When a rule is made by some institution, seemingly in the best interests of the community, most citizens accept the rule and do their best to adhere.
This applies from the rules introduced by local councils to moderate litter, to the larger tax and commercial governance rules applies by federal governments.
Some rules are just ‘semi-rules’. The intent is to substitute for common sense, rather than attracting enforcement in the breaking of them.
Problem is that once you have a rule which dictates behaviour, any behaviour that is not explicitly outlawed becomes OK. That has led to armies of lawyers and accountants using unintentional loopholes in tax laws to slide through.
The wider impact is that the community ceases to consider what is ‘right and wrong’, substituting the question ‘is it legal: Yes/No’. If one of the accountants can make it seem legal, no matter how morally corrupt it may be, we now have the licence to go ahead anyway.
This is stupid, it has led to the erosion of the ‘moral compass,’ the sense of right and wrong that we used to impose on ourselves.
In addition, these rules become so complex that only experts can understand them, and mistaken misunderstanding is not seen as a defence.
Just consider for a moment our taxation regime.
Hugely complex, a great big pile of band-aids that applies only to those without the resources to exploit the gaps.
Even at the ‘semi-rules’ level this applies.
Last week coming up to some roadworks in my street, I slowed to accommodate the obvious cement truck coming out of a side street. There was a bloke with a sign that said ‘slow’ which I took to mean slow but careful, assuming the truck driver would respond accordingly. He apparently did not see the sign, slammed on his brakes, as I did as it became obvious that if I followed the clear instruction, I would not come out of it well. In addition, I copped a mouthful of extremely fruity language from the driver. Understandable, but in the circumstances, unwarranted.
Had the whole thing been left to common sense with no dozy sign carrier removing the need for common sense to apply, none of this would have happened.
In most situations where people are in a position to make a decision, let them. There will be errors, and mis-steps which will lead to learning, and attendant improvement. Providing a framework for decision making empowers people to do the right thing, offering a sense of responsibility and accountability they will not have in a highly regulated environment.
Substituting common sense, courtesy, and respect for others with formalised rules applied by institutions is part of what has led us to this state of perpetual anxiety and selfishness.
