Letter 11

It is a cliche' that the legal system is our alternative to personal vendetta, and that it provides sufficient predictability to allow commerce to exist. Without the law, a hamburger stand would have to look like a fortress to function. Without the law, contracts would be far more unreliable, and property would not, effectively exist.

This is all true, of course, but it is only true for as long as the system maintains its legitimacy. Its authority is contingent on the perception that it is, at least usually, a neutral arbiter; a disinterested party to which disputes can be brought and fairly adjudicated. When it loses that legitimacy, the law is just another gang, ruling only by force of arms. There is no moral reason that anyone should respect or obey it.

This is why what has happened is so very dangerous. It exposes the rot at the soul of the judicial system for what it is - not a neutral arbiter, but a subservient hireling of the privileges of the wealthy and powerful. It is worthy of no respect, and commands obedience only through its potential for coercion and violence.

There is a word for that. The word is "tyranny."