From: Yak Wax (yakwax@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Jan 06 1998 - 12:47:13 MST
John K Clark <johnkc@well.com> wrote:
> >They've committed the crime, you lost out, and any
"justice" incurred
> >beyond that point is by definition, revenge.
>
>
> You're using private definitions, apparently for you the ASCII string
> "revenge" means "justice" and "justice" means "revenge", that's your
right,
> one definition is not intrinsically better than another; however, for
> effective communication a common definition is useful and that's why
I use
> the standard one.
I wasn't saying "Justice is Revenge" because I think revenge is a good
form of justice, but because I think what many people call justice is
simply revenge.
> Justice means finding whatever needs to be done to minimize most
suffering in
> most people. I admit that the best solution is often far from
obvious, but at
> least the problem is clear.
I find nothing wrong with people cooperating to rid themselves of a
common threat (in which ever way they see fit.) But the justice
system goes beyond that, and creates a fixed set of threats which are
apparently (whether you like it or not) for your own good. And I
would argue that all "punishments" are revenge.
> Revenge means entertainment obtained by causing pain in somebody
else.
>
> Example:
>
> I take your banana. When I'm not looking you steal the banana back.
> Justice.
Unless there's plenty of other banana's around, in which case taking
my banana is vengeful. Otherwise I agree that you should satisfy your
banana needs. But I don't see why we need to call that justice.
> I take your banana. When I'm not looking you steal the banana back,
pour
> gasoline on me, set me on fire and laugh at my screams of agony as I
burn
> alive and beg for death.
> Revenge.
True.
> >It may be bullshit, but it's inspired bullshit
>
> Well, I half agree.
Bitch!
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