Government and Rights
Where does my front yard end and your front yard begin? Since there are two of us, at least, we must come to an agreement by some means. Shall we vote and elect a third party to oversee the question? In order for there to be an understanding or any sort of resolution to the question of where I end and you begin, we must both agree. We need to choose a government or negotiate between ourselves for mutual satisfaction.
Choosing a government has historically been the preferred option for human beings. All of our little groups, from the earliest days have had a government. We have had kings, emperors, queens, chiefs and leaders as far back as history goes and likely further. We choose a government because it is extremely difficult to get two folks who disagree to resolve, to each give a little, to each meet in the middle.
I choose government, too. I like rules for defining edges, it’s easier to see what the lines are and easier to have an assistant to settle any differences. Ok, you think your line is here and I think the rules say it is there – we get adjudication, a third person’s evaluation. That extra weight is then two against one, majority rules. Ok. Fine. All good. No war.
Now. When I ask the city to step in and have my neighbour remove the garbage from in front of our shared building, he does not do so. I call the city (government) and they attempt to enforce the agreed upon rules. Unfortunately, my neighbour does not accept the authority of government or rules. The garbage stays. I stay upset. The city can do nothing without getting yet another party involved, the courts. Then, the courts can do nothing without the police and that leaves violence alone that solves the problem.
Why. There are those among us humans who refuse to recognize any agreed upon or elected authority. There are those who just leave the garbage and that’s that. The rest of us are forced to either accept the garbage or go to war. Unfortunately, these same rule breaking types of folks often claw their way into an authority position. They do so without due process. They do so by not following rules in clever ways or using violence to circumvent rules. They force a violent solution. They assume the cloak of authority, whether it is mutually agreed they should have it or not. Vladimir Putin assumes for himself all authority. The Republican Party in the United States are in the process of assuming themselves to be the managers, the leaders of the rest of the country. They are going to do this by obfuscation, misinformation, deliberate breaking of the rules and violence. In many parts of the world, the idea of democracy and compromise for the good of all is disappearing. I think that is sad.
It is possible that a new era of compromise is on the horizon, that a true statesman or woman will step out and step up. It is possible for a reasonable and fair person to re-establish order. It is possible that peaceful resistance can force a change. It is possible, but I don’t see it happening any time soon, do you?
Where is Mahatma Gandhi as the garbage piles up next door and the illegal rooming house residents invade our little neighbourhood. Where is government as the owners of the house flout the law? I am mad as hell. Sigh.
Robert On The Air 