KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU (10/30/86)
From: ~joe testa~ <TESTA-J%OSU-20@ohio-state.ARPA>
[The court's] opinions would be influenced much more by popularity
if their existence depended on popularity.
... I'm more worried about the times where a popular lynch-mob
movement ... might override due process rights for the accused ...
"aw, we KNOW he's guilty, why bother with the technicalities of a
trial??"
That's why we have a Constitution.
Individuals have to respect each other's rights. It's true that if
few individuals respect other individual's rights, that lynch mobs and
boycotts of courts would be likely. But if people do not respect each
other's rights, a libertarian system would not come into existence
anyway.
> The answer is no, not really. To the extent that advertising
>increases purchases (or donations) it causes the unit cost to go
>DOWN.
Oh, come on now! This makes sense for toothpaste and cars, but
for health care (or courts) ?? I can see it now -- Mr. X sitting
home one night {_ watching TV, says to his wife "gee, i was
thinking, after seeing that ad from Mount Foo Hospital -- what do
you think if i go have a heart transplant next week? They're
having a special discount."
Sorry, I didn't say that right. What I mean is that if they can get
an additional $2 in donations from each $1 spent on advertising, then
advertising makes good financial sense, given that they want to
maximize donations for hospitals and courts. In any case, courts
would cost less under a libertarian system, and both courts and
hospitals would be almost entirely self supporting.
...Keith
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