Thursday 2 May 2013

When the rule of law is rejected

I was reading a thread, posted in `another place`, a few minutes ago about anarchists protesting about something or other in Seattle, USA. It reminded me of this little piece of my past:

Anarchists. A hoary old beat officer pal of mine was called to a `minimart` in the town we policed. Some little erk was trying to steal lager. He was a 19 yr old spotty tosser dragging out his youth on some pointless `bums on seats` college course and was mildly intoxicated. My pal saw that his leather jacket, bedecked with protest badges and rude words daubed thereon with tippex, had the word `Anarchy` painted on it. Pc `Norman` says, `Anarchy means you don't believe in the law, right?" Spotty gives a leery reply. Pc `Norman` returns the beer to the shopkeeper and proceeds to take the leather jacket off the back of the spotty, who struggles and protests. Norman says, `I'm having your jacket as it's no crime to you`, and walks off with it. Shopkeeper declined to press charges. Swift justice swiftly delivered? You be `da judge`.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

My experience of UK based anarchists is that:
(a) Compared to their continental counterparts they are complete wusses.
(b)They expect everyone else to play by the rules and will.
As an aside I was on the G8 up in Scotland and I had to laugh when at a briefing we were told the German anarchists were not coming as they felt the protest was not 'very well organised'. Mind you, they were German anarchists so I suppose they would be different.
Retired

Blue Eyes said...

Must have been pre-PACE ;-)

Must have been pre-twats keeping sharps in their jackets for just such occasions.

Brian said...

The thing is definition of "Anarchy" has been perverted by the "Rulers" because the "Rulers" don't like its threat to their power.

True Anarchy does NOT mean Chaos. A True "Anarchist" is one who lives by the "Golden Rule". ie. Do the Right thing because it is the right thing... not because some pompous black robed Elitist thinks they are the power and the wisdom.

An old and true Principal. "All Government is always Oppressive." Governments create nothing. Their only purpose is to STOP things from being done. It's interest is always and only to grow its power.

Government has been ONLY a necessary evil because of the lack of honor among man... but... who polices government... if not the People slapping it down every few years to keep that "Junk Yard Dog" under control?

As for "Rule of Law". Law is NOT Right. It is simply Force. This is often verified by the actions of Government itself. Especially here in the U.S.

Governments make the "Laws" at will; change them at will in the middle of the game; and ignore the "Law" when it suits its hunger for power. When Government ignores the "Law" there is No Law... Only Force.

Living with government is like living with a Grizzly Bear. It has no honor. It has no compassion. It has no integrity. It takes. It Eats. It sleeps. and it leaves piles of crap laying around behind it.

To live with Government you must live as you live with Bears. Do what you can to not attract attention and repress the urge to run up and poke it in the keister with a sharp stick.

But never, ever, delude yourself into thinking that gov't has any desire for YOUR welfare. It seeks ONLY its own.

Hogdayafternoon said...

Brian. I'm not that far short of you in many respects. If some of the things the `government` did were performed in the business/private sector, like drawing up a contract, signing it, then reneging on it and changing the small print to suit, it would be called `fraud`. I prefer to run the slight risk of being robbed by a petty thief, from whom I'd like to be able to defend myself, than the certainty of being ripped off by a state bank.

As a wise and late departed friend stated: Equality has to be enforced. Freedom has to be defended.
I'd rather be a defender than an enforcer.

Brian said...

Wouldn't it be a sweet ride if Life could be experienced with nothing but people of honor and integrity?

To NOT have to watch your back, knowing that those around you lived with the same code you did?

Sadly, there has never been a collection of men without conflict. Hell, even in the "Churches" dishonor and cowardice lurks.

Is why I like my Yamaha on a ribbon of Highway with nothing and no-one else in sight... except the Horizon. :)

Ben said...

Thanks, Hogday, nice post, nice comment. Cheers.

sparkflash said...

Wearing an anarchist symbol would surely be too organised and conformist, for any anarchist, worth his salt.

It's not quite the fashion du jour, but I still see them, pissed up on their dole money, in Christ's Pieces green in Cambridge. If there's anything more hilariously lacking in self-awareness than a self-identified anarchist, on the dole, I don't know what it is.

Blue Eyes said...

Sparkflash, yup, like those "anarchists" who go on marches against the government reducing the rate of increase of state spending...

Anonymous said...

Came over for a dose of sanity after a week teaching economics - now there's real anarchy for you. All arguments stand on equal footings with the only rules being you can never agree or reach a conclusion.

Anarchism means leaderlessness - so all cops must have at least felt like an anarchist from time to time! The absence of leadership in ACPO etc!

Like most of our political terminology the term arises in Ancient Greece. The Athenians had a democracy that wasn't one too.

Proudon - the anarchist of 'property is theft' - would probably write for the Daily Mail today. Blue's wise words on sharps applies to politics - all politicians conceal nasty sharps under rhetoric.

Anarchists probably have the political system right - all you can do is throw a brick at it. The problem here is cops are paid to stand in the way - otherwise the NHS would collapse treating 'brick exchanges', escalating to bullet exchanges ...

Teenage is too young for anarchy - the sufferers of this peculiarly human condition have paranoid narcissism.

The Aesop fable works rather well Hoggie - but so would one in which the rich 1% were stripped of their wealth - after all, they probably worked as hard for it as the yob with the leather jacket.

All truth lies in the main destruction(anarchist slogan) makes as much sense as UKIP rules OK. Or me spending three years teaching kids to read balance sheets before having to tell them no one can because accountants cheat!

Hogdayafternoon said...

ACO: Who do you think you are, coming over here from your anarchonomics class and upsetting my Jack Russell? ;)

Spark`: Never been to Cambridge. Sounds like a real hoot!

Brian: Route 24 following the river to Hanksville, Utah fits that description ;)

Ben: Yr welcome.

Anonymous said...

I'd say that was contrary to s1. Theft Act 1968.

BillB said...

Heh when it is turned around there are very few idealists.

Kudos to both Norman and the shopkeeper.

BTW HD a cop friend of mine had a term for such miscreants - in an out of jail most of the lives for stupid things -

He called it "felony stupid"

Hogdayafternoon said...

Anon: Of course, Norman had no `intention to permanently deprive the owner..` ;)

BillB: Yup, career `felony stupids` abound. They often have a neon sign over their heads, like a halo, saying, I'm up to no good, why don't you stop and search me.

Anonymous said...

If there ever was an anarchist breed it's the Jack Russell. I think he's registered on the course judging by some of the assignment work.
My Labrador has been befriended by a duck. Some gun-dog! Doesn't swim either.
The world is upside down.

BillB said...

That is as funny as listing to a sanctimonious "violence is not the answer" pacifist, smacking him in the face, and seeing his reaction.