Re: virus: Killing the tabacco-lords(KMO's $0.02)

Tony Hindle (t.hindle@joney.demon.co.uk)
Sun, 3 Aug 1997 07:06:02 +0100


In message <33E3705A.41C6@amazon.com>, KMO <kmo@amazon.com> writes
><RANT>
>
>I've read several moral arguments on this list for thinking that killing
>key figures in the tabacco industry is bad idea. Here's a practical
>argument; it won't work.

At last, the debate moves on, thank you.

> How many South and Central American drug-lords
>have been "brought to justice" in a rain of bullets? Has it solved the
>"drug problem" in the US? Did the demand for coke go down when the
>Mexican army gunned down Pablo Escobar as he fled across a roof-top in
>nothing but his socks? Was it reduced when the US Military invaded
>Panama and captured Manuel Noriega?

Demand for coke will always be high because it is a great buzz
from the very first time, they dont need to advertise thius fact, it
spreads by word of mouth (you could always try and control word of mouth
but thats outragious).
>
>
>Killing tabacco-lords would be a serious PR screw up. Right now, the
>killers are all on one side of the issue.

Im not convinced that all the pro-tobacco spokespeople are
killers, some simply havent thought through exactly what the
consequences of their actions are. Having a life threat atatched to
their job description would wake them up.

> Killing people would
>trivialize any arguments against tabocco use that appealed the inherent
>value of human life.

Only for simple minded analysts.
>
>
>Setting all moral considerations aside, killing the tabacco-lords would
>be a bad plan. It would give the opposition plenty of ammo to demonize
>ALL anti-tabacco spokesfolks (not just the ones who did or advocated the
>killing) and it would do nothing to impair the tabacco industry.

It would increase costs in their memetic campagn which means a
quicker defeat for their campagn, which would mean lots of lives saved.
I understand you are disagreeing with this point, well we could
argue forever, it is a hypothetical point until or unless someone trys
an experiment.

> With
>that kind of money to be made, there will be plenty of competant people
>anxious to step up to the plate and lead the cartel for awhile. And
>they'll have better security than their predecessors.

Agian, costs up, less money to be made.

>
>If you want to fix the program, alter the code. Don't excise individual
>logic gates in the hardware of the system, especially when those
>hardware components are instantly replaceable.

If you want to stop a lethal mind virus then get it to turn on
itself.

Tony