[ExI] pistols

Rafal Smigrodzki rafal.smigrodzki at gmail.com
Sat Jan 1 02:03:00 UTC 2022


On Thu, Dec 30, 2021 at 9:45 PM Will Steinberg <steinberg.will at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>> ### I think that the death penalty does have a mild deterrent effect on
>> prospective murderers, and it is a way to permanently remove them from
>> circulation, so it does have the potential to produce a net reduction in
>> murders. I think that the gross reduction in murders per 100 executed true
>> murderers very likely and significantly exceeds 2% (but I don't know by how
>> much), so accepting a 2% false positive rate should preserve a net
>> beneficial effect on innocent lives saved from murder, and therefore the
>> death penalty for murder a reasonable and commendable action, under the
>> assumptions stated. Of course, I discount the value of a true murderer's
>> life to zero.
>>
>
> I don't really think anyone who commits a capital-level offense is
> thinking much about the death penalty.
>

### Indeed, if the known consequences of an act involve e.g. being
drawn-and-quartered in the town square, then the only ones who commit it
are those who don't think much. But if it is known that there are no
consequences (i.e. you get a slap-on-the wrist 2-year sentence and some
shrink sessions), those who think about consequences (which is a lot of
people) will be emboldened to act. Big difference.

It's like store pillaging in California - it took certain balls to do it
back in the day but now even timid assholes do it.

---------------------------------


> And I doubt it's more of a deterrent than jail.  You really think someone
> is like "I wanna go kill a bunch of people, but I don't want to die!  Now,
> life in prison, that's not so bad..."?
>
> ### Seriously? If you felt like killing somebody and you were weighing the
pros and cons, would you really disregard the difference between being
taken out back and shot vs. being thrown in jail for a few years?

Dunno, if I was planning to kill people the possibility of a date with the
iron maiden would weigh heavily on my decision.

I am such a vicious person I don't even agree with the founding fathers'
abhorrence for cruel and unusual punishment.
---------------------------------

>
>
>> I agree with you that a state should not be able to kill people except in
>> war, which in my current minarchist mindset is the state's only reasonable
>> use case. I'd rather use a private judge and executioner to exact my
>> posthumous revenge on the one that kills me.
>>
>
>  Jesus christ lol, ancap much?
>

### Almost.

Rafal
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