From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 05:30:50 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: heart
In-Reply-To: <199708211706.TAA00218@xs1.xs4all.nl>
Message-ID: <v0310280db027a3d953c6@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




Thanks, Duncan. I couldn't have (or wouldn't have) said it better myself.

A few words on "helping" others:

At 12:52 PM -0700 8/25/97, Duncan Frissell wrote:

>Tim has never said that he was interested in robbing, ruling, or killing
>others apropos of nothing -- something governments do every day.  Tim has
>merely said that he reserves the right to use deadly force to defend himself
>and that he was not interested in helping other people just because they
>"need" his help.  He didn't say he *wouldn't* help.  He just said he does not
>believe he is *required* to care or *required* to help.  That is a morally
>superior position compared to those who insist on helping others at the point
>of a gun.

And I think that most of what passes for "help" actually does more harm
than good, at least in the longterm.

For example, sending food aid to Third World countries sounds noble and
good. But most studies show the real effect of such aid: it destroys the
local infrastructure of food production and distribution. (Imagine being a
poor Somali farmer bringing your grain to market, and seeing tons of U.S.
grain being distributed freely...it wipes that farmer out, and his future
years of production are gone, even after the U.S. food aid is also gone.)

For example, the welfare system. Who can argue that it produces persons
unable or unwilling to take the available jobs, mostly at or near minimum
wage? When a welfare mother of two or more children can collect the total
equivalent (direct payments, food coupons, tax exemptions, day care) of $15
an hour, it would  be foolish for her to apply for a job at Burger King for
$6.35 an hour, and then have to pay almost that amount to put her kids in
some day care center. The longer she is out of the job market, the worse it
gets.

For example, saving people from their bad choices in life. When we force
insurers to cover those who do stupid, formerly uninsurable things, or when
we force the providers of legally and freely-chose substances (tobacco,
hamburger, guns, breast implants, rock climbing equipment, etc.) to pay for
the stupid actions of others, even if only imagined, costs rise and choices
narrow.

(Off the main subject, but I think it reprehensible that states are suing
to collect _medical_ costs associated with tobacco. The costs are between
the insurers and the customers, not third parties. The principle, if
carried through, would make McDonald's liable for obesity and nutrition
problems, heart disease, etc. And it would make Nintendo liable for
education cost overruns, etc. Fact is, if Alice smokes three packs a day,
and Mississsippi is stupid enough to give her free health care, or to
charge premiums not reflecting her smoking, this is that state's problem,
not R.J, Reynolds' problem! Same goes for breast implants. No evidence
shows silicone is actually harmful, just a bunch of junk science show
trials. Any woman who got her tits inflated for vanity reasons deserves
whatever happens, in any case. So now Dow Corning will drop out of the
implant business, and women truly in need of them for mastectomy sorts of
reasons will find there is no supplier...except maybe in Mexico or Denmark,
where "regulatory arbitrage" applies.)

We have become what the Founders feared. (Somebody said this a few days
ago. I think it's a great slogan, and I may add it to my .sig file.()

--Tim May



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."