[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

The very best law legislates as little as possible, with the broad rule that anything not expressly forbidden is permitted.

What is good and right and honorable in American law started here.

Yes it did and that let people with money and connections run roughshod over the commoners, from slavery, to indentured servants, to the company store.
Worse yet these robber barons and their friends caused depressions where people actually starved to death, repeatedly. After the one leading up to WW I, then the one in the 1930's, FDR said fuck this, I'm tired of you fucking the people, shit's going to change.

He passed laws to protect people by regulating abusive businesses, then WWII got the economy moving. After the war the rise of regulations and labor unions(for all their faults) raised prosperity for all... except them negroes, and Mexicans, and Chinks, and lowlife musicians.

It's been proven over and over if a violation has to be adjudicated, the one with money/power/connections wins. The only way to stop the bastards is to spell it out, chapter and verse, so you have them dead to rights.

And you can’t. People are going to think whatever they think, and you cannot do a single thing to force them to be better, but by trying to force people to think thoughts YOU approve of, you can make the situation a whole lot worse. And not just for them. For yourself.

You can’t make people like you, you can’t make people respect you, and you can’t make people believe that whatever way you are that’s different than the way they are is good, or okay.

Right, you can't make people like people they have already decided they don't like. That's human nature. But you can sure as hell make it illegal to attack them, burn their house, refuse them services of a public store or real estate rental.

Or you can embrace the Philosophy of the Wide-Open Field, which starts with “Everything that is not forbidden is permitted,” and which is protected by the Rule of The Wide-Open Field:
MYODBAKYHTY
Pronounced Mee-YOD-bak-YHET-ee.
MYODBAKYHTY: Mind Your Own Damn Business, And Keep Your Hands To Yourself.

If you leave the Wide-Open Field wide open, there will be room enough in it for you to be whoever you are.

Historically that's led to mob rule.
Hey Jeb, that guy done me wrong and the law won't do nothing, so let's string him up.

MYODBAKYHTY.
Say it with me. Mee-YOD-bak-YHET-ee.
It is the simple rule that grants broad and amazing freedom. When you live by this rule, and this is the rule enforced by the law…
No one else needs to like you.
No one else needs to respect you.
Bastards can fucking HATE you… IF they mind their own business and keep their hands to themselves.

As I said, as a country, been there, done that, didn't work.

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

People performing a lynching typically aren't capable of putting themselves in another's shoes, which is a requirement for implementing the golden rule.

Wait, the golden rule is do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Who says I wish they would lynch me??


Hey Henry, I got one for your side.

In 2008 Chicago collected $28,3 million (@ $3 and hour), from 36,000 parking meters.
Starting in 2009, Mayor Daley leased the meters, $1.16 Billion for 75 years, half the meters going to the Abu Dhabi Government. In 2013 it was up to $6.50 an hour. They have collected $1.2 Billion so far, $1,72 million in 2018 alone, and another 62 years to go.
Oh, and the city has to get permission to close a street for a parade or block party.

You're welcome.