DrGU, as much as I'd like to take credit for it, that is EXACTLY how the Soviet Union was governed. There were no "laws". Laws restrict the government! Instead the Soviets were ruled by a set of vague slogans that could mean anything. No matter what someone did, their actions (or thoughts) could be deemed Counter Revolutionary and thus prosecuted. The only trials were show trials. It was enough to be seen as having transgressed the slogans to be sent to prison without further process. The USSR was NOT a nation of laws. I'm sure this is EXACTLY where the Democrats want to take us. I'm still making my mind up about the establishment Republicans.
I can't resist. Sorry if I'm going on too long. Remember when VW was in trouble for their diesel engines in California. The Californians enacted a law that said that diesel engines must meet certain performance and economy devastating specifications WHILE BEING TESTED. Being Germans, the VW engineers complied with the law. They designed their engines to meet the appalling specification during testing and then return to normal under every day use. Of course VW was blamed and not the highly defective lawmakers. I remember one acquaintance (who self identified as a Democrat) telling me that it shouldn't matter how the law is actually written. VW should have complied with how the law SHOULD have been written. No possibility for Queen Of Hearts behavior there! I no longer associate with this person.
Rule by slogan. I like it.
DrGU, as much as I'd like to take credit for it, that is EXACTLY how the Soviet Union was governed. There were no "laws". Laws restrict the government! Instead the Soviets were ruled by a set of vague slogans that could mean anything. No matter what someone did, their actions (or thoughts) could be deemed Counter Revolutionary and thus prosecuted. The only trials were show trials. It was enough to be seen as having transgressed the slogans to be sent to prison without further process. The USSR was NOT a nation of laws. I'm sure this is EXACTLY where the Democrats want to take us. I'm still making my mind up about the establishment Republicans.
I can't resist. Sorry if I'm going on too long. Remember when VW was in trouble for their diesel engines in California. The Californians enacted a law that said that diesel engines must meet certain performance and economy devastating specifications WHILE BEING TESTED. Being Germans, the VW engineers complied with the law. They designed their engines to meet the appalling specification during testing and then return to normal under every day use. Of course VW was blamed and not the highly defective lawmakers. I remember one acquaintance (who self identified as a Democrat) telling me that it shouldn't matter how the law is actually written. VW should have complied with how the law SHOULD have been written. No possibility for Queen Of Hearts behavior there! I no longer associate with this person.