up. Generally the threat of physical retribution is sufficient to make him fly right. I can bring up plenty of examples of our neighbors and friends who don't use spanking, who would never hit their child, and to a child they have insufferable brats. They don't think so, but it is obvious to everyone else.
To all of you who have such wonderful kids whom you have never spanked - I wonder what your friends and neighbors think of your kids?