Subject:
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Re: Don Quixote puts away his lance (was Re: McDonalds set
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 27 Sep 1999 18:02:32 GMT
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Reply-To:
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lpieniazek@novera.SPAMCAKEcom
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Viewed:
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988 times
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Matthew Miller wrote:
>
> Larry Pieniazek <lar@voyager.net> wrote:
> > Saving hapless bidders from being foolish may be fun, but it's not fun
> > enough to compromise morals.
>
> Yes, it's a classic Kohlberg dilemma. [1] I think you can make a good
> argument for _either_ response being the high moral ground, depending on
> your framework of morality.
>
> 1. In Europe, a woman was near death from a very unusual kind of cancer. [2]
> The doctors thought that one drug -- a form of radium discovered by a
> druggist in the same town -- might save her life. The druggist paid $400
> for the radium and charged $4,000 for a small dose of the drug. Heinz,
> the sick woman's husband, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money
> and tried every legal means, but he could only raise $2000, half of the
> drug's selling price. Heinz pleaded with the druggist, explaining to him
> that his wife was dying. He presented several options to the druggist:
> sell the drug to Heinz at a cheaper price, let Heinz pay for the drug in
> installments or let Heinz pay for it at a later date. But the druggist
> said, "No, I discovered the drug and I¼m going to make money from it."
> Heinz is now considering breaking into the drug store and stealing for
> his wife.
>
> 2. Of course, "dying of cancer" is not the same as "ignorant people being
> ripped of on eBay". But it's the same kind of problem.
Weeeelllll... I know I'm walking into the same old debate as before!
But it seems SO clear cut to me. In my opinion Heinz doesn't have the
right to the drug. If this drug really truly is somehting Heinz is
incapable of inventing for himself, it's not just or right to defraud
the druggist from his due. The druggist presumably went to school for
years to learn how to make it. This may be the only chance he has to
recoup that investment.
Now, were I the druggist I'd happily take a time payment scheme if Heinz
was credit worthy. But the druggist may not care about his reputation
within the town and that's his right. Heck, even if Heinz shows up with
the entire 4K in cash the druggist is within his rights to refuse to
sell.
Doing business (choosing to associate) is itself a good and there is no
right to free goods, no right to demand to associate with someone who
chooses not to associate with you.
If THAT doesn't generate some backflame then we truly HAVE beat this
topic to death.
One can only hope.
--
Larry Pieniazek larryp@novera.com http://my.voyager.net/lar
- - - Web Application Integration! http://www.novera.com
fund Lugnet(tm): http://www.ebates.com/ Member ref: lar, 1/2 $$ to
lugnet.
NOTE: I have left CTP, effective 18 June 99, and my CTP email
will not work after then. Please switch to my Novera ID.
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