the snake tied up

by its neck; the dog with its litter of four new puppies. I don't hold much hope for either species. the cruelty to animals generally here is woeful. I don't like snakes but I dislike cruelty to animals more. As a visitor and guest in PNG I can't say too much but I might see if Rotary can do something to promote the dignity of species. When you feel badly about yourself you can make yourself feel better by putting down or mistreating somebody else. It is why bullies behave as they do. Here animals are an easy target and the appalling treatment of dogs on the campus is a disgrace to a supposedly learned institution. But as for the snake the other day which we saw on the way back from the Nadzab airport that is just cruelty of a kind which would land you in gaol in most other countries. The poor fate of the huge python on the road I assume was a run over accident, but to tie an animal up and let it writhe in torment well that is just sadistic.
I heard on the news last night about revenge attacks in the highlands and as I said yesterday, for civil society to become reality people need to give up something of tradition for the ultimate betterment or everyone. As Joe told me at Rotary, it took the West 800 years to rediscover civil society after the barbarian invasions and we expect PNG to learn it in 50 years. But therein is the difference - education is more widespread now than then and if education means anything it means hastening the civilisation process.