Laws and Manners

July 1924

I just ran across some ideas that I found interesting from an article entitled "Laws and Manners." (The Atlantic Monthly, July 1924.) It is the title of a talk given at the Author's Club in London by John Fletcher (Lord) Moulton, first Baron and Minister of Munitions for Great Britain, World War I.

Lord Moulton examines three great domains of what he calls Human Action. These are the domain of Positive law (prescriptives), the domain of Free Choice (to choose as one would) and a large domain which he referred to as the Domain of Manners. Manners grade from a conscious sense of duty nearly as strong as Positive Law to a feeling that this matter is all but a question of Personal Choice. Based on what I read I can't tell which of these two terms he used.

The Greatness of A Nation

"Mere obedience to Law does not measure the greatness of a nation for obedience can easily be obtained by a strong executive, and most easily of all from a timorous people. Nor does the license of behavior measure the greatness, for it so often accompanies the alliance of Law. Greatness is measured by the extent to which the individuals composing the nation can be trusted to obey self-imposed law."

The Spirit of IdT

Lord Moulton's talk seems to me to be very much in the spirit of IdT, and to me, this article should be a part of our library shelf too. These remarks reminded me of the book that you discussed and which we so like, namely "The Predicament of Democratic Man." (Cahn, Edmond, 1961, Macmillan Company, NY).

...Edward Hessler...
St. Paul, MN
February 6, 1990

Corruption and Greed: An American Way of Life?

In our nation today, almost every federal, state, and local law generates corruption and greed. As soon as laws go on the books, individuals and groups dissect them to learn how to pervert them. Is that why we have so many lawyers? There may even be validity to the contention that some laws are proposed and passed solely for the purpose of being perverted for the benefit of pre-selected individuals and groups. Is that why so many politicians are lawyers or surround themselves with lawyers?

The prevailing belief of yesteryear was that America is a nation of laws—all of them obeyed of course. Is that assertion believable today? Was it ever believable?

Did the same kind of corruption and greed that generated the 1987s "black monday" on Wall Street also generate the stock market crash of 1929? Is the current savings and loan crisis a product of the same kind of corruption and greed?

Bloated Military?

An even more salient question is: Have the politicians deliberately exaggerated military defense needs since the end of WWII just to enable a chosen few to raid America's treasury? Is that what is happening today? How account for the planned deployment of nuclear delivery systems outmoded as well as not needed? How account for the planned continuation of research on star wars and the stealth bomber? How account for the failure to revamp our enormous defense capability, which is no longer applicable in a profoundly changed world?

Stealing Savings

There are other similarly troubling question about American society today. For example: Why are most politicians lukewarm to proposals to assist the elderly poor or to bring into being a national health plan or to assist the homeless? Is corruption and greed so rampant that certain groups and individuals are fearful of losing "their share" if the nation's money pie is sliced a different way? Why has there been no public outcry about the massive S&L bailout, which may gobble up $350 billions in tax revenues just to satisfy corruption and greed of S&L entrepreneurs and their congressional supporters? Is that the reason that the bailout legislation was so easily approved by congress—because they would get their share?

Are We All Greedy?

Can it be—God forbid!—that America's taxpayers are themselves so corrupt and greedy they prefer to see nothing wrong going on?

If the United States is to remain strong, domestically as well as internationally, these and other similar questions require answers—and soon.

If you, the reader, have answers, please share them with those of us who are worrying about America's future.

...Robert Sturgill...

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Institute for domestic Tranquility