At 3:38 PM 7/23/96 -0400, hallam@Etna.ai.mit.edu wrote:

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I don't understand this conclusion. One book people aside, it is generally believed that humans evolved in an evolutionary context and they certainly frequently use cooperative strategies. Cooperation usually also involves the ability to sanction misbehavior. Unilateral disarmament is throwing away your sanction.

That depends on the circumstances. If you are arguing the case for unilateral disarmament or unilateral reduction. In many cases there was a deliberated attempt to confuse one with the other. Unilateral reduction can be the right move to make.

No argument. I said disarmament.

In the case of a minor nuclear power such as the UK unilateral disarmament may be the right move...

But still, the UK has available other sanctions. That's why they are still called the Falklands.

... Burglars are not rational actors, and are more likely to have their behavior determined by drugs or alcohol than analytical game theory.

Burglars are among the most rational of thieves. They try to maximize gain and minimize risk by acting when no one can oppose them. Even muggers, a much less rational activity, try to pick on people smaller than them.

The facts are very clear, if you have a handgun in the house it is far more likely to kill a member of the familly than stop an intruder. The NRA know this which is why they have lobbied for the CDC to stop research in this area - they do not like the facts.

Christmas trees make your house far more likely to catch fire. However many people have them because they provide other, hard to quantify, values. (BTW, my mother's retirement home does not allow them in individual units.) Guns have value besides home defense. Just one off-the-wall example: I learned to hold a camera steady by competitive target shooting. Home defense is not the only reason to have a gun. (Besides, I would rather have a shotgun with a short barrel for close-up defense than a handgun. As the California police forces discovered when they (briefly) changed from pump shotguns to "automatics", the sound of chambering a round with a pump shotgun makes people focus very clearly on their situation. Frequently it avoids violence.) IMHO handguns are much more useful when you need a portable defense. Examples: 1. The USGS will allow field geologists to carry handguns in bear country after a rigorous training program. 2. I have a friend who defended himself from a pack of feral dogs after they attacked him and forced him to retreat to the roof of his car. (He killed three of the four. The local rancher treated him to dinner for ridding the neighborhood of a dangerous nuisance.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | Cave ab homine unius lebri | Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | [Beware the man of one | 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz@netcom.com | book] - Anonymous Latin | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA