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Politics : Libertarian Discussion Forum
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To: Neocon who wrote (2659)5/8/1999 6:25:00 PM
From: Dave Reed1 Recommendation  Read Replies (2) of 13056
 
Since I said that exposing people to involuntary
risk is an example of force, let me respond to
you here. I think we may have a different view
of what this means. If I hold a gun to your
head with one bullet in it and pull the trigger,
I've committed a crime, even if the gun doesn't
fire. If I get drunk beyond any ability to
control my car but I drive anyway, I've committed
a crime even if I don't get into an accident.

What happens if I sell paint thinner, which a
certain percentage of my customers may use to
get stoned before driving school busses? What
happens if I write a book that causes a small
number of my readers to take over Russia and
establish a regime that will go on to kill
millions of people? What if I make pencils
knowing that some number of kids will poke
their eyes out with them? What if I sell guns?
I don't think any of the above are acts of force.

What about polluting the air knowing I'll give
some people cancer? What about building a
munitions factory next to an elementary school?
What about selling bad bolts to airplane
manufactures but telling them that they are good
ones? I think all of these are acts of either
force or fraud.

The difference is one of choice. Who is making
the choice that directly leads to harm? Was there
another choice that they could have made that
wouldn't lead to harm? If pornography causes me
to act in violent ways, it is my responsibility
not to consume it. People must take responsibility
for their own actions. We can't possibly construct
a society that works any other way.

Dave
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