Platt, Lawrence, all
of course I agree that it is fair to be compensated for every violation of any
individual right, such as the right to freedom of speech, the right private
property and so on.
But there's a possible perverse mechanism in this compensation. Once they decide
that (for example) the compensation for my violated freedom is one million
dollars... a government or a firm could decide to act immorally against me, well
knowing the eventual "cost of the operation".
And anyway it is not by shutting my mouth with money that the intellectual level
gains value. If I can't give my contribution to the intellectual level by means
of my freedom of speech, the loss of intellectual value is not compensated by
any social value.
Ciao,
Marco
----- Original Message -----
From: "Platt Holden" <pholden@sc.rr.com>
To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: MD Things and levels
> Hi Marco:
>
> In general I agree with your post of 2 Aug. However, I couldn't help but
> wonder what you meant when you wrote, "It is immoral to measure the
> value of human rights in dollars."
>
> Would you care to elaborate? All I could think of were the lawyers who
> like to sue for millions of dollars in damages for every imagined
> human rights violation they can dream including but no limited to
> "unfair" hiring practices and telling off color jokes.
>
> If you meant individual rights such as free speech, private property and
> limited government, I agree that no dollar value is applicable. Those
> are rights one should be willing to die for--as millions have.
>
> Platt
>
>
>
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