Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared
Wall Street Journal ^ | July 23, 2011 | GARY FIELDS and JOHN R. EMSHWILLER

Posted on 07/23/2011 9:13:16 AM PDT by DManA

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last
To: DManA

From my profile page:

“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 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 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’ 1957


21 posted on 07/24/2011 7:23:03 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius; Grumplestiltskin

Ah, you beat me to it.

It’s on my FR profile page for easy reference.


22 posted on 07/24/2011 7:27:34 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Boop A Cat! Don't Wake the Dragon!

If they wake him up trying to steal that fish
There is sure to be trouble


Please donate, monthly if possible

A Sponsoring FReeper will contribute $10
For each New Monthly Donor

Donate monthly and end FReepathons!

23 posted on 07/24/2011 7:49:24 PM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: patriot preacher

There’s some sort of factoid about that. The average person commits one felony per week or something to that effect.


24 posted on 07/24/2011 7:56:44 PM PDT by yup2394871293
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: shooter223

T. H. White, “The Once and Future King.”

“Everything not forbidden is compulsory.” It was a sign above the entrance to an ant colony.


25 posted on 07/24/2011 8:11:52 PM PDT by Lady Lucky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

LOL!!!!

Perfect ;-)


26 posted on 07/24/2011 8:13:33 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Navy Patriot

;-)


27 posted on 07/24/2011 8:14:24 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: gun_supporter

Many of you have disparaged John Stossel for his views, but he was telling you this years ago. You just dismissed him as a libertarian idiot. I love you guys here at FR, but as JS would say...give me a break!


I don’t believe you can go back and site an instance when I disparaged John Stossel in the years I have been here on FR. I never thought of him as a “Libertarian idiot.”

Well, there was that time he claimed wrestling was a fake — then he got in the ring with a wrestler — and got his behind kicked...and sued. But that was before FR’s time, and that made him more a Libertarian weinie than an Libertarian idiot....


28 posted on 07/24/2011 8:33:43 PM PDT by patriot preacher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385
The U.S. Constitution mentions three federal crimes by citizens: treason ..

Correct me if I'm wrong but .. They no longer prosecute for that (treason) do they?
(At least, I've seen no evidence of it)

I have SEEN treason being committed, damn near everday .. with my own 'lyin eyes'!

"federal crimes by citizens"

(By citizens .. Does that ALSO include the elites, you know .. politicians, overpaid athletes and actors or does it just mean us unemployed smucks?)

29 posted on 07/25/2011 1:07:30 AM PDT by freejohn ("Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." --- Mark Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: DManA
Not Guilty!
(I think?!?)

/s

30 posted on 07/25/2011 4:16:10 AM PDT by Condor51 (The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits [A.Einstein])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yup2394871293

“The average person commits one felony per week or something to that effect.”

I LOL’d. Sadly, you are off by a factor of 20x. The average person commits 3(!) (Federal alone, IIRC) felonies per DAY. There’s a book about it, if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594032556

And here’s a link the the WSJ about an article discussing the book when it came out 2 years or so, ago:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842.html

It’s sad that we’ve gotten to a point where no one is safe. God only required Ten Commandments to govern man, TWO (really), when it comes down to it. Unfortunately what we have now is not only not from God, but at opposition with Him. Hence, the “legal” chains. An excellent starting point would be restoring the Second Amendment....to EVERYONE.


31 posted on 07/25/2011 4:27:15 AM PDT by JDW11235 (I think I got it now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: ChildOfThe60s

Hell, why do you think Jews refuse to go to jail ever since the Holocaust... it’s because they know it is not about offence but it becomes quickly all political and selective on a convenient basis. Jail time and prosecution has become BS time. IT’s all about pretending you or I did a wrong when in fact the government’s intent is to go further in its violations when you are locked up. THis is about permanent freeze and destruction and control of the individual, no matter how repentant he is. It is premeditated on a different intent.

The government never does its job right. It pretends or makes the person believe they go to jail for a wrong when all along it wanted the person to go to jail for whatever reason or profit resulted.

This is precisely why the FOunders knew government was evil, because just as the economy could be motivated by the selfish wishes of low lives, so could the government’s motivation end up being motivated by the same type of animal like appetite. Hence a balance of powers and appetites between economics and government had to be establish through the 3 branches system. INstead we today have a legislative that is not only penetrated but flanked by the Supreme court’s own opinion of the President that appoints it.


32 posted on 07/25/2011 4:40:07 AM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: JDW11235

P.S. Sliverglate (The author of “Three Felonies a day”) is a liberal, but, that aside, the book has been referred to by other FReepers who are also legal beagles. I just wanted to give the heads up, so handle with care, YMMV.


33 posted on 07/25/2011 5:07:06 AM PDT by JDW11235 (I think I got it now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: patriot preacher

“Let’s face it folks — we’re all criminals now.”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Absolutely, it has been many, many years and I wouldn’t even guess as to how many years since it has been humanly possible to be a “law-abiding American citizen”. My father died in 1995 and a few years before his death he made a casual comment to me about how some group of criminals should be punished more severely. I asked my Dad if he realized that if all of us who broke a law were to be caught, convicted and punished that there would be no one left outside the jails to bring us food and water. He thought I was exaggerating but I was not. If it were possible for every lawbreaker to be caught, convicted and sentenced the last judge would need to sentence himself and lock his own prison cell on himself.


34 posted on 07/25/2011 5:12:15 AM PDT by RipSawyer (Trying to reason with a liberal is like teaching algebra to a tomcat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DManA

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.” Dr. Ferris, Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged


35 posted on 07/25/2011 5:40:04 AM PDT by EBH ( Whether you eat your bread or see it vanish into a looter's stomach, is an absolute.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DManA

As more of us get “upset” with a Federal apparatus that is increasingly a liability to the states...more will be imprisoned. More jobs for TSA/BATF/FBI/local SWAT etc...


36 posted on 07/25/2011 5:42:38 AM PDT by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you do not, no explanation is possible")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

Anybody know the proverb?

i am sorry. the expression of ancient chinese proverbs became a federal offense with the passage of SB2321. without written consent of the author.

have a good day. nothing to see here. move on.

t

but in an unjust society, one finds the just man, incarcerated.


37 posted on 07/25/2011 5:46:50 AM PDT by teeman8r (armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RipSawyer

My late father had never been audited by the IRS. He wrote a respectful letter to Bill Clinton criticizing certain policies. He was audited the next two years.

Call me suspicious.


38 posted on 07/25/2011 6:07:06 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: AEMILIUS PAULUS
Isn’t there a Chinese proverb to the effect that the proliferation of laws is indicative of a States decline? Anybody know the proverb?

"Formerly we suffered from crime. Now we suffer from Laws".
- Cornelius Publius Tacitus
Rome
Circa 140 AD?

39 posted on 07/25/2011 6:08:35 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (Forget the Lawyers....first kill the journalists! - Die Ritter, die sagen, nee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Abathar; Abcdefg; Abram; Abundy; albertp; Alexander Rubin; Allosaurs_r_us; amchugh; ...
Sadly it should be no surprise to longtime members of this list, that we have reached this point.



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!

40 posted on 07/25/2011 6:20:58 AM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson