4 ms·

Do governments who use this kind of 'selective justice' really need the pretext of an actual law being broken? I think what carlmr is saying is quite relevant

• crdoconnor 9y ago
  Even the most dictatorial countries operate on the basis that they need the consent of the governed.
• cabalamat 9y ago
  > Do governments who use this kind of 'selective justice' really need the pretext of an actual law being broken? At least one former UK Home Secretary has said that it's a good thing to have laws that aren't usually enforced, as it gives the authorities something to use when they do want to go after someone. So (for at least one country) the answer is "yes".
• Symmetry 9y ago
  Yes. Any government can fall if there's sufficient public outrage[1]. And government employees of basically any government can make use of this. I remember driving with an off duty US police officer once and him pointing out which issue of code every car on the road was in violation of so that he could legally conduct a stop if he wanted to. [1] AI and robotics might change this later.
• mywittyname 9y ago
  Look up 'mortgage headshot'. It's a type of fraud that is very common, but that is only prosecuted when it's necessary to compel a person to work with law enforcement.