[koolba]

> On the other hand, get rid of lawyers and you're going to spend $$$ on mercenaries...

The true alternative for most people is they’re out the additional baked in cost of the lawyers and they can’t afford their own lawyer to “even the odds” so it’s asymmetrical warfare.

[samatman]

Well, not entirely. They benefit from that 'baked in' cost as well, companies and individuals are less willing to be negligent or exploitative because of the fear of lawsuits.

True of the police as well: calling them doesn't benefit me much, but they do play a role in making the streets (relatively) safe at night.

In both cases we might imagine a better way of doing these things, I'm speaking about the world we happen to have.