Communism

Luke Benjamin Weiger lweiger at umich.edu
Sat Jun 29 21:26:43 PDT 2002


Shane wrote:
> "prohibit"? Your "prohibit" is an empty word without effective
> deterrence (and "prohibitionism" can be defined as the propensity
> to pass a law against anything you don't like and give exemplary
> punishment to a very small percentage of those who persist in the
> "prohibited" behavior). But deterrence can never be effective,
> even in the smallest degree, except against those who attempt a
> rational calculation of the expected cost/benefit ratio for the
> "prohibited" behavior. The whole point is that *hatred* and
> *jealousy* are extremely powerful and extremely irrational
> negative emotions.

So, let's see: you've never found youself in a situation where an emotion pulled you in one direction and reason in another?


> What "prohibition," pray tell, would deter an Iago from destructively
> acting on his hatred for Othello, or deter an Othello from destructively
> acting on his jealousy of Desdemona?

The prospect of eternal torture probably would've done the trick...

-- Luke


> Shane Mage
>
> "When we read on a printed page the doctrine of Pythagoras that all
> things are made of numbers, it seems mystical, mystifying, even
> downright silly.
>
> When we read on a computer screen the doctrine of Pythagoras that all
> things are made of numbers, it seems self-evidently true." (N.
> Weiner)
>
>



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