From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 14:27:34 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: The Recent Trend in "Collective Contracts"
In-Reply-To: <v03102805afeab8b29d2f@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <v03102802afeb8158a8d9@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 11:20 PM -0700 7/10/97, Bill Frantz wrote:
>At 9:29 AM -0700 7/10/97, Tim May wrote:
>>(Caveat: My personal and libertarian view is that lawsuits against
>>cigarette companies are wrong and should not be supported in a free
>>society. And lawsuits by various states to "recover health care costs" are
>>especially bogus. By this logic, McDonald's could be sued by California
>>because California paid out more health care benefits to meat-eaters than
>>it did to vegetarians. Utterly bogus.)
>
>It is especially bogus since it is not clear that the government isn't a
>net winner between reduced social security and pension payments, and the
>extra income from tobacco taxes.

And of course the government has been subsidizing tobacco growing for the
last half century (at least).

Even non-libertarians see the absurdity in all this.

(But these same friends and family will cheerfully admit that "there ought
to be a law" banning tobacco. Especially some of those who smoke...they
want the government to pass a law, wave a magic wand, and cure their
smoking habit.)

The only consistent, reasonable, just solution is basically the libertarian
one (note that I am not using the word Libertarian). Namely:

Individual responsibility, free choice, a drastically reduced set of laws,
and end to all subsidies of any and all products, reduced tariffs, and an
end to social engineering through tax and tariff policies and
incentives/disincentives to businesses.


There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."