The Econ. students in my university worked out that each life is worth about 2 millions
-------------------- "George Washington said, 'I cannot tell a lie.' Richard Nixon said, 'I cannot tell the truth.' Bill Clinton said, 'I cannot tell the difference.'"
-- comedian TOM SMOTHERS, from his latest stage act with brother DICK SMOTHERS.
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Well, I think it's a fairly broadly-accepted tenet of philosophy that it's impossible to put any dollar value on human life.
In the cases of tobacco lawsuits, punitive damages are assessed, which have more to do with the degree of damage a judge feels is appropriate to inflict on the company rather than what Joe Smoker's life is materially worth.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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Any time I smell cigarette smoke, I cough. That's uncomfortable. I never know when I might be unexpectedly subjected to such a situation. I think the tobacco companies should pay me billions of dollars, to compensate for my living in constant fear of unwanted pulmonary assault by their products.
I could never possibly win that case in court. And yet, people who use those products to harm themselves through their own stupidity get all that. Have they imposed a maximum IQ of 100 or so on jury selections, or what?
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When tabacco companies use substances to increase the possibility of adicting someone to their product ... it ceases to be as simple as someone's own actions and becomes, "wait -- you were willing to get someone addicted to this substance -- despite the risk to their health -- to get yourself a steady customer?"
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I'm not saying the tobacco companies shouldn't be punished. Just that the other people shouldn't be rewarded. Rather than taking three billion dollars away from Philip Morris and giving it to some smoker, take three billion dollars away from Philip Morris and give it to some cancer research facility, or something.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Course that begs the curious question. How much of that several million DOES the smoker-victim get, and how much goes to the lawyers?
Registered: Mar 1999
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'it ceases to be as simple as someone's own actions and becomes, "wait -- you were willing to get someone addicted to this substance -- despite the risk to their health -- to get yourself a steady customer?"'
Yes. How dare they trick people by keeping the addictive nature of smoking a secret. The people who took it up had no idea. They thought smoking = healthy fun.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
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