My locals are really bunging it on

Mr. Warren Heggarty complains that My locals are really bunging it on. The bombing campaign by the local louts has raised his hackles. He fears that Totalitarianism may be the only answer.

He concludes

There are very good ethical reasons why one should live by an ethical code, even if it is essentially unenforceable. But the recent popularity of explosives during a period of government-induced paranoia tells me that humans do not care about these reasons.

I fear that Thomas Hobbes was right: if left to their own devices, people will choose to drive too fast, copulate randomly, take drugs and eat. Any time left would be devoted to letting off explosives.

Hobbes's solution was to raise over the people an all-powerful Totalitarian Authority to coerce them into more socially responsible behaviour. The fact that random breath testing halved the road death toll suggests that his theory is on the money.

Still, it would be sad indeed if our free society had to be scrapped in favour of a New Totalitarianism simply because no one gives a rat-a-tat-tat about anyone but themselves.

Emphasis Mine

I think that the lure of Fascism is that discipline is imposed on others and decisions are made by others. As the author says, this is an attractive option.

This is reflected in people's work in which they are given tightly written scripts to follow with very little chance of individual initiative. And even in education, the students are given the answers to regurgitate at examinations. There is no need to think at all - just follow the process. Don't question - only obey.

The author does prefer the ethical approach to discipline. But this requires one to take responsibility for educating oneself in ethics and practising it daily. This is not easy in an economic system that rewards monetary profit over correct action.

And this is a major reason that Communism is so difficult to obtain. The whole society must continually strive to be more ethical and responsible.