Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA00415 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 7 Jan 2002 14:35:02 GMT Message-Id: <200201071430.g07EUVS00853@sherri.harvard.edu> Subject: RE: CRASH CONTAGION Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 09:30:30 -0500 x-sender: wsmith1@camail.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T. Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 01/07/02 05:54, Vincent Campbell said this-
>This poor young lad obviously had particular problems that led to this. He
>also had access to flying lessons, and some ability to fly a plane. One of
>the problems with contagion theories is the problem of context- from social
>ones (e.g. why most people don't go on killing sprees after watching Natural
>Born Killers- we know it's wrong, or at least that we'd probably get
>caught), to logistical ones (in this case getting a plane, and having a
>skyscraper to hit).
His access to information, and even the information itself, is
irrelevant. People will seize opportunities, from available informations,
of whatever type. If he hadn't had a plane, he might have seized the
Columbine alternative. If he hadn't had access to weapons, he might have
begun a hostage situation. If he had lived like a hermit, who knows what
outlet he'd find? Ambusher? Animal mutilation? No way to know.
What is more troubling is the lack of ability, apparently, of other
people to see this sort of troublingness, or to ignore it, or even
condone it.
- Wade
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