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First Point: My problem with the death penalty - as a libertarian - is that I can't imagine anything more wrong for my government to do to me than to unjustly t

First Point: My problem with the death penalty - as a libertarian - is that I can't imagine anything more wrong for my government to do to me than to unjustly take my life away. And if you think wrongful execution doesn't happen, you're kidding yourself. It's just a matter-of-fact combination of no system being perfect, and the law of large numbers. Second Point: That sounds like an opinion about cause and effect, rather than a fact. Which is okay, since the CIA always gets it right, like those WMDs they found right after we conquered Iraq!

newt0311 18y ago
"First Point: My problem with the death penalty - as a libertarian - is that I can't imagine anything more wrong for my government to do to me than to unjustly take my life away. And if you think wrongful execution doesn't happen, you're kidding yourself. It's just a matter-of-fact combination of no system being perfect, and the law of large numbers." "Unjustly" is a matter of opinion (specifically, a Humean ought) and cannot be argued away. Also, wrongful executions do not automatically mean that some policy is a bad idea. If one is interested in an aggregate reduction of problems, like in the case of the drug trade, its a matter of numbers and what works. If you disagree, then you need to explain to me why it is worse for the state to kill somebody than some random mob or a drug overdose. (btw, this especially applies to the death penalty when used against murderers). "Second Point: That sounds like an opinion about cause and effect, rather than a fact. Which is okay, since the CIA always gets it right, like those WMDs they found right after we conquered Iraq!" I used the CIA factbook as a proxy for information. If you wish, you are welcome to do more research on the subject. Keep in mind that Singapore is only 1 hour away from one of the largest drug production regions on the entire planet and yet continues to maintain proper law and order in its territory (this is largely incontestable as anybody who has ever been there will tell you).

newt0311 18y ago

"First Point: My problem with the death penalty - as a libertarian - is that I can't imagine anything more wrong for my government to do to me than to unjustly take my life away. And if you think wrongful execution doesn't happen, you're kidding yourself. It's just a matter-of-fact combination of no system being perfect, and the law of large numbers." "Unjustly" is a matter of opinion (specifically, a Humean ought) and cannot be argued away. Also, wrongful executions do not automatically mean that some policy is a bad idea. If one is interested in an aggregate reduction of problems, like in the case of the drug trade, its a matter of numbers and what works. If you disagree, then you need to explain to me why it is worse for the state to kill somebody than some random mob or a drug overdose. (btw, this especially applies to the death penalty when used against murderers). "Second Point: That sounds like an opinion about cause and effect, rather than a fact. Which is okay, since the CIA always gets it right, like those WMDs they found right after we conquered Iraq!" I used the CIA factbook as a proxy for information. If you wish, you are welcome to do more research on the subject. Keep in mind that Singapore is only 1 hour away from one of the largest drug production regions on the entire planet and yet continues to maintain proper law and order in its territory (this is largely incontestable as anybody who has ever been there will tell you).