"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken....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 without 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 nor objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with." --
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, Ch. III, "White Blackmail"
The younger generation 20-something and under responds to this BS with "whatever." A lot of people here trash that generation when they here this, but I think that it is almost a Ghandiesque response to what our generation has done. The liberals get it and know what they did - some of them. But the conservative - the law is the law - crowd just play, stupidly into their hands.
Thanks for that excerpt. I started reading this book about a month ago but hadn't got much past the first few chapters. Now I'm inspired to finish reading it. Thanx.