each of these people has the potential to be more useful to society than a set of clothespins.
Interesting theory.
But, I think I still choose the clothes pins because:
1. Even if I bought a used package of inferior, grey-market, chinese-grade clothes pins, originally meant to be sold on the Myanmar border to illiterate peasants, I would still have SOME confidence that they would work as advertised. Using only the slimmest of benefit of doubt, their potential for good HAS at least SOME possibility.
2. The potential that Hitler or Bush II would actually do good without costly armed guards constantly poking them is non-existent. Their past actions have fully established their negative-potential FOR humankind. There IS NO potential for good.
Really, I would place my trust in the clothes pins. No contest.
Regarding your thief scenario, yes, logically, I agree with you. Sorry, you didn't have to repeat your post. But, as Legend mentioned, in the heat of the moment in "protecting" my family, I could imagine doing something rather stupid. (Like shooting my daughter's face off)
Luckily, in the US there are adequate gun laws to protect myself from doing stupid things.
Edited by dronester, : clarity