From: Mats Bergstrom <matsb@sos.sll.se>
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 94 03:18:08 PDT
To: Robin Hanson <hanson@hss.caltech.edu>
Subject: Re: Seeking Clipper/Telephone Cost Estimates
In-Reply-To: <199408142324.QAA17126@hss.caltech.edu>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.85.9408151107.A24213-0100000@cor.sos.sll.se>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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 Robin Hanson wrote:

> What do folks think of the following analogy?  We don't object to
> police being able to pay willing informants, but we would certainly

I strongly object to police using my tax money to pay stool-pigeons.
The possible benefits of this system are heavily outweighed by the
drawbacks (police fraud, false accusations, benefits for despicable
criminals).

(Even more revolting is the system of police enticing people to
commit crimes - stinges- and then prosecuting them. This seems to
be such an everyday occurence in the US but I have seen very little
opposition to it on the net. Can it be that growing up with such a
system makes it seem fair? Many USAns don't even seem to know that
such police tactics are forbidden in many European countries - and
crimes commited after such enticements certainly not prosecutable.)


Mats