[SystemSafety] Group W bench

[Martyn Thomas]

Great comment, Les.

For those (probably born after 1960 ) who didn't recognise the reference
to the Group W bench, here's the best way to spend 16 minutes and 60
seconds learning more about non-violent resistance ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

Martyn



On 26/08/2013 13:40, Les Chambers wrote:

...
> And the soldiers who flogged the peasants were, at one time peasants themselves, co-opted into the Army via conscription. And they were all good men. And the craftsmen who fashioned the flogging rods they were good men too. And the doctor was a good man. And the men who made the bullets and the rifles used for the following executions, and the men who formed the firing squad - they were good men all. And the crew of the Apache helicopter who hosed down a Baghdad street with machine gun fire killing 11 unarmed men and seriously wounding three children, laughing and joking as they did it; they probably weren't bad men either. But the soldier who blew the whistle on them is a bad man, apparently - destined for a jail sentence. And the thousands of software developers who wrote the code that spies on the innocent communications of millions of innocent citizens are definitely not bad people. But the man who blew the whistle on that stunt is a bad man currently on the run. 
> So what can you do? I'm with Tolstoy who preached nonviolent resistance. So when you front up to the immigration guy at airport X just keep smiling and hope you don't end up on the group W bench (as I have on more than one occasion). After all, the immigration guy is a good man.
> And always remember when you hear that phrase "if you are a law-abiding citizen ... You have nothing to fear" laugh as loud as you can and as often as you can. Ridicule is the most violent form of resistance.
> Cheers
> Les