Deceptively simple, indeed. The continued prevalance of Voltaire's tale is interesting, isn't it? I have a friend who just recently curated an exhibit on Candide and it's recurrence/resurgence in art (literature, music, theater, song). I suppose it is because the search for the ideal, if not perfect, world is a constant. I don't think her scholarship extended beyond the arts to include the realm of legal theory, but I would be interested to hear what she has to say on the topic.

Reading this from an organizing perspective, I see many correlations with procedural justice and the techniques deployed to vest a community in a campaign (whether for fair housing, quality schools, or improved police-community relations). It seems regardless of the larger global-political context of terrorism vs. community policing, most things boil down to what people do or do not want in their backyard. Also and interesting to note, the NYPD motto adopted in 1996 and painted right there on the side of each patrol car is: Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect (CPR).