Timothy C. May wrote:
At 3:54 PM -0600 10/29/96, Steve Edwards wrote:
This isn't about crypto but since cypherpunks is the most interesting libertarian forum I know, I thought I'd throw it out. It has been said many times in this forum that prostitution and drugs are victimless crimes. Is this really so? Although I am generally in concert with libertarian views, I would say that the young lady I talked to was definitely a victim. Also, if we are a society, rather than fortress-like individuals, we should be concerned with the inevitable spread of disease and insanity that is the result of "victimless" crimes.
[mucho snippo] All of the Libertarian blah about "let us do whatever we want" is just great, huh? What if I want to live in a dry county, and some "new" people move in and want to start up liquor sales? I guess I have to move to get away from these people, huh? I get tired of running away, and I say, if you want liquor, porno, etc., go somewhere else for it. San Francisco would be good. So what's the problem with alcohol and liquor? Somebody is gonna hurt themselves? Who gives a shit? (unless they hurt someone else, of course, and they usually do). And please, let's not fall into the con of believing that Chris Reeve or Mr. Brady (of Brady Bill fame) are the central issue in welfare initiatives, once the government gets involved. When the government gets involved, it's after they've already studied the pros and cons (i.e., how much profit can we make, and what's our liability risk?), and Brady and Reeve and all the other lifty-blinkys can go take a hike as far as Joe CongressGraftPerson is concerned.