I can hear Big Brother's footsteps coming down the hall again . . .

I'm infuriated by this news report from England.

At the age of three, most children will want to grow up to be a train driver, astronaut or princess.

But according to scientists, some toddlers are already destined for a life of crime.

Disturbing evidence has emerged that the psychological seeds of a criminal career can be seen before they even reach nursery school.

Abnormalities in the parts of the brain that handle emotions, guilt and fear are far more common in criminals than in law-abiding members of society, it shows.

It is unclear whether these abnormalities are genetic, the result of upbringing or both - but they can be measured at a surprisingly tender age.

The finding means youngsters could potentially be screened to see if they are at risk - and then ‘treated’ to prevent criminal behaviour.

. . .

Professor Raine, who now works at the University of Pennsylvania, studied brain scans of prisoners.

He found that murderers who kill in the heat of the moment are more likely to have a poorly functioning prefrontal cortex - which deals with reasoning and helps suppress base instincts.

Psychopaths who lack remorse, guilt or empathy tend to have smaller amygdalas - a region that handles all three emotions, he told the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

. . .

‘It raises the question to what extent should we develop new biological interventions to reduce crime,’ Professor Raine said.

There's more at the link. Bold print is my emphasis.

The problem is, those characteristics aren't confined to those who develop criminal traits. As a (medically retired) prison chaplain, I've had many discussions about the 'nature versus nurture' argument. There are those who claim that criminals are 'manufactured' through their family and/or social backgrounds (the 'nurture' argument), while others believe they're born that way ('nature'). What both sides fail to grasp is that there are many people born with identical physical characteristics, or who come from similar social settings, who do not become criminals. It's not a question of predisposition or circumstance; it's a matter of choice.

However, many simply don't want to accept this. They truly want to believe that everyone would be a saint, if only they'd had better opportunities, or hadn't been afflicted by some physical problem that 'made them that way', or . . . oh, hell, you get the picture. They don't want to face reality. They're far more comfortable living with (and in) their illusions - until real life slaps them in the face. If they're lucky enough to survive the experience, some of them will learn. Others will persist in their delusions, because to change would be to admit that they'd been wrong. They cannot and will not do that. It's impossible for them.

Can't you just see the 'Big Brother' or 'nanny state' types salivating over this?

"We've got to identify everyone with these characteristics, and treat them at once, to prevent them becoming criminals! It's for the chiiiiil-dren!"

The fact that it has nothing to do with the children, but everything to do with controlling others (which is their secret wet dream), won't be mentioned at all. They truly believe that if they can control everyone, and dictate what they may or may not do, and 'treat' those who won't co-operate until they conform, the world will be a better place. The fact that this defies the reality of human nature is completely lost on them.

I think that, somewhere up there, the shades of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell are smiling grimly to themselves . . .





Peter