Yeah, I thought of that, but I still think that almost all people would use the power and ask forgiveness later. I didn't put this in my original thoughts, but I think that would be especially true if no one else knew that they had done anything "wrong." Rationalization could make a world of difference in this scenario. A choice like this would be an amazing test of character.

>That depends on if it would not just be punished by the law but also excused by God. :o) Whether it's God's retribution or karma... That is alot more serious than punishment down here! :o)
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>>Driving to work today, I came to the realization that there are actually people inside these insidious hunks of metal that are constantly in my way. We would never act the way we do if we were all walking and could see each other's eyes instead of the "big black SUV,' or "little blue Miata," or (my Nemesis this morning) "idiot redneck in the rusted El Camino." We have the same situation on line as well. Sometimes we have a picture, but it's still "dorky guy with the tie," or "the one from that Edvard Munch painting," or "girl with the short hair." It got me wondering what people might do if they could definitely get away with it. If there was a situation - think Bill Murray in Groundhog Day - that you could not be caught or even punished for one particular act. Would it be stealing money? Shooting a politician? Raping a celebrity? Killing a spouse? Or would it be nothing? I would like to say my character is so noble that I would choose to do nothing, but I know that I would likely
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>> the money route. I would try to convince myself that it was ok, because I would choose a big faceless evil company - by my definition, of course - but it would be wrong, and I would probably do it anyways. Simply because I knew I could get away with it with no fear of retribution. This plays heavily into Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM) and I think there would be utter chaos in the world if every person was given just one thing they could do without reprisal. I love individuals, but as humanity, I think we are greedy and self-absorbed and I would be surprised if even 1% of the population chose to do nothing. Of course, there is another discussion waiting in the wings of this topic called "What is right and what is wrong?" but we'll save that for another day...