Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Both John Adams and Benjamin Franklin appear to have believed in the "Blackstone's formulation":

It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone%27s_formulation

Do you have a citation for who said your quote - I'm not an American but that really doesn't sound like something one of their founders would have said (of course, I could well be wrong!).




It was obviously sarcasm. The style, the connotation, the number (?! which is preposterous).

I guess the old adage about sarcasm being indistinguishable from regular internet posts.


Oops - my sarcasm detector failed to fire.

BTW You may be thinking of Poe's Law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law

"Without a blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of extremism or fundamentalism that someone won't mistake for the real thing."


I think he meant it facetiously.




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: