“I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant [or an oligarchy of a few or many tyrants: legislatures/Congress] who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him [them]; who could do them absolutely no injury unless they preferred to put up with him rather than contradict him. Surely a striking situation! Yet it is so common that one must grieve the more and wonder the less at the spectable of a million men serving in wretchedness, their necks under the yoke [civil law: admiralty, UCC, equity], not constrained by a greater multitude than they… Shall we call subjection to such a leader cowardice?...If a hundred, if a thousand endure the caprice of a single [or many] man, should we not rather say that they lack not the courage but the desire to rise against him, and that such an attitude indicates indifference rather than cowardice? When not a hundred, not a thousand men, but a hundred provinces, a thousand cities, a million men, refuse to assail a single man [or a gaggle of men] from whom the kindest treatment received is the infliction of serfdom and slavery [via civil law contractual consent], what shall we call that? Is it cowardice? …When a thousand, a million men, a thousand cities, fail to protect themselves against the domination of one [or many men] man, this cannot be called cowardly, for cowardice does not sink to such depth…What monstrous vice, then, is this which does not even deserve to be called cowardice, a vice for which no term can be found vile enough…”
Etienne de La Boetie, “The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude”
Fear. Of appearing disloyal to your neighbors who could turn you in. Of appearing to be a threat to order. Of making yourself noticeable to authorities. Of what will happen to you if you get arrested. Of what will happen to your family.
@Melancton You are correct. I have no background in law and I appreciate the points you made about differences between legislative and common law. My interest is in how society will function under different kinds of laws. If we have a legal system based on common law. what are the benefits to society and are there areas that would be difficult to resolve conflict.