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Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

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Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#2
My initial thought is that this would create a "wild west" type society where bounty hunters go around and have shootouts with criminals, but without police training.

Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals? "Oh, you stole a bunch of money because you have no money. Pay a fine"

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#3
post #2

My initial thought is that this would create a "wild west" type society where bounty hunters go around and have shootouts with criminals, but without police training. Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals? "Oh, you stole a bunch of money because you have no money. Pay a fine"

As I understood it, the legal liability insurance pays. The criminal then has to deal with whatever repercussions are laid out in their contract with the insurance company.

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#4
post #3
post #2

My initial thought is that this would create a "wild west" type society where bounty hunters go around and have shootouts with criminals, but without police training. Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals? "Oh, you stole a bunch of money because you have no money. Pay a fine"

As I understood it, the legal liability insurance pays. The criminal then has to deal with whatever repercussions are laid out in their contract with the insurance company.

So you're trading government-run prison for an insurance-run one?

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#5
Yet we still suffer from a great deal of police corruption and mistreatment, because government employees can coordinate well to create a blue wall of silence.

So, to fix one minor problem, we're getting rid of equality before law, and paving the way for feudalistic corporations, getting one step closer to Snow Crash?

No, thanks.

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understood it, the legal liability insurance pays. The criminal then has to deal with whatever repercussions are laid out in their contract with the insurance company.

So you're trading government-run prison for an insurance-run one?

Or increased premiums, or torture, or whatever. I think the idea is if you don't like what the insurance company uses as a threat of punishment you can just sign a contract with a different one.

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#7
post #2

My initial thought is that this would create a "wild west" type society where bounty hunters go around and have shootouts with criminals, but without police training. Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals? "Oh, you stole a bunch of money because you have no money. Pay a fine"

> Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals?

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to bring back debtor's prisons, where the interest on your debt and the fees for your keeping compound at a rate just higher than the rate you're "earning off" that debt...

Et voilà, endless, legal slave labor.

Re: Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

#9
post #2

My initial thought is that this would create a "wild west" type society where bounty hunters go around and have shootouts with criminals, but without police training. Also, how are cash fines going to work against broke criminals? "Oh, you stole a bunch of money because you have no money. Pay a fine"

I don't really understand their legal system, but from what i've heard, China has some kind of system like this. Where if you go to the police about something, they just sort of force the two parties to work it out and one of the parties pays the other a fine. If that were the case then this system seems ripe for abuse however, but I don't really know much about it. But seeing the headline and not actually RTFA my limited knowledge of China came to mind.
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