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From: baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: corruption a non-word
Message-ID: <134@spar.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-Mar-85 14:03:44 EST
Article-I.D.: spar.134
Posted: Sun Mar 17 14:03:44 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Mar-85 08:19:33 EST
References: <827@oliven.UUCP>
Organization: Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, CA
Lines: 30

> []
> Another question:
>   Do libertarian dictionaries contain the word "corruption?"
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 	No.
> 
> 	Corruption is a government activity. 
> 	If McDonalds wants to adulterate the hamburger with saw-dust,
> and/or charge $75 for a Big Mac, this is bad business not corruption. 
> (The market place keeps them from such "corrupt practices".)
> 	As there is no market place in the "government services business" 
> we can't call government stupidity "bad business" so we call it CORRUPTION.
> 
> 
> 						danw

If your security forces accept a bribe to permit me to kidnap your 
wife, it is only a bad business decision if the bribe I offer is 
less than the amount of money that they would stand to lose if it 
became known that they had done so, multiplied by the probability 
that the bribe will be discovered.

I am appalled at the propensity toward magical thinking exhibited
by some of the dreamier libertarians in these discussions.  It's 
as if they believe they can transfer all the negative aspects of 
human behavior onto the scapegoat of Government, and by slaying 
the beast, vanquish avarice and treachery from the human heart.

					Baba ROM DOS