2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Ripples of Hope [View all]malthaussen
(17,194 posts)... but for the really big ones, the institutional ones, only indifference or real maliciousness can serve. In "business" cruelties, maliciousness has no part, but in some institutional ones (Jim Crow laws, e.g.), one will find maliciousness at the root. (Malice and fear, or malice as a consequence of fear)
The reason I'd say that is that it is possible to be ignorant on what one might call a retail basis, but on a larger scale, too much information is available to claim ignorance. It's difficult to see how hundreds or thousands could be abused, without some notice of the abuse being given, but of course there might be willful ignorance. I think that is just another variant of indifference, however. It doesn't sound so bad, though: "I didn't know" is so much nicer than "I don't care."
-- Mal