>>Consent is the standard protocol I'd want in a society where life-leeches are some fraction of the population.<<
Yeah, true. Especially since it'd be easier to pull off a consent protocol in a world where life-leeches are a Known Thing. I mean, I expect they'd still be *distrusted*, and one might still want to be closeted about it†, but also if there's a lifeforce-donation distribution system set up (and if there are enough donors to go around) people are somewhat more likely to believe you if you claim not to steal from them (after all, why bother with the ethical issues of theft when you can just take donations instead?).
(convenience. the answer is convenience. (also sadism.) (also not having to out yourself to anyone, even the donation system.) hence a lot of the distrust.)
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†I just caught a glimpse of a possible world where this was the premise of a YA series, and there is *definitely* discourse about the problematic connotations of making your oppressed minority be people who literally steal the lifeforce of others.
no subject
Yeah, true. Especially since it'd be easier to pull off a consent protocol in a world where life-leeches are a Known Thing. I mean, I expect they'd still be *distrusted*, and one might still want to be closeted about it†, but also if there's a lifeforce-donation distribution system set up (and if there are enough donors to go around) people are somewhat more likely to believe you if you claim not to steal from them (after all, why bother with the ethical issues of theft when you can just take donations instead?).
(convenience. the answer is convenience. (also sadism.) (also not having to out yourself to anyone, even the donation system.) hence a lot of the distrust.)
---
†I just caught a glimpse of a possible world where this was the premise of a YA series, and there is *definitely* discourse about the problematic connotations of making your oppressed minority be people who literally steal the lifeforce of others.