Comments on: Show Some Class http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2005/08/26/show-some-class/ Culture, Politics, Academia and Other Shiny Objects Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:26:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Neel Krishnaswami http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2005/08/26/show-some-class/comment-page-1/#comment-586 Neel Krishnaswami Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:18:40 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=88#comment-586 I think Timothy is completely correct. The whole reason that liberals (in the broad sense that spans squishy libertarians to individualistic social democrats) prefer the rule of law to the rule of men is that while people are very good at treating members of their in-group fairly, they are incapable of treating EVERYONE fairly. So, uniform and uniformly-applied laws fundamentally increase the amount of liberty and dignity people can experience. Every time I visit India, I come back more libertarian, and the reasons why is are Timothy's points 1), 3), and 5). Random, arbitrary authority is fundamentally disrespectful of the dignity of the citizen, and if it's for totally pointless reasons it demonstrates a fundamental lack of class. To explain away a decline in the uniform administration of the law with an "everyone does it" is not realism; it's an apologetic for the retreat of civilization. And I don't agree with Bradley, either. By pretty much every measure private society has been getting better since the early 90s -- crime rates are falling, violence against women is declining, levels of racist attitudes (like opposition to interracial marriage) are declining, the percentage of children born out of wedlock is falling, the size of the black middle class is growing and the underclass is shrinking, et cetera ad nauseum. When society is getting classier, it's not credible that government misbehavior is merely symptomatic. I think Timothy is completely correct. The whole reason that liberals (in the broad sense that spans squishy libertarians to individualistic social democrats) prefer the rule of law to the rule of men is that while people are very good at treating members of their in-group fairly, they are incapable of treating EVERYONE fairly. So, uniform and uniformly-applied laws fundamentally increase the amount of liberty and dignity people can experience.

Every time I visit India, I come back more libertarian, and the reasons why is are Timothy’s points 1), 3), and 5). Random, arbitrary authority is fundamentally disrespectful of the dignity of the citizen, and if it’s for totally pointless reasons it demonstrates a fundamental lack of class. To explain away a decline in the uniform administration of the law with an “everyone does it” is not realism; it’s an apologetic for the retreat of civilization.

And I don’t agree with Bradley, either. By pretty much every measure private society has been getting better since the early 90s — crime rates are falling, violence against women is declining, levels of racist attitudes (like opposition to interracial marriage) are declining, the percentage of children born out of wedlock is falling, the size of the black middle class is growing and the underclass is shrinking, et cetera ad nauseum. When society is getting classier, it’s not credible that government misbehavior is merely symptomatic.

]]> By: Bradley Reuhs http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2005/08/26/show-some-class/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Bradley Reuhs Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:46:27 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=88#comment-584 I agree with the first comment, and would add that if one is to discuss a lack of class in governmental behavior (or that of its agents), there should also be a mention of the general classlessness throughout society. I agree with the first comment, and would add that if one is to discuss a lack of class in governmental behavior (or that of its agents), there should also be a mention of the general classlessness throughout society.

]]> By: Dr. Adam L. Gruen http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2005/08/26/show-some-class/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Dr. Adam L. Gruen Sat, 27 Aug 2005 22:55:17 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=88#comment-583 Hmmmm. You hold U.S. government to a high simian standard. Too high, I suspect; it turns out that the U.S. is like every other human civilization, only more so. I am reminded of the exchange between the character Cosmo and his old friend Martin Bishop in the movie *Sneakers*: Cosmo: [They were] let us say, good family men. Martin Bishop: Organized crime? Cosmo: Hah. Don't kid yourself. It's not that organized. Hmmmm. You hold U.S. government to a high simian standard. Too high, I suspect; it turns out that the U.S. is like every other human civilization, only more so.

I am reminded of the exchange between the character Cosmo and his old friend Martin Bishop in the movie *Sneakers*:
Cosmo: [They were] let us say, good family men.
Martin Bishop: Organized crime?
Cosmo: Hah. Don’t kid yourself. It’s not that organized.

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