The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible - Bastiat Institute

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Chapter 37 • Loser Law
to the crowd, “Bets closed!” Both men leaped forward, swinging
punches and ducking each other’s blows.
“Listen, sonny, there’s nothing to get nervous about,” consoled
the clerk. “The winner and the loser both take home a bundle of
cash.”
One of the fi ghters suddenly hit the fl oor, knocked on his back
by a solid punch. The crowd roared with enthusiasm while the clerk
counted money into an iron box.
“Both win a prize?” asked Jonathan.
“...fi ve hundred, six hundred... sure,” said the man, stopping the
count momentarily. “This is the most popular fi ght on the island.
Sometimes the loser makes out better than the winner... seven
hundred, ... eight hundred...”
Jonathan’s eyes widened. “Anyone can get rich by losing?”
“Not everyone. You’ve got to have a good job to lose before you
can take on the champ.”
“I don’t get it,” said Jonathan. “Why would a worker risk his job
to get smashed by the champ?” The bell ended another round and
the crowd quieted down.
“...nine hundred, a thousand. That’s the whole idea. Haven’t you
ever heard of the Loser Law?” asked the man, tapping the money
into neat stacks. “The Loser Law eliminates the risk. The loser
doesn’t worry about a thing – pay cheques, doctor bills, nothing.”
“Why not?” asked Jonathan.
“After a fi ght, the loser never works again and his employer pays
everything.”
Jonathan craned his neck over the crowd and saw one man
slumped in the corner getting his face mopped by a ring assistant.
“What’s the employer have to do with this fi ght?”
“Nothing, really,” said the man. “The worker claims he got
injured on the job and can’t go back to work, right?”
“Okay,” replied Jonathan, trying hard to follow. “You mean the
loser might lie in order to get the money?”
“It’s been known to happen,” said the man with a sly wink.
“Don’t get me wrong, not all workers will lie to get a free ride. But
the Loser Law rewards those who do. So every day we’re getting