WHO’s at it again

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundlandt, notorious enemy of the human race, is at it again, with a report that Violence claims 1.6 million lives a year. The facts cited by the report seem perfectly straightforward: suicide is presently the main cause of violent death worldwide, with murder and war following in that order.

Dr. Brundlandt looks beyond the facts, however. She says the report “forces us to reach beyond our notions of what is acceptable and comfortable to challenge notions that acts of violence are simply matters of family privacy, individual choice, or inevitable facets of life.” Not, however, beyond what she finds acceptable and comfortable. For her the fact of violence is proof that we all belong in her custody:

There is nothing inevitable about violence, nor is it an intrinsic part of the human condition … Evidence from around the world suggests that violence can be prevented by a variety of measures aimed at individuals, families and communities … the report promotes a public health understanding of the complex social, psychological, economic and community underpinnings of violence … Understanding these situations and these causes creates opportunities to intervene before violent acts occur, providing policy-makers with a variety of concrete options to prevent violence.

Makes sense. The growth of the therapeutic welfare state has done amazing things for crime rates. It’s true the changes have been in the wrong direction, but doesn’t that just show we should all be trying harder?
Posted by Jim Kalb at October 08, 2002 10:10 AM | Send