"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." ('Atlas Shrugged' 1957)
The above quote is almost prophetic in terms of the current labyrinthine laws that are on the books at the Federal, state, and local level. I am certain that many politicians are only interested in wielding power over the rest of us, either because they have an inferiority complex or a god-complex (or a combination of the two). By my count, most politicians are failures in the sense that if they had to run an actual business, they’d run it into the ground very quickly. I wouldn’t trust any of them with the care of my enemies’ infant children.
And yet, we allow these selfish twits to pass all kinds of laws because human beings seem to have a severe addiction to being told what to do. In short, human beings are naturally lazy and refuse to do what is necessary in their own lives that make them happier and prosperous. While the reasons for it could vary (I’m guessing not enough exercise and too much fluoride in the tap water), but it’s quite clear that our leaders want all of us to be criminals of some kind.
For starters, there are over 10,000 laws on the Federal books. Think about that. This means that there are over 10,000 ways that you can be charged with a crime, which is an action that defies the will of the state, and you probably don’t even know it. Right now, you could be breaking the law. One day, I hope to have enough followers to stage a massive protest where we all just go to the police station and turn ourselves in for a crime we didn’t know we’ve committed. Wouldn’t that be an interesting experiment in civil obedience?
The problem with there being so many laws on the books at all levels of government is that if some official within the government ever decides to target you, you will be punished, no matter what. I remember how here in the state of Virginia, a woman who was having an affair with a married man got really pissed off when the man left her for his wife. In fact, she got so mad, that she went down to the local police precinct and demanded that he be arrested for something. Guess what? The VA police were able to charge him with Adultery, which is a criminal offense in the state of Virginia. Yes, Virginia is for lovers, but if you commit wanton acts of sodomy (which includes oral sex of the heterosexual nature) or have a torrid affair, you will be busted by the police.
With all these laws on the books, there is no room for freedom. The very nature of liberty is a government that minimizes its need among the citizenry. Today, our legislatures at all levels pass laws left and right in order to feel self-important and to rule over us. I don’t know if all of them are as malicious as Ayn Rand’s character of Dr. Ferris, though many certainly are, but in the end it doesn’t matter. We are all lawbreakers and it doesn’t take much to make us all wards of the state.
The sad fact is that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the civilized world (the uncivilized world probably just executes you). And while some may look at this as some kind of message that we’re tough on crime, I say it’s just one more symptom of the police state mentality that is shared by politicians and citizens alike.
Yes, it is merely a symptom of something much deeper and much harder to deal with than a bunch of laws, a legal system stacked against the accused, and an aggressive police force. A police state is about the attitude that many people share and demand of their leaders, no matter how crazy it may seem.
Related articles
- The United States is a Police State, part 2 (swiftfoxmark2.blogspot.com)
- The United States is a Police State (swiftfoxmark2.blogspot.com)