Whats Happening [10.18.11]

The US Consideration of Military Action Against Iran-Dangerous to t...

Doug Noll- Military force shouldn’t be ruled out as a response to an Iranian assassination plot on U.S. soil, the top House Republican on intelligence issues said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“I don’t think you should take it off the table,” said Representative Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence....

This is an another example of a way of thinking that is dangerous to the future of America. The idea is that violence or the threat of violence must be responded to with overwhelming pre-emptive violence. It rejects the law of lex talionis, an eye for an eye, which calls for restraint in the exercise of retributive power. One of the unintended consequences of having the most powerful military in human history is the belief that vexing problems can be solved with overwhelming, brute force. It didn't work for the Romans, and it will not work for America.

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The Nature of Conflict: Stepping into the Collective Space

In conflict, it would seem that we are being called to a collective space. Many times we fail to see this collective space as a shared space. More often we see this as a combative space where the intent is to secure for oneself all that can be while limiting what they can contribute to this collective space....

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JAMS Supports Mediation Week Theme: “Civility and Civil Public Disc...

ODR: Making the world a little greener, one case at a time

Noam Ebner- "...Of course, a decision to use a distance mediation or other on-line dispute resolution service will be just one of many considerations in determining how best to get help with resolving your dispute. But, when weighing the pros and cons, it is important to know that the green attributes of convening with the help of technology are very persuasive.

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Apologia in mediation

"A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt." G.K. Chesterton.

John C. Turley- I refer to this quote from this great 19th Century English writer because it characterizes a recent mediation session that I facilitated. It was a classic case of one party proposing 5 star service and delivering less than one star to the other party. The plaintiff was suing the defendant for the entire amount of the contract for failure to provide the proposed services and to meet their expectations.

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