The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

4 responses to “The true meaning of law?”

1. 

   Kevyn Bodman

   February 25, 2010

   Freedom depends on authority,he says (or something similar.)
   Up to a point. But up to what point could be the subject of a thoughtful and long post.
   Most of the lecture is very good,I thought.
   But trusting judges and ‘officials’?
   ‘Officials’ attract my suspicion.
   So, questions raise themselves about those parts of the lecture;not entirely as disagreement but for exploration.

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2. 

   Grumpy Optimist – Andrewe Richardson

   February 26, 2010

   This is brilliant. He puts into clear words what we all know and sets down the principles for getting back to some sanity.
   I didn’t realise that the US was in quite the same mess as us. My guess is that there the motivation came from the lawyers where here is has been from the broadly left political class.
   But as both the US and the UK drown in the same sea of debt – perhaps this is the common explanation.
   So what about other European countries – Scandinavia aside. I bet that they do it subtly different – but I don’t know.
   One final point – I see no hope of any change.

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3. 

   Tom Paine

   February 26, 2010

   I thought that too. If you deleted “…and officials” though, I would be fine. I assume he’s talking about bringing back the sort of sensible discretion exercised by policemen in our youth. I drank and drove once – on my 18th birthday, when having plied me generously with drink my family announced that my licence mattered less than anyone’s so I must drive my girlfriend home. The young policemen who pulled me over knew my aunt, gave me a lecture about how embarrassed she would be by my behaviour and convoyed me safely home, slowly with his blue lights on. I thanked him and have never done it again. I guess he means that kind of thing?

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4. 

   Navigator

   February 26, 2010

   Thanks for post. I agree it was an excellent lecture. I too would be slightly nervous about the ‘officials’ comment, but he also confirmed that authority was ‘accountable’ upwards. I don’t think he proposed anything too dangerous in that regard.
   It seems we all agree on the first limb – to simplify the lay. As Mr Paine has posted previously, this is the most vital of the two recommendations he has. If the framework is right, then the officials and authorities can only follow.
   One extension to that, as witnessed yesterday in the UK with the CPS’s announcement on assisted murder(suicide), is that we also need to remind officials and authorities that they may only apply the law, not create it.

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