A free market--indeed, outright Rothbardian!--approach to the death penalty, an opportunity for website owners to make some money, and a way to get rid of spammers: all from Eric Scheie at Classical Values:
I propose a very modest, classical solution to the problem. An old idea, really. I am sure everyone has heard of it.Posted by Craig Ceely at June 8, 2003 12:04 PMCRUCIFIXION
Spammers could simply be crucified along the highways, just the way the Romans did it. As in the good old days of public crucifixions along the Via Appia, here the modern Al Gore Information Superhighway could be seamlessly linked to live crucifixions via strategic web cams, viewable at anti-spam websites, where we could watch the spammers die (and other spammers could witness the fates of their comrades). What a deterrent!
A real "Pilate Program!"
Needless to say, no libertarian would seriously propose that the government get involved in such cruel punishments (which obviously violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution), and I am not doing that. Let's keep it in the private sector where it belongs. Spammers flooded the world with shoddy advertisements during their lives, and it is only fair that their deaths be advertising spectacles -- the tackier the better! "Your corporate message and logo HERE! on THIS CROSS!" (Buy as many crosses as you can afford!) "Another spammer nailed courtesy of SnuffNet.com!" Securely fastened with "Palm Pilate" brand "finishing nails" -- as seen on the Internet!
I was delighted to discover your link to my blog, and I really appreciate your comments about my proposal to crucify spammers. It is estimated that around 200 spammers account for 90% of the spam. This makes the proposal not only modest, but also eco-friendly. Unlike the Romans, we wouldn't need to denude entire forests to fuel the cross market. (If need be, we could always use entirely recycled materials from outmoded computers which might otherwise pollute landfills.) Unlike taxation of the Internet (or other federal schemes which have been proposed), this would do no harm to anyone except a very small, malevolent minority.
THANK YOU! I have of course placed a link to you, and I'll be keeping up with your blog as often as possible.
My site is an attempt to poke fun at the Culture War through satire, and I hope you continue to enjoy it.
Posted by: Eric Scheie at June 11, 2003 05:53 PM