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kelseyfrogyesterday at 8:14 AM2 repliesview on HN

Punitive punishment serves as a deterrent to other businesses.

I really dislike the black or white thinking of, "if we're not maximizing recovery then victims will get nothing."


Replies

llmslave2yesterday at 9:32 AM

> Punitive punishment serves as a deterrent to other businesses.

You mean the owners and management and employees? Because a "business" in the way it's being suggested isn't a human with emotions or feelings, you can't "deter" a legal construct...

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SpicyLemonZestyesterday at 5:02 PM

It’s not a question of black and white thinking. If a business took $20,000 from me, and prosecutors told me that they could get the full $20,000 back but instead they’re going to set some of it on fire and only get $10,000, I’d have some serious questions.

Maybe answerable ones, if the deterrence theory works out! But I don’t understand who it is that’s supposed to be getting punished or deterred. The owners are losing the business anyway, what do they care if you put the assets to productive use or not?

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