January 26, 2005

Law (& Taxes)

Thanks to those of you who still check in on this poor, oft neglected blog. It’s not that I don’t want to write, it’s just a matter of time and priorities. And yeah, sometime an old episode of ‘The Simpson’s’ often ranks higher than this blog. Other times, I’d rather just read. It’s good for the overworked mind to take time off from time to time. Unfortunately, it’s also at those times that I’ll stumble across a book that gives my mind no quarter. (In this case I didn’t stumble, I was directed, but regardless the point remains…)

And since my mind is stuck thinking about what I’m reading, I’d thought I share it with you. Here’s a tidbit from the book I’m reading now:

The nature of law is to maintain justice. This is so much the case that, in the minds of the people, law and justice are one in the same thing. This is in all of us a strong disposition to believe that anything lawful is also legitimate. This belief is so widespread that many persons have erroneously held that things are “just” because law makes them so. Thus, in order to make [legal] plunder appear just and sacred to many consciences, it is only necessary for the law to decree and sanction it. Slavery, restrictions, and monopoly find defenders not only among those who profit from them but also among those who suffer from them.

I have always had a problem equating law and justice. It’s in my genes, I think, to immediately be weary of the law – especially if it’s new or designed in any way to ‘help’ other people. And that passage above pretty much reinforces my prejudice. Especially when you juxtapose it with this one:

Life, liberty and property do not exist because man has made laws. On the contrary, it is the fact that life, liberty and property existed beforehand that caused man to make laws in the first place.

Laws were created to ‘protect’ life, liberty and property – not help, make fair or redistribute wealth.

If you’ve recognized the quotes and know the book, you’ll realize I’m only on page 9. This could be fun…

Update: I just read this. Perhaps Chirac needs to read a book written by one of his countrymen some 155 years ago…

Update 2: Because Jadewolff asked - here's the link to the book - Frederic Bastiat, The Law. I'm not done with it yet (it's so small you could read it in an hour if you're fast) because it keeps making me think. I'm not sure what the practical applications are of this book in today's world, but it's interesting to see how we've strayed off course since this was written in 1850.

Posted by Clancy at 2:25 PM | Comments (2)

Bahhh!!

It's blank again! The main page is blank! I guess I'd better write something....

OK. I'm working on it. New post coming soon. I promise.

There. The main page is no longer blank. You can go back to doing sometime more exciteing than reading this blank blog. Thank you.

Posted by Clancy at 11:22 AM

January 10, 2005

See BS Tries to Regain Some Credibility

They kicked Mary Mapes out on her butt! There is some justice in the world.

Via Wizbang

Posted by Clancy at 3:40 PM

Award Shows

There is a reason that I dislike award shows. This year’s people’s choice awards epitomizes my reasoning.

Posted by Clancy at 3:26 PM

Movie Review

GF and I went to the movies over the weekend. It took us a while to decide what to go see, but we finally decided on this one.

Yep. Again. It’s that good. If you haven’t seen it yet you need to go. Now. While it’s still in the theaters.

Posted by Clancy at 3:18 PM

January 6, 2005

Crime Does Pay!

Do you need a no interest loan with generous repayment terms? It’s easy – just follow these four simple steps.

1. Live in Delaware and steal borrow from your employer. (Precedence limits your borrowing limit to about $37,000)
2. Make sure you get Federal public defense attorney Eleni Kousoulis to represent you.
3. Pray you get Judge Gregory Sleet to preside over your case.
4. Remind your attorney to argue that you when you stole borrowed the money you were suffering from depression and low self-esteem.

In return you can expect to get 1 hour in Jail (the courthouse jail – not the REAL joint), 3 years of probation, and be ordered to repay your (now former) employer “no less than $100 a month” with no interest charges.

This is not a joke.

Posted by Clancy at 9:16 AM | Comments (1)

January 3, 2005

Not Dead Yet

I'm still here, I'm still reading all you guys (& gals) on my sidebar and then some. I've just been in a quiet mood and I feel that whatever I post must be worthy of the once a month post cycle I've got going on here. This one isn't it either, but I need a test post - for this: Pixy had a great post (found via Jen) about the MT plugin CloseComments and I just installed it. Despite having over 2500 entries in my blacklist, I'm still being pounded and what little time I have to post seems to be gobbled up deleting trash from those most vile of non-humans - spammers.

So anyway - there we are. I'll be back...

Posted by Clancy at 8:01 PM | Comments (2)