pdavid wrote:
How on earth can one person's actions be deemed acceptable simply on the basis that at that time those observing could do nothing about it?
The ability for an act or object to "unacceptable" depends on whether it is possible to reject it. If you have no power to reject it, it is impossible for it to be "unacceptable" to you, for obvious reasons!
Examples:
A criminal may believe that his sentance is unacceptable, but still goes to gaol.
A person may not accept that they have (say) HIV, but HIV cannot be "unacceptable" - if you have it, it is a fact, and it is not subject to your emotional response to it.
The word you are seeking is "impermissible".
pdavid wrote:
The weather in not a living organism able to change its behaviour.
Is it unacceptable to try to change the behavior of the driver in front of you, or impermissible? I'd say
impermissible, because you can clearly try to do it. So, if you have no power to stop it, it must be acceptable.
Furthermore, if it is impermissible to try to change the behaviour of the driver in front, then it is fair
to compare it to (say) the weather, i.e. a thing you have to contend with.
pdavid wrote:
Quote:
So, try not to be so hot-headed, put on a little calming music, and chill out. You'll find that the
other drivers aren't quite as bad as you thought.
Explain why what this woman was doing was
safe.
Why should I ... I've no claim about her at all?
pdavid wrote:
Not why I shouldn't be complaining, or why I should accept it, or why I feel the need to discuss it in the first place.
Those are my key issues. You seem to be building the case that it is normal to go at the speed limit wherever possible.
I'm making the point that it should be considered abnormal to go at the speed limit wherever possible, i.e. we
should deprecate that sort of thinking. Do you agree?