Re: Market Failures, Monocultures, and Dead Kids (Oh My!)

[Declan McCullagh <declan@pathfinder.com>]

*sigh* I'm responding to Vulis...

The short answer, perhaps, is that government should as a general rule
adopt those policies that allow the greatest freedom over the long term.
Private social pressure from families and communities may then develop
into a more powerful force.

-Declan


On Tue, 18 Mar 1997, Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM wrote:

> > As you know, every year there are a certain number of child deaths as a
> > result of reactions to state-mandated innoculations/vaccinations.  Gone too?
> >
> > Perhaps the difference, or rationale, here is the possible spread of disease
> > to others, rather than trying to protect the individual from himself.
> 
> Suppose X chooses to innoculate their kids and Y chooses not to innoculate
> their kids against, say, polio; and Y's kids get it. They're not going
> to give it to someone whose parents chose to innoculate them. (This is
> a kind of borderline example, not unlike circumcision.  The individual
> affected by the choice is too young to understand what it's all about,
> but doesn't want to be stuck with a needle. Why are the parents more
> qualified to make decisions for him than the state?)
> 
> ---
> 
> <a href="mailto:dlv@bwalk.dm.com">Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM</a>
> Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps
>