all right

Occasionally adding corroborative details to add verisimilitude to otherwise bald and unconvincing,
but veridicous accounts
with careful attention, indefatigable assiduity, and nice discrimination.

16 November, 2012

Random Verses

Parcite paucarum diffundere crimen in omnes.
—P. Ovidius Naso, Ars Amatoria. III, 9.*

The Rule of Law

I oppose rulers,
but I am not against rules—
they’re different things.

(I fully support
constitutional monarchs,
those figurehead kings.

Hereditary
princes are fine by me; the
accident of birth

is as suitable
a method for divining
the figurehead’s worth

as any other,
except determining all
leaders randomly

as was the case in
fair Cecrops’ town, home of the
first democracy.

Muslims should note that
true democratic
reform will provide

godly rule: choosing
representatives by lot
lets Allah decide.)

Anyway, like verse
without metrical form—that
is haphazard prose—

a society
without rules is one wherein
any conduct goes

but the rules can’t be
bounden on all unless based
on equality,

and “thus we are all
servants of the law so that
we all may be free”.

If the rule of law
go then civilisation
too will get the boot

(for sharia law,
except for uncivil folk,
is no substitute).

*    Forbear to scatter
     the fault of a few upon
     everybody.

†  M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Cluentio, 53Legum ministri magistratus, legum interpretes iudices, legum denique idcirco omnes servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus.  [The ministers of the law are the magistrates; the interpreters of the law are the judges; lastly, therefore, we are all servants of the laws so that we may be free.]

     Though, as Edmund Burke 
     said (in Bristol), “Bad laws make
     the worst tyranny”.

     I suppose that, like
     Tolkien, I lean (just a tad)
     to true anarchy.

J.R.R. Tolkien, writing to his son Christopher, in November 1943
My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs)—or to ‘unconstitutional’ Monarchy.

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