Yesterday’s piece of whimsy got me thinking.

What exactly is my attitude to the law?

Well, I suppose if I were to answer that I would have to explain what my concept of the law is.

Suppose there were no laws?  What would happen then?

Basically, it would be up to us as individuals to defend our personal concepts of right and wrong.  We all have certain basic rights as individuals such as the right to life and the right to live in peace without interference.  Some transgressions of these rights, such as murder, rape and theft are patently wrong and it would be up to ourselves to defend ourselves which would lead to a society where wrongdoers could prevail through strength.

So what we need is a system where we hand over to society the right to act on our behalf to protect us from wrongdoing.  If someone steals from me, I have the right to appeal to society to exact justice on my behalf.  I have no problems with that.

So at its most basic, the law is there to protect me [at my request] from those who would do me an injustice.

But on closer examination, this system has a small flaw – what is an injustice?  Some believe in the right to private property where others believe in common ownership.  What happens there?  The answer is that we have a consensus.  If the majority believe in private ownership then the law of theft comes into play.  It is really that simple.

So why to I rail against the law so much if it is there to protect me?

Again the answer is simple – because the law has been hijacked by vested interests, government and bureaucracy.

How does a law compelling me to have the letter “E” stamped on my car tyres protect me?  How does a law enabling the government to dip their hands into my pockets on a whim protect me?  How does a law stating that I can’t own a gun protect me?  How does a law saying I can’t purchase ten cigarettes protect me?  The list is endless and bewildering. 

The law has become a weapon against the very people who it is supposed to protect.  It is being used and abused as a weapon of mass control.  The law itself has become a method of oppression.

I believe in the concept of “do as you would be done by”, which should be the basis upon which the law works, but the law has become one-sided.  The government can demand all sorts of payment from me, but I can’t demand anything in return. 

Take a very simple example.  I can travel abroad and while there I chose to purchase myself a year’s supply of cigarettes, because they are cheaper, or I like the brand.  I pay good money for those cigarettes and I bring them home.  Have I harmed anyone?  No.  Is anyone suffering because of my actions?  No.  So why does the law permit “agents of the state” to force their way onto my private property, confiscate those cigarettes and possibly even send me to prison?

Or another simple example.  I decide to park my car.  I park it safely where it inconveniences no one and doesn’t in any way obstruct anything.  Yet I run the risk of having my car “legally” stolen and impounded and am then forced to pay a ransom either because I happened to park on a couple of arbitrary painted lines or I parked where someone feels they have a right to charge me to park even though they don’t own the road.  Is the law protecting me, or is it legalised extortion and theft?

The law which was originally intended to protect the people has become subverted by the state and that is why I refuse to comply where at all possible.

I rest my case, M’lud.