Dys said:
Anyone who says it's abuse or is never the solution is wrong. It is important that parents are in authority, and children aren't born instantly knowing what's right or how the world works. A spank (not a ravage beating) will make them understand you're angry, and that they have done something wrong that has direct and instant negative consequences.
No, you're wrong.
Just because you use violence and display anger it doesn't mean you are effectively maintaining your authority as a parent.
A child might "fear" the parent when it is angry, but it doesn't learn shit about right or wrong in the process.
Fear doesn't help in learning something, it rather serves to limit the individuals perception of any given situation.
Fear also doesn't help to foster respect (you know, that VITAL ingredient needed in order to maintain authority). Putting the kid through constant periods of fear will make him/her a coward and afraid of conflicts in general, or he child somehow overcomes his/her fears and thus instantly lose respect of the people that he/she used to fear before (in this case: the parents).