I seriously don't think it did me and anyone I worked with and was at
school with any harm at all, just we learnt to behave and respect others
that bit quicker...

And No its no excuse for long term systematic abuse anywhere either...

There is a separation between the two..

There is no seperation. Physical assault doesn't become acceptable
just because it is a one off.

I'm sure the systematic abuse that is still coming to light in church
schools, orphanages, detetion centres etc, didn't start with any
intention of prolonged repeated assaults either.


I'm sure you'll have read what I wrote some 7 lines above...

To bully someone just because he is a few steps below you on the
professional ladder is a pretty lame and despicable thing to do.


Indeed it is..

I would tend to wonder about the motives behind this thuggery
incidentally. When I did my "apprenticeship" I and the three or four
others working for the company had the benefit of day release, and
this gave us a technical knowledge of the subject that far exceeded
some of the engineers, who quite often were in place because of
experience in a field that was by this time mutating rapidly.

The professional jealousy coupled with the threats to their careers
was probably the reason behind the arrogance and insults a few were so
keen to dish out.

Although it never happened I am reasonably certain any assault on an
apprentice at my workplace even in those days would have been met with
instant dismissal.


Well perhaps you've had shall we say a more sheltered existence than
some have had.

Of course in the ideal world all will be well .. all will be sweetness
and light .. all will be just so but it isn't like that is it?.

Course you will argue what does knocking the **** out of people result
in etc..

I do not do that. I do not advocate that. I have not have had to but
sometimes there are people around who have difficulty reasoning, there
are sometimes working circumstances where they don't understand logic
and debate, sometimes a wallop is about all they do understand..

Sometimes that might be a better option, sometimes. I'm not advocating
consistently knocking the **** out of anyone, abusing anyone mentally or
physically or systematically bullying anyone, but it does happen and I
expect that it will do not all the time everywhere but sometimes..

Its an imperfect world .. always was prolly sadly always will be..
--
Tony Sayer