Is it ethical to sell-off a criminal's possessions to pay restitution to his victims? You'd certainly think so. After all, he took something from the victims, so he should have to give them back enough money to make up for what they lost. It's a basic case of making good for the damage done. When the crime is murder, of course, the victim isn't around any more, and money … [Read more...] about Restitution of Famous Murderers
Comparing Strange and Culosi
Here's a disturbing comparison between a pair of news items: Jennifer Lea Strange dies from drinking too much at a water drinking contest hosted by KDND, a Sacramento, California radio station. The very next day the station cancels the show and fires everyone involved. Fairfax, Virginia Police shoot and kill Sal Culosi as he emerges unarmed from his house to meet a friend … [Read more...] about Comparing Strange and Culosi
Power and Relationships
Eugene Volokh points out that Washington state has some really strict laws about the relationships between healthcare providers and their patients. The usual rationale behind these laws is that an exploitive power relationship exists between a doctor and his patients, but I don't understand how that works. Perhaps in some (possibly mythical) past era doctors were viewed as … [Read more...] about Power and Relationships
Iraq: Why We Didn’t Win When We Won
President Bush has offered his plan for Iraq, and in fielding criticism of it, Press Secretary Tony Snow has said anybody who didn't like Bush's plan should offer a better one. I'm planning to answer that challenge in a series of modest proposals. This is just background. Jennifer the Feral Genius wrote in her blog: ...I can’t quite bring myself to believe we’re going to … [Read more...] about Iraq: Why We Didn’t Win When We Won
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Me
I don't normally do memes, but I've been too busy to write much original material this week, so here goes. (Tom at Doors of Deception tagged me with this one.) Five things people who know me might be surprised to hear: Floater. I have a permanent floater in my left eye that's right near the center of my vision. When it drifts in to the exact center, I tend to reflexively … [Read more...] about Five Things You Didn’t Know About Me