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Pretensions to moral superiority are devastatingly destructive.

Real equality is immensely difficult to achieve, it needs continual revision and monitoring of distributions. And it does not provide buffers between members, so they are continually colliding or frustrating each other.

Mary Douglas

Equality

Needs

Religion can make it worse. Are you supposing that if people were encouraged to believe in a transcendent reality, and to be encouraged by grand rituals and music and preaching, to love their neighbors, then they would put jealousy and frustration aside?

Since 1970, relationships can be more volatile, jobs more ephemeral, geographical mobility more intensified, stability of marriage weaker.

Some scholars have been arguing that a civilizational clash between organized religions is the next step in human history.

Mary Douglas

History

The natural response of the old-timers is to build a strong moral wall against the outside. This is where the world starts to be painted in black and white, saints inside, and sinners outside the wall.

When we are reflecting on terrorism we can grieve for many things we do and have done.

Mary Douglas

Terrorism

Just in our lifetime our society has become looser and more private, it becomes extremely difficult to hold to any permanent commitment whatever, least of all to organized religion.

Without that assured American largesse Israel would have been obliged to come to an accommodation with her neighbours.

Mary Douglas

American

Israel

Yes, disappointment over perceived unfairness, injustice, promises not kept, tends to go hand in hand with increasing prosperity. Expectations are dashed. What can I say!

The theory of cultural bias... is the idea that a culture is based on a particular form of organization. It can't be transplanted except to another variant of that organization.

An escalating, violent tit-for-tat may lead to terrorism.

Mary Douglas

May

Terrorism

What did our nation ever do to provoke these madly vicious enemies? What is seen as injustice in one place is seen as just requital in the other.

If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization.

Behind a leader there must be followers, but they should always be on the lookout for the main chance and ready to change sides if the current leader doesn't deliver.