[clue-talk] The War On...?

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 12-27 18:30, Jed S. Baer wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Dec 2004 17:52:44 -0700
> JD. Brown wrote:
> 
> > 
> > >  I> can't help but think this is another War on Some Drugs in the
> > >  I> making 
> > (there aren't enough "criminals", so the gov't declares a new sort of 
> > "criminal"
> > 
> > 
> > You know what's sad about it. It only takes one mark on your record to
> > destroy you and your life for the rest of your life.
> > This is so stupid it's unreal.....
> 
> Did you really think we want those laws observed?", said Dr. Ferris. "We
> want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch
> of boy scouts you're up against ... We're after power and we mean it ...
> There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is
> the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough
> criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that
> it becomes impossible for men to live wityhout breaking laws. Who wants a
> nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just
> pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or
> objectively interpreted -- and you create a nation of law-breakers -- and
> then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the
> game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.
>  -- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Ah, thanks Jed. I was pretty sure that was from Ayn Rand, just didn't bother
to look it up...I know she's the poster-child for big-L Libertarians, but
sometimes I find her stuff to be a bit tiresome to slog through. I still
haven't finished Fountainhead. 

In any case, when it comes to the WoSD, I can't really think of a more apt
quote.

Regarding the apples to oranges comparison, agreed. Though if he actually
gets even 10 years, that's fairly extreme, given what the CFO of Enron was
handed. The measurable damage the top level folks at Enron did is easily an 
order of power more, not to mention the hard-to-measures like faith in the
stock market, etc., and I would guess that's what moved this blogger to
write up his tirade.

I guess I'm annoyed by people serving life for one non-violent crime (drugs)
while another non-violent crime (Enron accounting) is given a wrist slap and
a wink, it seems...I heard the guy filling in for Randi Rhoads (sp?) on Air
America last night going down the talking points about how corporations were
distrusted by founding fathers, etc. I've heard many of these before, and I
have to say that I can understand why so many folks are wary of
multinationals...they are way out of line, and it doesn't look like anyone
is going to reign them in anytime soon. And I think this sort of thing is a
natural outgrowth of that.  

As little use as I had for Moore's Bowling for Columbine, I did find the
parody of "COPS" amusing. If nothing else in that movie was worth the hype,
that sequence wasn't too bad...


-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at comcast.net  
When will the public cease to insult the teacher's calling with empty 
flattery? When will men who would never for a moment encourage their own sons 
to enter the work of the public schools cease to tell us that education is the 
greatest and noblest of all human callings? 
-William C. Bagley, "Craftmanship in Teaching"