Dear Friends,
It seems to me, a double standard is as good as a double cross any day. The “standard” suggests fairness, while it’s actually a con. The patsy is being hornswaggled into giving up Rights to people who will exploit that weakness to empower and enrich themselves. Anyplace that has a double standard is following Thrasymachus’ adage, that “justice” serves the strong against the weak. Further, agreeing with the Gallic King who sacked Rome, Brennus, said, So the stronger may live and the weak die off. In the case of a double standard, however, it’s not the physically, morally, or intellectually stronger that thrives… but the connivers. Those who enforce double standards are the Wormtongues of the world, using spurious logic to sway the masses into putting on a yoke.
When people are told there is a standard and everyone has to live up to it, we lower our guard against swindles. This is often the point. To open a door to accepting abuse in the name of the greater good. So we allow our Rights to be taken away to protect us. Those who take away our Rights, however, never allow theirs to be touched. One of the points of “trial by peer” is so that aristocrats would be judged by aristocrats… not judged by peasants. Therefore, held to the double standard of an aristocrat. Further, have you noticed that whenever someone says, “No one is above the law!” they consider themselves above the law? Even reporters consider some people above the law. Proven when the premise of their questions is… “how can they possibly be charged? The law couldn’t apply to ‘them.’”
In ancient China, some emperor erected an obelisk with the laws written on it so all could see and be held accountable. When one of Confucius’ disciples, commonly held to be Zilu, was asked if he thought it a good idea, Zilu replied, “No.” When asked why, Zilu went on, “Because people will argue to the head of a pin that the law doesn’t apply to them.” This, empirically, for the last two and a third millennia, has been the case. Showing that disciple to be prescient. In fact, the role of the Athenian Sophists was to go around and teach people how to bend the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth. The best ones commanded huge fees for their expertise. Thrasymachus being one. This illustrates the rich history of the elite bypassing the law, because they just don’t apply to the elite.
When laws apply to some but not others that is what’s commonly called a double standard. Trump was charged with a creative interpretation of law, despite the statute of limitations having run out on the foundational “crime.” Even as the media are aghast at the mere thought of Gavin Newsom being charged for harboring and abetting illegal alien criminals who are committing violent crimes in his state. But double standards are nothing new to Governor Newsom. When he locked down his state and arrested people walking alone on the beach… he was caught eating at the swanky French Laundry. Then again, double standards are fodder for hypocrisy, which is a sacrament among progressives. Since double standards have such a long and storied past, why should we reject them today?
Double standards eat at the fabric of society like moths eat silk. Once people realize they’ve been duped by arbitrary law, they stop playing along and exploit the lack of rules to their own ends. As more people do this, following their leaders’ example into corruption, economic growth grinds to a halt, crime increases, even as the rich get richer. Which is of no concern to the elite… until the societal collapse triggered by the double standard starts harming their bottom line, but then it’s too late. As in the cases of South Africa, Zimbabwe, North Korea, etc… the damage to the fabric of society is too great. Total societal collapse follows out of hand double standards. We’re not innocent, we’re complicit, so stop complying and demand that Wormtongue feel the same sting of law as we do.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
