[lbo-talk] Re: What's at stake?

Kenneth Campbell kkc at sympatico.ca
Sun Nov 23 16:01:52 PST 2003


John Thornton wrote the most wonderful utilitarian rationale for death:


> One could imagine that in a gradual change scenario "X"
>number of people died because of state policies and it
>took 50 years working through the electorate to achieve
>an end to that. Now imagine the catastrophists belief
>that "X" number of people will die because of "going
>all the way down" policies with the Bushies and in the
>ensuing chaos of replacing that system with
>the same the same end result as the gradual
>change scenario above. One can easily imagine the
>catastrophists scenario taking 15 years. While both
>examples are grossly simplified it shows the fallacy of
>believing that taking a catastrophists stand necessitates
>a willingness to put up with greater numbers of "real
>people ... dying real deaths". While you have not
>expressly stated you believe as much you and a few others
>have implied that this is your belief.

No wonder no one elects mathematicians to anything.

Ken.

-- It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people.

-- Logan Pearsall Smith



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list