---Samael <Samael@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Scarazzo <mscarazzo@rocketmail.com>
>
> >First, defense contractors under a libertarian society will more
> >carefully select to whom they sell weapons, because they will be held
> >responsible if another party uses their weapons against other
> >Americans or against other customers.
>
> And gunshop owners will be held liable when the guns they sell are
used to
> kill people?
>
> Held liable by who, by the way?
No gunshop owners will not be held liable for the actions of a single person with a single gun, or even a few guns. To use the cliche, guns don't kill people. People kill people. A single person buying small arms does not present a direct threat to large numbers of people and other business/money making organizations, regardless.
They will be held liable by their customers. If someone sells weapons of mass destruction to a party whose intentions are those other than defensive, other customers will not buy from those companies, because they would be contributing to a direct threat to their own existence by continuing the business relationship. In addition, defense contractors in the US would be free to pursue other lines of business, such as making vehicles for the consumer/commercial industries.