it seems to me that there is a certain drive in a particular group of people - at least in an unfortunately large part of us - to think that they have found and know the best way for humankind to exist.
The problem always is that the uneducated masses are always easily swayed one way or the other!
One example would be Hitler; others are the different churches and religions.
You must do as I think is right! If you do not, I must punish you for thinking (and doing) differently!
Example: Spanish Inquisition, the Katholic Church and: (as that doesn't seem to work anymore,) nowadays the Anti Smoking Lobby!
and others with similar prohibitions. (an unintentionally good example!)
I do not remember people falling down an die in the good old days when everyone smoked everywhere!

The biggest con was when the original scare story of 'smoking kills you' didn't work quite as well as expected, that someone cleverly invented the 'second hand smoke' danger!
(if we can't stop them smoking then we must have their peers doing it for us!)
I grew up in a smoking family (I'm sure my mother smoked in the hospital when I was born!) My grandfather died at 94, grandmother at 87, my parents at 81&82 - would they all have lived to 100 and would they have wanted to?

I recently spoke to someone who (seriously) told me that his parents died of a 'smoking related disease'
when I asked him how old they might have been, he said 84 !

I wish that I will do the same at the same age!
(I am 70 now and have smoked since the age of 14)

As the religious theme doesn't seem to work so well nowadays, these people need to find something else - some have found their new calling in 'global warming', others in 'smoking is deadly' and yet others in a myriad of other 'don't's

The real problem, in my mind, is that there are way too many people on this planet! Quarter the amount of human animals and we would not have any problem with 'global warming', car accidents, smoking too near someone who doesn't like it - and so many other problems due to living on top of each other, and in the end 'terrorism', as that would be useless - we all would stay in our own land - adventurors excepted.

What's the answer? - I don't know
(and - luckily, at my age I don't have to worry too much about the loonies taking over the world (they nearly have anyway!)
unfortunately my children will have to live with it!

Anyone wishing to crucify me - join the queue (after giving me your details)
but - I shoot back! hehe

Günter