Comments on: Follow-up http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/18/follow-up/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:53:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Horatio http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/18/follow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-82070 Horatio Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:17:21 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=3566#comment-82070 What now fills the slot that Odyssey vacated? Right-wing talking points hour? What now fills the slot that Odyssey vacated? Right-wing talking points hour?

]]> By: Alex R http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/18/follow-up/comment-page-1/#comment-82038 Alex R Mon, 18 Jul 2005 21:16:35 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=3566#comment-82038 <a href="http://www.markarkleiman.com/archives/crime_control_/2005/07/the_public_trust.php" rel="nofollow">Mark Kleiman</a> makes a great point about the OSHA sting: <blockquote>The Times quotes an OSHA official as criticizing the sting, and an ICE official as defending it by analogy with undercover drug enforcement operations. But that elides what seems to me to be the central point: in a drug sting, agents pose as bad guys. Doing has the direct effect of catching some bad guys, plus the desirable indirect effect of making it harder for bad guys to trust one another. In this case, the operation had the direct effect of catching some illegal aliens, and the undesirable indirect effect of making it harder for anyone to trust the Government of the United States of America. Seems to me there's a subtle but significant difference there.</blockquote> I would only add that the more cynical side of me wonders if the Bush Administration actually considers "making it harder for anyone to trust the Government" to be an undesirable side effect... Mark Kleiman makes a great point about the OSHA sting:
The Times quotes an OSHA official as criticizing the sting, and an ICE official as defending it by analogy with undercover drug enforcement operations. But that elides what seems to me to be the central point: in a drug sting, agents pose as bad guys. Doing has the direct effect of catching some bad guys, plus the desirable indirect effect of making it harder for bad guys to trust one another.

In this case, the operation had the direct effect of catching some illegal aliens, and the undesirable indirect effect of making it harder for anyone to trust the Government of the United States of America.

Seems to me there’s a subtle but significant difference there.

I would only add that the more cynical side of me wonders if the Bush Administration actually considers “making it harder for anyone to trust the Government” to be an undesirable side effect…

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