I read with sadness the plight of this man: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7862290.stm

Without full evidence of what was said, what happened, whether it was baggage from a previous altercation or whatever, we see that in life we face an almost terrible enemy that is determined on preventing us from being happy for too long. In most cases situations dilute away, but here, we have another 'stabbing' where a life is terminated by a single (perhaps) swipe of a sharp blade.

Now way back in the ages, our ancestors were faced with this situation, where they realised they could terminate lives so easily. But rather than let the situation escalate, they decided to define some morales that would limit such action to scenarios of defence for the 'greater good' - ie war against another tribe etc.

We have laws today, but our 'elders' today are not concerned about morales it seems. It appears, at least, that they are looking for 're-election' and 'targets of performance'.

Many times I have sat and considered how it all went wrong. In my extended family there was always the concept of the 'council of elders' where people got together to discuss how best to get through things. In the early days it was how to finance someone who wanted to buy a shop, or who just had a child but was now out of work. During my employment, I set up a council of elders who sat over the technical architecture of many large system projects. Again, a senate of equals and whose purpose was not to one-up eachother, but work on the greater good.

Right now, I want the following:

- MP salary capped at 50k

- No expenses provided

- Police told to catch criminals, not spend time on targets. Humanity is not an organisation that time-n-motion studies can help optimise

- Media to vilify these acts, not glamorise them

- Elders across the globe to encourage the next generation to consider carefully the effects of their actions

And there in lies the rub.

Cause-effect is no longer something that drives life. It is just an element we consider when things are REALLY BAD.

I suggest we drop the pretence. What we do today, affects someone or something today or tomorrow. Its as simple as that.

So in the words of an ancient buddhist: Live your life with the consequences of tomorrow in mind

:)