http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2010/01/ignorance-of-the-4-new-laws-a-day-is-no-excuse.html The Emergent Chaos Jazz Combo Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:20:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2010/01/ignorance-of-the-4-new-laws-a-day-is-no-excuse.html/comment-page-1#comment-6311 Doug Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:14:24 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=3294#comment-6311 I wish our legislators and fellow voters would care about the relationship between new laws and liberty. Whenever a law restricts or requires actions of the citizenry, it takes a brick out of the wall of liberty. That wall gets lower everyday. As an example, soon it will be illegal to live in this nation without buying something from a private company. Liberty in this country is a rapidly diminishing luxury. I wish our legislators and fellow voters would care about the relationship between new laws and liberty. Whenever a law restricts or requires actions of the citizenry, it takes a brick out of the wall of liberty. That wall gets lower everyday. As an example, soon it will be illegal to live in this nation without buying something from a private company.
Liberty in this country is a rapidly diminishing luxury.

]]> http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2010/01/ignorance-of-the-4-new-laws-a-day-is-no-excuse.html/comment-page-1#comment-6310 Nicko Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:49:36 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=3294#comment-6310 Adam, while I agree wholeheartedly with your conclusions I have issue with your math. Five days a week and two weeks vacation is 250 working days, not 200, so it's only three laws a day not four! Adam, while I agree wholeheartedly with your conclusions I have issue with your math. Five days a week and two weeks vacation is 250 working days, not 200, so it’s only three laws a day not four!

]]> http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2010/01/ignorance-of-the-4-new-laws-a-day-is-no-excuse.html/comment-page-1#comment-6309 beri Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:19:39 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=3294#comment-6309 We should be grateful that most of the people who are supposed to enforce the laws are too lazy or corrupt to do so. Efficient government enforcement of laws is scary; look at Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. We should be grateful that most of the people who are supposed to enforce the laws are too lazy or corrupt to do so. Efficient government enforcement of laws is scary; look at Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.

]]> http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2010/01/ignorance-of-the-4-new-laws-a-day-is-no-excuse.html/comment-page-1#comment-6308 Jack Lloyd Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:01:13 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=3294#comment-6308 What makes this trend particularly troubling to me is the interaction with prosecutorial discretion; I break a law I don't know about, and the prosecutor lets it slide with a wink and a nod; you break the same law and get nailed to a wall. In effect it lets corrupt judicial officials use the law as a weapon against people and organizations they don't like, instead of being an instrument of impartial justice. I would bet heavily that if every law on the books in the US could be 100% enforced for all infractions, at least 3/4 of the population would be in prison as felons right now. What makes this trend particularly troubling to me is the interaction with prosecutorial discretion; I break a law I don’t know about, and the prosecutor lets it slide with a wink and a nod; you break the same law and get nailed to a wall. In effect it lets corrupt judicial officials use the law as a weapon against people and organizations they don’t like, instead of being an instrument of impartial justice.
I would bet heavily that if every law on the books in the US could be 100% enforced for all infractions, at least 3/4 of the population would be in prison as felons right now.

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