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Yes, and about 40,000 people die every year in car accidents in the US. Terrorism is nothing compared to that.
by Fice 13y ago
Yes, and about 40,000 people die every year in car accidents in the US. Terrorism is nothing compared to that.
- jsz0 13y agoThe comparison to automobiles is interesting because this is another example where we do sacrifice freedoms to enhance safety. At the state level we have licenses, registrations, speed limits, mandatory seat belt laws, insurance mandates, etc. At the federal level we have safety standards. Not sure it's terribly relevant just an interesting parallel.
- mikeash 13y agoIt's especially interesting because a lot of automobile safety revolves around mitigating damage once an incident occurs, and there's a fairly concrete number (IIRC around $3 million) for how much money it's worth spending to save one additional life. Neither one would be considered even remotely acceptable in counterterrorism.
- malandrew 13y agoSome discussion here on that: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/business/how-much-for-a-life-try-3-million-to-5-million.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/business/how-much-for-a-li...
- Tangaroa 13y agoCars do not deliberately kill people for thinking the wrong kind of thought. The victims of random car accidents were not killed for their political viewpoint, for speaking out against the wrong candidate, for being of the wrong religion, or for the colour of their skin. Terrorism threatens the entire society by discouraging people from exercising their rights and freedoms, and replacing that society's law with the whims of whoever can muster the most violent force.