"A Better Benchmark for Iraq: Lawyers"

[Guest]

Never thought I'd ever like the idea of lawyers, possibly because in our culture, there is an overabundance of them.

However, this writer makes an interesting and convincing argument about how a society remains largely at peace through restraint.

Excerpt:

"An increasing presence of lawyers represents something important about social progress. To put it bluntly, we sue people so we don't have to slay them. "

mh
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[Skyrad 0]

Yea, but how many of them are called Mohammed?

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[nerdgirl 0]

That’s pretty clever. Per capita employed lawyers may not be a bad measure of stability. It’s one sign/indicator of a robust civil (including criminal, as opposed to religious-based, ad hoc, or indisriminate) legal system.

I’d be curious to see how the per capita ratio domestic law enforcement to lawyers varies across countries. What kind of systems does one observe when the denominator far exceeds the numerator and vice versa? Is there an ideal “range”?

Neat link. Thanks.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Guest]

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Yea, but how many of them are called Mohammed?

hehehe

mh
.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[Guest]

You're welcome.

The author may of course be premature in his observation of Iraqi society, however.

Most justice gets dispensed by the tribal elder(s) (read - sheikhs), so the concept (of appealing to a jury of one's duly selected and vetted peers, governed by elected officials well-verse in law [read - judges] in order to obtain redress for grievances with one's neighbors or with the state) is quite a stretch for their culture to grasp; whereas it's much more traditional and satisfying to pull out the hardware and start spraying lead.

But that's what really needs to change if Iraq is to achieve long-lasting peace and prosperity.

Maybe this will be the catalyst that reforms the Middle East for good. They (the Middle Eastern populations) are long overdue for liberation from both religious and secular thugs. Maybe the thug cycle can finally be broken.

mh
.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

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Maybe this will be the catalyst that reforms the Middle East for good. They (the Middle Eastern populations) are long overdue for liberation from both religious and secular thugs.

Hey don't talk about your country that way! Thats my job.

[kallend 2,027]

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"An increasing presence of lawyers represents something important about social progress. To put it bluntly, we sue people so we don't have to slay them. "

mh
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I guess the USA is an exception, then, beause we both have an abundance of lawyers AND the highest homicide rate among first world nations.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Andy9o8 2]

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"An increasing presence of lawyers represents something important about social progress. To put it bluntly, we sue people so we don't have to slay them. "

mh
.

I guess the USA is an exception, then, beause we both have an abundance of lawyers AND the highest homicide rate among first world nations.

You have offended me.
I guess I now have 2 choices as to what to do about it.

Anyhow, the US also has the highest abundance of personally-owned, highly-efficient anti-personnel weapons among first-world nations.

[Andy9o8 2]

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That’s pretty clever. Per capita employed lawyers may not be a bad measure of stability. It’s one sign/indicator of a robust civil (including criminal, as opposed to religious-based, ad hoc, or indisriminate) legal system.

Of course. A recent, real-world example of this, albeit in the converse, is Pakistan. When it was time for Musharraf to rig the system and use strong-arm methods to keep himself in power outside of legal guidelines, what was the first thing he did? He disbanded the courts and imprisoned hundreds of judges and lawyers.

For those who revel in the imbecilic sport of lawyer-bashing, heed the lesson: if you wish to live in a society governed by the rule of law rather than the anarchy of the jungle, or the caprice and oppression of a prince, the only thing more odious than a society rife with lawyers is one that is not.

[kallend 2,027]

Quote

Quote

That’s pretty clever. Per capita employed lawyers may not be a bad measure of stability. It’s one sign/indicator of a robust civil (including criminal, as opposed to religious-based, ad hoc, or indisriminate) legal system.

Of course. A recent, real-world example of this, albeit in the converse, is Pakistan. When it was time for Musharraf to rig the system and use strong-arm methods to keep himself in power outside of legal guidelines, what was the first thing he did? He disbanded the courts and imprisoned hundreds of judges and lawyers.

For those who revel in the imbecilic sport of lawyer-bashing, heed the lesson: if you wish to live in a society governed by the rule of law rather than the anarchy of the jungle, or the caprice and oppression of a prince, the only thing more odious than a society rife with lawyers is one that is not.

I'd suggest there is something like a "Laffer Curve" for lawyers. Both too few AND too many are going to be trouble.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Andy9o8 2]

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I'd suggest there is something like a "Laffer Curve" for lawyers. Both too few AND too many are going to be trouble.

Interestingly, I've always thought that about physicists. Funny how the mind works.

[Guest]

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For those who revel in the imbecilic sport of lawyer-bashing, heed the lesson: if you wish to live in a society governed by the rule of law rather than the anarchy of the jungle, or the caprice and oppression of a prince, the only thing more odious than a society rife with lawyers is one that is not.

That was well-put. However, many believe (and I am among them) that an overabundance of lawyers is also bad.

Please see Overlawyered, which is for some reason returning a 403 error today...

Respectfully,

mh
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."