Quote Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit View Post
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?)