Question For Death Penalty Opponents

[David Sklansky]

"But it more than just "makes it easier to pin down." It defines the answer. It becomes purely a question of math."

Only if saving a life now is worth the same thing as saving a life in the future. And if the PRINCIPLE of making executions illegal doesnt enter into the equation.

But even if you are right and the question reduces to your assessment that capital punishment will eventually be abolished there is still a numerical answer to my question. Why is no one answering me? I am going somewhere with this.

[The Dude]

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Only if saving a life now is worth the same thing as saving a life in the future.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, it still applies. You simply discount the PV or FV by whatever arbitraty amount you decide is valid.

[ QUOTE ]
And if the PRINCIPLE of making executions illegal doesnt enter into the equation.

[/ QUOTE ]
It shouldn't. If someone had me and my two identical twin infant children trapped, and said "choose one of them to die, or I'll kill them both" (and I knew he was being honest), for me to say "I won't," out of principle is completely inappropriate.

[m1illion]

The death penalty is the one concession I make to the possible existence of a god-being. If there is a god-being, I will take my chances with any other transgressions but the taking of another life in any circumstance beyond self preservation is a chance I don't care to take.
So the answer is x=0.

[David Sklansky]

I don't think your x=o follows from your own precepts.

[David Sklansky]

Fine. Whatever. To you it reduces to a math problem directly related to your opinion about the future of the law. I have no quarrel with that. Now would you please give me a number?

[ACPlayer]

You are right, I did not get the question the first time. The question is quite clear now.

[The Dude]

Given my very limited ability to judge the future liklihood of completely eliminating the death penalty, this is a fairly clumsy answer: 11

[goofball]

Given that the death penalty has been completely eliminated in most other industrialized nations, I predict it will eventually be eliminated in the United States. You didn't say whether or not the new legislation would affect the likelihood of death penalty abolition forever, or just for a time. Assuming it's the former, x must be zero. Assuming it's the latter, x cannot be zero and depends on how long the effect of the legislation would last.

[David Sklansky]

Thank you. I had hoped the number would be a bit higher for reasons you will soon see.

[chezlaw]

0