NEXT_at_CNN

From: Tom Jennings <tomj_at_wps.com>
Date: Mon Dec 13 14:39:11 2004

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, der Mouse wrote:

> This reveals an apparent misconception. Restraints on government are
> often (I'd almost say "usually") more severe, not less so, than on
> other entities like individuals and private corporations. (This is
> because government is in a position of much more abusable power. Or at
> least that's the theory; how true it remains in today's system is
> arguable.)

(The extraordinary, planetary-scale, historically-recent power
of corporations wasn't forseen obviously. It will probably take
as long to recognize and implement "separation of business and
state" as it did 'church and state'. Oh woe is us.)


> For example, the USA government is forbidden most forms of censorship,
> but private entities are not; a newspaper is perfectly free to censor -
> to not print - any story, letter, or whatever that it cares to, for any
> reason it pleases. (There are exceptions, but they are fairly narrow,
> and from what I understand do not apply to individual cases, only to
> patterns of behaviour.)

Why is it so often non-US citizens understand the US legal
system more than American citizens? It's sad, deplorable, etc
(hand-wave as obvious).
Received on Mon Dec 13 2004 - 14:39:11 GMT