submitted by jwithrow.
The Rule of Law is rooted in British common law that dates back to the Middle Ages and it is the foundation of Western civilization. It is the underlying legal/ethical code of conduct that enabled western civilization to thrive.
The Rule of Law can be condensed into two fundamental laws:
1) Do all that you have agreed to do and nothing that you have agreed not to do.
2) Do not encroach upon other persons or their property.
The first law forms the basis of all contract law and the second law forms the basis of criminal law. These laws are simple and intuitive and history shows that a society dedicated to these laws is able to achieve prosperity.
Unfortunately, the Rule of Law has been subverted by the rule of legislation in our society today. There are now hundreds of thousands of petty laws on the books accompanied by millions of pages of legal mumbo-jumbo in supporting documents. Much of this legislation actually violates the Rule of Law as it encroaches upon personal liberty and property rights. Further, these petty laws are enforced at the discretion of the political class; politicians and insiders are largely exempt from abiding by their own legislation.
There was a time in America when grade schools taught common law and history lessons focused almost exclusively on common law principles. Sadly, this is no longer the case as the public educational system now teaches children to never question the validity of legal mandates and regulations, no matter how petty.
Fortunately, the Internet Reformation seems to be setting brushfires of liberty in the mind’s of men once again. These are certainly interesting times we are living in.
“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” – Tacitus
“Where there are too many policemen, there is no liberty. Where there are too many soldiers, there is no peace. Where there are too many lawyers, there is no justice.” – Lin Yutang
“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws” – Plato