wlim@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU.UUCP (08/18/86)
From the discussion on libertarianism, it seems that duels are legal since they are formal combats between consenting individuals in the presence of witnesses who also act as judges. Willie ------- -------
kfl%mx.lcs.mit.edu@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU (08/23/86)
From: Willie Lim <WLIM@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU>
From the discussion on libertarianism, it seems that duels are
legal since they are formal combats between consenting individuals
in the presence of witnesses who also act as judges.
The short answer is yes. The long answer is:
Duels were still quite common for a long time after they were made
illegal, just as cocaine use is both common and illegal today.
How much dueling there is depends far more on people's attitude
toward it than on any laws. And few people who are not worried about
the even chance of getting killed would be talked out of it based on
the laws.
So if dueling was made legal, I don't think it would become more
prevalent. In any case, as long as it is only between consenting
adults, why worry about it?
...Keith
-------hibbert.pa@XEROX.COM (08/24/86)
To: Willie Lim <WLIM@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Speaking as a libertarian, I would agree that there's no reason to ban duels. Would you like to propose a moral basis for banning them? -------
WLim@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (08/24/86)
From: Hibbert.pa@Xerox.COM Subject: Re: Duels Speaking as a libertarian, I would agree that there's no reason to ban duels. Would you like to propose a moral basis for banning them? No, would you? There are other problems. Suppose A and B agree to a duel but unknown to A, B had a bet with X such that if B wins, X will pay B lots of $$$. Suppose A is killed in the duel, did B and/or X commit a fraud? Suppose B got killed instead and there comes another duelist C who also had a bet with X. If C loses, another duelist D appears, etc. all having bets with X. Now suppose A found out about the bets and decided not to duel since the odds are against him/her. He/she would really want to if the odds are better. Did X have influence on A's behavior using X's own wealth? Can groups get involved in duels? If so, is there any limit on the number and size of the groups? Can members of the military and police participate? Can any citizen or non-citizen have a duel with the president who just happens to have a gunslinger mentality and loves to have a duel with anybody? I like Keith Lynch's answer better than yours. He at least just make the right assumptions to make the problems go away. What happens when those assumptions are wrong? According to libertarian fundamentalists, there ain't no way the government is going to (or be allowed to) fix it. Willie ------- -------
kfl@AI.AI.MIT.EDU.UUCP (01/20/87)
... I don't quite understand how people willing to do
violence are not dangerous. Living dangerously usually means its
dangerous for other people too. Bank robbers live dangerously,
and so do streetgangs. ... -CWM
If they use or threaten violence against people who do not consent,
then they have committed a crime and can be locked up.
...Keith
[ Hey! We agree for once! :-) Now if we could just agree that
institiutionalizing gang wars was a good thing... -CWM]
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