From: harryb@phred.UUCP (harry barnett)
Newsgroups: seattle.general
Subject: Re: FREE CHOICE QUESTION
Date: 29 Dec 92 15:52:15 GMT
Reply-To: harryb@phred.UUCP
Distribution: seattle
Organization: Physio-Control

In article 1541@nazgul.UUCP, bright@nazgul.UUCP (Walter Bright) writes:
>In article <4124@phred.UUCP> harryb@phred.UUCP writes:
>/And the bit about how it's keep SOCIETY from paying the costs?  An
>/absolute masterstroke of propaganda!!!  The purpose is to keep the
>/STOCKHOLDERS from paying the costs, you twits!
>
>And where does the money come from that insurance companies pay out?
>It comes from the insured.
>
>Oh, and by the way, there are 30 million stockholders in America. This
>does not include those invested indirectly in stocks via pension plans.
>(I'm not sure if it includes mutual fund investors.)

I don't understand what point you were trying to make here.

Hmmm.  Let's see:  a few facts:

bicyclists = private individuals
insureds = private individuals
stockholders = private individuals
corporations = treated under the law as "private individuals"
officers of corporation = private individuals  (usually BIG stockholders)

Nowhere there do I see "public".

Laws passed by a duly elected legislative body to invoke the power of
the state to protect the special private interests and concerns (e.g.,
profit) of the few rather than to protect the general public interest
HAVE been called oppressive, tyrannical, unjust, unfair, etc.  On the
other hand, laws HAVE been passed by officious intermeddlers just
because they like to put their self-righteous stink on things.  When
this happens, it's interesting to watch these latter crab walk to
invoke some imaginary "public interest" to justify their position.

"Hey! You there, Cop! There's a guy riding a bicycle without a helmet!
Go do your DUTY, and get 'em!  Here's the law, right here, says you
gotta do it!  Don't just stand here! Sic 'em!  Let's you and him
fight!  Yeah!"

Anybody into promoting discord and disharmony, polarizing people, and
pulling the wings off flies has just gotta love the type of
interference in other people's lives exemplified by this bicycle helmet
law.  It's an abusive exercise of raw power.  And I think it highly
likely deep in their black, inner soul, the jerks who passed this are
delighted at the response both pro and con.

"Discord.  Disharmony.  Yeah.  Right ON!  Hey, Bertha, look at these
fools quarrelling with one another!  This is MY contribution to public
service!  Bet you can't do as well!"

"Oh, yeah?  Just watch THIS!" [Retires to try to close the King County
Public Swimming Pools.]

The point of the included excerpt was to try to get those of you
capable of more intellectual exercise than parroting the Party Line to
wake up and smell the coffee.  What point were you trying to make?  "To
sleep, perchance to dream?"

harryb@phred
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Brittanius (shocked):  Caesar, this is not proper.
Theodotus (outraged):  How?
Caesar (recovering his self possession):  Pardon him, Theodotus:  He is
a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and islands are
the laws of nature.

		--Caesar and Cleopatra, Act II, George Bernard Shaw
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