This prescient piece was published in the journal, Panetics, v. 2(3), pages 12-14 in 1993. In light of recent developments, it has proven remarkably clear-sighted. The author conducts a hypothetical panetic analysis of the Waco situation. He finds that after 51 days of siege there was no further justification in panetic terms for continuation.

The author argues that the decision to end the siege should have been taken as soon as negotiations were at a standstill in order to minimize both cost and pain and anguish. Instead, lacking a panetic analysis, apparently the top leaders waited until the field forces got tired of the siege inactivity, and a tricky way to inject tear gas, etc. into the compound was devised and presented as a logical next step.

"When the Attorney General, or other leaders, ask, 'What are the options?' or 'What are the alternatives?' they should have available such panetic estimates of alternative courses of action."

Community policing provides an illuminating activity for observing panetics in action. It offers an opportunity for us to learn from the police in the field, and they to learn from us. This is essential if we are to significantly improve our knowledge of inner city panetics and contribute to the minimization of suffering among all parties concerned.

The proposal is made that the International Society for Panetics put together a group of interdisciplinary paneticists to work with the Police Executive Research Forum. ISP should develop a liaison with the Forum, to work with it, and carry out joint research toward enhancement of people's well-being through continuing advancement in the art of community policing.

Humanly inflicted suffering is particularly important to my research and my struggles for the reform of the penal system and prison organization in Hungary. This is almost the only field where the society can inflict physical and mental pain on another human with clear and quiet conscience because of the inmate's law-breaking behavior. Still the majority of people are prone to think that it is deserved to punish with pain those who commit crimes. But they forget that the punishment, the quality of punishment characterizes the person who applies it rather than the person who bears it. I think, it's time to open people's eyes that there is no real connection between the crime and the severity of the punishment. The punishment depends basically on the humanization level of a society.

The amount of inflicted suffering varies widely, depending on the character and power of the ruling body and the passivity of the citizenry.

He provides a number of detailed examples of this thesis from early and recent history across a broad range of societies.

He then develops the hypothesis that there are four factors controlling the equilibrium between the actual extent of infliction of suffering by the ruling body and the stability of the social order. These include:

1) the level of suffering acceptable to the people as a way of life;

2) the quantity and quality of the actual, threatened, or perceived inflictions imposed by the ruling body;

3) the purposeful interference or intervention by outsiders in trying to destabilize the ruling body; and--

4) the policy of the ruling body toward alleviating suffering among the people.

Siu observes that the global trend of suffering inflicted for the purpose of maintaining domestic peace and order is declining. While the panetic equilibrium varies widely from country to country, Siu predicts that further reductions in use of force to maintain social order are possible.

In some of this analysis, he anticipates analysis by Nobelist Amartya Sen in his 1999 book, "Development and Freedom".

Excerpt from Siu's "Panetics and Dukkha"

A review of how just common criminal infractions are in society. Practically all adults have violated some law in the course of their lives.

Most street criminals are drowned in sufferings--not only in those inflicted on others by them and inflicted on them by others, but also in those inflicted on them by themselves, whether they ever get caught or not.

Siu surveys the weaknesses in the criminal justice system of the United States.

Discussions led to proposals for a panetic research project and development of a series of handbooks for use by police in order to prevent repetition of mistakes made in the riots under discussion.

As a practicing attorney, the author is skeptical about some of the exploratory directions panetics has taken. He suggests that a hard look at the role which law plays in society might lead to more profitable results.