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Comment by stronglikedan | Hacker News Reader

> Liability doesn't fix the damage that is already done.

Neither does imprisoning murderers for life, but it's one heck of a deterrent.

There are quite a few people who murder despite the risk of incarceration. I would love a system that approaches it more like: "you've lost trust of this civilization to act in good faith, and now you will be contained in a way that can rebuild that trust, and you will not be allowed to re-enter this civilization until you have indeed rebuilt that trust."

We'll probably never get there.

There are quite a few people who murder despite the risk of incarceration.

I hate to think how many people would kill if it were not illegal. Think about that. Then tell me its not a deterrent.

Easy to figure out when looking back into history and past times where that was accepted even as means to sort out honour issues or bar fights.

I have no doubt that it can be a deterrent for some. The question is more about whether this is the optimal strategy for addressing the problem.

Not a lot of people, because if you went and murdered someone, their family (if they have any) would presumably just murder you in turn.

That would make it a lot of people, then. Because now your family murders their family and their family murders your family.

Yep, and the understandable fear/worry/expectation/knowledge of that possibility happening, is part of the reason that (usually) stops that cycle from starting in the first place.

The greater deterrent is knowing you will be caught.

The only time it's worked is in El Salvador and it was because they arrested the 2% of the population who had the potential to be murderers and have so far thrown away they key. I imagine before too long they will also have a final solution to the problem of feeding them for the next 50 years.

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