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“I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant [or an oligarchy of a few or many tyrants: legislatures/Congress] who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him [them]; who could do them absolutely no injury unless they preferred to put up with him rather than contradict him. Surely a striking situation! Yet it is so common that one must grieve the more and wonder the less at the spectable of a million men serving in wretchedness, their necks under the yoke [civil law: admiralty, UCC, equity], not constrained by a greater multitude than they… Shall we call subjection to such a leader cowardice?...If a hundred, if a thousand endure the caprice of a single [or many] man, should we not rather say that they lack not the courage but the desire to rise against him, and that such an attitude indicates indifference rather than cowardice? When not a hundred, not a thousand men, but a hundred provinces, a thousand cities, a million men, refuse to assail a single man [or a gaggle of men] from whom the kindest treatment received is the infliction of serfdom and slavery [via civil law contractual consent], what shall we call that? Is it cowardice? …When a thousand, a million men, a thousand cities, fail to protect themselves against the domination of one [or many men] man, this cannot be called cowardly, for cowardice does not sink to such depth…What monstrous vice, then, is this which does not even deserve to be called cowardice, a vice for which no term can be found vile enough…”

Etienne de La Boetie, “The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude”

Melancton 6 Sep 2
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Fear. Of appearing disloyal to your neighbors who could turn you in. Of appearing to be a threat to order. Of making yourself noticeable to authorities. Of what will happen to you if you get arrested. Of what will happen to your family.

@Melancton You can look at the world and see the success all anarchies have had. The concept of freedom has given way to sovereignty where the individual knows best what everyone else should be doing.

@Melancton Do you think that having no standards is going to make a successful community? What will happen when everyone pursues their own perceived best self-interest with no coordination between entities?

@Melancton You are correct. I have no background in law and I appreciate the points you made about differences between legislative and common law. My interest is in how society will function under different kinds of laws. If we have a legal system based on common law. what are the benefits to society and are there areas that would be difficult to resolve conflict.

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