Do You, or Have You Ever, Lived in the United States? Then You Are a Filthy Criminal.

[Banquo's Ghost]

This shows not just the stupidity of federal power, but seems to be an argument against the EU as well - since I can easily see them instituting even more of these types of laws.

I fear that you are missing the point somewhat. It's not just federal institutions that can legislate insanity. Some of the worst abuses of this kind are perpetrated by local government officials. And your Police Abuses thread demonstrates how any petty officials can "interpret" even reasonable laws.

It's not the scale of the government, but the fact of government unchallenged by citizens.

It brings me back to a question raised some time before. Your long-term argument for the 2nd Amendment is that widespread gun ownership guarantees liberty. Whilst I have some sympathy for the position, I maintain that only a politically active and engaged citizenry, mindful and protective of their rights can keep the necessary evil of government in check. That also requires that they hold their representatives to account, constantly and urgently. It doesn't matter a damn whether they are armed or not - unflinching purpose is all that arms us against tyranny.

Whilst federal (as shorthand for large scale) governments have more opportunity to distance themselves from the people, an apathetic people can be rolled over by the smallest town council. It is why Louis and I, both passionate believers in the principle of a European Union, fall out over the issue of subsidiarity and the accountability of the elites to the citizenry thus represented.

So I ask - not just of Crazed Rabbit, but all of us who feel the righteous injustice he has highlighted - what do you do about it? Do we sit at home cradling our guns whilst muttering "I'm free" or do you campaign, march, resist? We might growl at demonstrators, especially since they are usually left-wing and young for holding up the traffic or wearing purple-dyed mohicans in a public space, but are they not doing what we should? Holding the governments of the world to account? How many of us are out there on the streets like the Green movement of Iran forcing our unjust governments to listen or fight?

Do we read our newspapers and our Backroom with Victor Meldrew on our lips, or are we politically active? Because if all we ever do is mutter and take the bread and circuses allowed to us, we deserve every single instance where the government spends our children's futures, murders people at home and abroad for fun and profit, frightens us witless to allow them to deny inalienable rights to "others", enslaves us for half the year to pay for it all and then imprisons us randomly for the privilege.

I like to believe I do quite a lot. But clearly not enough, and certainly not enough of my fellow citizens do even that. Why, one wonders?

In short, CR, where is your armed revolution? (Or my peaceful one?)

[Husar]

[...]

In short, CR, where is your armed revolution? (Or my peaceful one?)

Very good post Banquo, been thinking about that myself.

It's also not just that, a comedian I saw said according to polls 80% of Germans want a minimum wage, 80% want out of Afghanistan, 80% want to roll back parts of the Hartz IV reform, there is only one party which wants to do all that and 14% of Germans vote for them.

Now it was just a comedian and I haven't checked his numbers but I often get the feeling that's how it really is, why, I wouldn't know.

[ICantSpellDawg]

stuff

I cling to guns and march on Washington.

[KukriKhan]

Do You, or Have You Ever, Lived in the United States? Then You Are a Filthy Criminal.

Hey. I bathe at least twice a week.

In short, CR, where is your armed revolution? (Or my peaceful one?)

Apparently, waiting for the straw that breaks the camel's back. It ain't bad enough yet. And there's hope for improvement.

So although:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...

this currently prevails:

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

[Husar]

And there's hope for improvement.

You mean there's hope and change?

[KukriKhan]

You mean there's hope and change?

Heh, yeah. The two things all pollies run on. Always.

What candidate in his right mind would campaign on "Everything's Fine; Up with the Status Quo!" ?

Our dark side warns us to eye leaders for any sign of despotism. Yet, our equally strong bright side (optimism, bordering on naïveté) assures us that leaders are just (wo)men, the same as us, and probably intend to do no harm, the same as us.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What candidate in his right mind would campaign on "Everything's Fine; Up with the Status Quo!" ?

As I recall, the first modern ad campaign in a British election in the Fifties was Conservative and ran on, "Everything's fine, don't let Labour ruin it", or some such.

How times have changed.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Marijuana is the same as drinking alchohol and smoking ciggarettes at the same time. Illegal.

not-Buckling my seatbelt is my own concern and no business of the government. illegal

the speed limits are set so low that any reasonable person is breaking them at all times, except for some blind old codger who is barely satisfying the speed minimums. illegal

sharing music online. (which you could be doing by simply playing your stereo too loudly at a party) and nobody has lost anything material. illegal.

There are absurd reasons to arrest anyone for anything and seize property. It sucks and we are less free because of this nonsense.

[Crazed Rabbit]

So I ask - not just of Crazed Rabbit, but all of us who feel the righteous injustice he has highlighted - what do you do about it? Do we sit at home cradling our guns whilst muttering "I'm free" or do you campaign, march, resist? We might growl at demonstrators, especially since they are usually left-wing and young for holding up the traffic or wearing purple-dyed mohicans in a public space, but are they not doing what we should? Holding the governments of the world to account? How many of us are out there on the streets like the Green movement of Iran forcing our unjust governments to listen or fight?

I actually agree on the importance of having an active citizenry. And you have a point- I haven't made that many calls to my elected officials, or written many letters to the editors. As for local officials - they too can be tyrants, but much power comes from being able to prosecute basically anyone because of federal or state law.

In short, CR, where is your armed revolution? (Or my peaceful one?)

For both of us, I think the answer is the final straw.

For another, very informative essay of the huge expanse of Federal Law, look here, and read chapter 2.

One example tells of business men charged with violating the Lacey Act, money laundering, and conspiracy. All because they imported lobster tails in plastic instead of cardboard containers, supposedly violating some Honduran law. Even Honduras saying that the law wasn't valid didn't matter.

CR