From: stonedog@ns1.net-gate.com
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 03:56:47 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Socio-Economic Cults (Re: Cypherpunk Cults)
In-Reply-To: <199708281809.LAA22962@f37.hotmail.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.93.970828151321.13124A-100000@ns1.net-gate.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



On Thu, 28 Aug 1997, John Smith wrote:

> A Japanese man holes up in his house and shoots at those who try to
> take him away.  A Caucasian man outside shoots back, fearing that the
> Japanese is a spy, whose information will lead to Japanese victory in
> the war.  Both men are shooting, both fear for their lives.  And in
> each case, the fear could arguably be justified, based on the
> information available to each man at the time.
> 
> How does your simple rule solve this case?
> 
> "John

Let me get this straight: a couple of federal (were they in this
case?) LEA's come to your door and say, "Come with us, you and your family
are going to prison because of the color of your skin." You say, "I am a
citizen of of the United States, and my rights are enumerated in the
Constitution. You do not have the authority to incarcerate me without due
process of law. Now please get off my property." The LEA's reply, "Hey,
we're just doing our jobs. Don't give us a hard time, you stupid Nip." You
pick up the shotgun you keep in the closet by the front door and say, "If
I have commited a crime, then arrest me. Otherwise, get off of my
property." The LEA's reply, "You just made a big mistake, bud." Twenty
minutes later they return with a fifty agents with automatic rifles and
orders to shoot to kill the "spy".

Of course, if he just "went along quietly", he would have spent a few
years rotting in an "internment camp" while his business failed or he lost
his job to someone fortunate enough to have immigrated from Italy or
Germany instead of Japan. That's better than endangering the lives or
yourself and your family, right?

You might feel that the example that you responded to was a bit too
simplistically polemic, but I think for many people, especially those in
this forum, your hypothetical situation is not at all an ethical dilemma. 


-stonedog