From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Thu Jan 16 2003 - 07:25:55 MST
owner-extropians@extropy.org wrote:
> Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
>> Lee wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Why is the government automatically better equipped
>>> to decide what is good for the child than its parents
>>> are? A perfect case where the government should
>>> mind it's own business, if you ask me.
>>>
>>
>> ### Anybody who, e.g., doesn't want to cut the child's liver out for
>> sale to organ traders is likely to be better equipped to decide what
>> is good for the child. You know that allowing absolute control
>> (=ownership fee simple) over children by their parents would in an
>> unacceptably large number of cases lead to such unfavorable (for the
>> child) outcomes.
>>
>
> So, are you attempting to abstract from a rare pathological type
> of parent to the role of government as compared to parents
> generally? Surely this is a very poor argument. What is this
> assumed "unacceptably large number of cases" where a parent
> would "e.g., want to cut the child's liver out for sale"?
### An explanation - my post was related to a longer offline discussion I
had with Lee, where I advocate that the lives of children should be
protected even against the wishes of their parents. Both Lee's statement
quoted above, and my answer, have to be interpreted in this context.
If you agree with Lee rather than with me on this issue, we could continue
the discussion offline.
BTW, Lee, I'm waiting for your next salvo.
Rafal
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