The Whetting

clipped from www.captainsquartersblog.com Instead of securing the cottage or working to catch them in the act, this woman decided to keep them from breaking in -- by giving them what they wanted. Appealing to the sense of fair play with criminals turns out to be a waste of time. Instead of sating their appetite, she whetted it instead, and they showed no gratitude towards their benefactor at all in selecting their target. Appeasement never works. Burglars always want what hasn't been left outside on the doorstep. Danes always want more Danegeld, poetically speaking. Terrorists and tyrants once rewarded for their violence expand the use of it, until they achieve an abject surrender or someone finally decides to fight back.