6 ms·

I always thought this was only to avoid public urination. I wonder if they added the anti-crime as PR excuse.

by maushu 2y ago

082349872349872 2y ago
A nice example of Hegelian Dialectic (if we're being XIX) or Robinson Resolution (if we're being XX), involving public defecation being a crime, occurred recently in Catalunya: Thesis: the guy pooping is a traditional element of the nativity scene Antithesis: government sponsored nativities shouldn't depict crime Synthesis: keep the guy, but add a police officer, writing the guy a ticket https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer#Controversy_surrounding_Barcelona's_civility_ordinance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer#Controversy_surroundin...
- jadbox 2y ago
  This is such a Zizek-esk kind of example of the dialectic, but I haven't heard him reference this as a classic example.
- bckr 2y ago
  What do you mean by XIX and XX? Thanks for the link to the caganer! Holy crap, that is amazing.
  - uptime 2y ago
    Perfect summary, well done.
  - 082349872349872 2y ago
    XIX: nineteenth century; XX: twentieth century; we're in the XXI now (even if we don't seem to be acting much like it) [nb. this notation is (without red ink?) unsuitable for dates before the Age of Pisces]
    - bckr 2y ago
      Is this some occultism thing?
      - 082349872349872 2y ago
        Roman numerals denoting centuries is a historian thing. I mentioned "Age of Pisces" just because it seriously annoys me that years go from 1 BC to 1 AD with no 0. (inspired by: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38761574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38761574 )
- sdwr 2y ago
  That's so stupid! I love it!
quietbritishjim 2y ago
Like London's later urine deflectors https://web.archive.org/web/20231001094443/https://londonist.com/london/secret/urine-deflectors https://web.archive.org/web/20231001094443/https://londonist...
hayst4ck 2y ago
> I wonder if they added the anti-crime as PR excuse. Having now done a bit more research than I care to admit to, this book, particularly the page 14 sample, suggests nuance rather than pretext, particularly that reduction of public urination was a secondary benefit that became a primary benefit after public lighting: https://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=11065 https://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=11065

I always thought this was only to avoid public urination. I wonder if they added the anti-crime as PR excuse.

by maushu 2y ago

I always thought this was only to avoid public urination. I wonder if they added the anti-crime as PR excuse.

A nice example of Hegelian Dialectic (if we're being XIX) or Robinson Resolution (if we're being XX), involving public defecation being a crime, occurred recently in Catalunya: Thesis: the guy pooping is a traditional element of the nativity scene Antithesis: government sponsored nativities shouldn't depict crime Synthesis: keep the guy, but add a police officer, writing the guy a ticket https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer#Controversy_surrounding_Barcelona's_civility_ordinance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer#Controversy_surroundin...

jadbox 2y ago
This is such a Zizek-esk kind of example of the dialectic, but I haven't heard him reference this as a classic example.
bckr 2y ago
What do you mean by XIX and XX? Thanks for the link to the caganer! Holy crap, that is amazing.
- uptime 2y ago
  Perfect summary, well done.
- 082349872349872 2y ago
  XIX: nineteenth century; XX: twentieth century; we're in the XXI now (even if we don't seem to be acting much like it) [nb. this notation is (without red ink?) unsuitable for dates before the Age of Pisces]
  - bckr 2y ago
    Is this some occultism thing?
    - 082349872349872 2y ago
      Roman numerals denoting centuries is a historian thing. I mentioned "Age of Pisces" just because it seriously annoys me that years go from 1 BC to 1 AD with no 0. (inspired by: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38761574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38761574 )
sdwr 2y ago
That's so stupid! I love it!

quietbritishjim 2y ago

Like London's later urine deflectors https://web.archive.org/web/20231001094443/https://londonist.com/london/secret/urine-deflectors https://web.archive.org/web/20231001094443/https://londonist...

hayst4ck 2y ago

> I wonder if they added the anti-crime as PR excuse. Having now done a bit more research than I care to admit to, this book, particularly the page 14 sample, suggests nuance rather than pretext, particularly that reduction of public urination was a secondary benefit that became a primary benefit after public lighting: https://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=11065 https://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=11065