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Constructions like this are living proof that maybe the system we've decided to implement isn't as smart as we thought it was. Humans have a knack for thinking

Constructions like this are living proof that maybe the system we've decided to implement isn't as smart as we thought it was. Humans have a knack for thinking they can control things they don't actually understand -- and we end up with contradictions like this situation. I'll leave these here: > I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. -- Jefferson > That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. -- Declaration of Independence

pavanlimo 8y ago
I tend to agree with Elon Musk's idea that every law should come with an expiry date. So that there is debate before it is renewed.
- mey 8y ago
  Our (assuming US) federal legislators can barely pass a budget. At best they would simply rubber stamp the existing laws. More likely expiring laws would be used as political hostages. Granted, that is pretty much the existing status quo. Not sure it would change the behavior in a positive direction.
- salawat 8y ago
  That was Thomas Jefferson oriiginally actually. It was also intended as a soft limit to the number of laws that would be passed, as it would ensure that only the most important would generally be reaffirmed.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- trhway 8y ago
  >every law should come with an expiry date. So that there is debate before it is renewed. [anti]dovetails with the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the fears that the important established precedents (Roe, Brown, etc) will come up for debate/overturn soon once he(or similar guy) gets the position. Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too?
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    > Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too? Not necessarily. A constitution is a foundational law, a set of principles by which the nation is to be governed. Those principles are not expected to change very often, so no expiry date is needed. The detailed implementation of these principles, however, could - and probably should - be done with an expiry date.
    - 0xcde4c3db 8y ago
      Ideally, yes. But some constitutions end up being dumping grounds for laws where the amendment process was considered preferable to that of statutes (e.g. if a constitutional amendment requires approval by popular vote and therefore can't be repealed by legislators alone). The Alabama constitution is infamously over 40 times the length of the US constitution and contains 900+ amendments.
      - TeMPOraL 8y ago
        Didn't realize that individual states have their own constitutions! TIL, I guess. Thanks!
  - boomboomsubban 8y ago
    >Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too? Yes? Why would one assume an 18th century framework should be preferred to one considering the modern world? Codifying our ideals seems like a better system than entrusting them to precedent.
  - notriddle 8y ago
fenomas 8y ago
> ...proof that maybe the system we've decided to implement isn't as smart as we thought it was. I'd say it's a lot simpler than that - it's proof that systems that don't penalize false positives will have lots of false positives. I mean, imagine if YouTube announced that content owners would be subject to the same "three strikes" policy as uploaders, and music companies could be kicked off the site for making baseless copyright claims. One suspects that the dumb systems you're talking about would get a lot smarter.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  What you suggest would amount to biting off the hand that feeds you, so no, ain't going to happen. The system isn't dumb, it's working as intended - making people in control of it money.
srtjstjsj 8y ago
Copyright law has been amended (extended) in the past century, so those quotes don't mean what you want them to mean.

pavanlimo 8y ago

I tend to agree with Elon Musk's idea that every law should come with an expiry date. So that there is debate before it is renewed.

mey 8y ago
Our (assuming US) federal legislators can barely pass a budget. At best they would simply rubber stamp the existing laws. More likely expiring laws would be used as political hostages. Granted, that is pretty much the existing status quo. Not sure it would change the behavior in a positive direction.
salawat 8y ago
That was Thomas Jefferson oriiginally actually. It was also intended as a soft limit to the number of laws that would be passed, as it would ensure that only the most important would generally be reaffirmed.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
trhway 8y ago
>every law should come with an expiry date. So that there is debate before it is renewed. [anti]dovetails with the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the fears that the important established precedents (Roe, Brown, etc) will come up for debate/overturn soon once he(or similar guy) gets the position. Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too?
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  > Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too? Not necessarily. A constitution is a foundational law, a set of principles by which the nation is to be governed. Those principles are not expected to change very often, so no expiry date is needed. The detailed implementation of these principles, however, could - and probably should - be done with an expiry date.
  - 0xcde4c3db 8y ago
    Ideally, yes. But some constitutions end up being dumping grounds for laws where the amendment process was considered preferable to that of statutes (e.g. if a constitutional amendment requires approval by popular vote and therefore can't be repealed by legislators alone). The Alabama constitution is infamously over 40 times the length of the US constitution and contains 900+ amendments.
    - TeMPOraL 8y ago
      Didn't realize that individual states have their own constitutions! TIL, I guess. Thanks!
- boomboomsubban 8y ago
  >Btw, Constitution is a law too. Should it have an expiry date too? Yes? Why would one assume an 18th century framework should be preferred to one considering the modern world? Codifying our ideals seems like a better system than entrusting them to precedent.
- notriddle 8y ago

fenomas 8y ago

> ...proof that maybe the system we've decided to implement isn't as smart as we thought it was. I'd say it's a lot simpler than that - it's proof that systems that don't penalize false positives will have lots of false positives. I mean, imagine if YouTube announced that content owners would be subject to the same "three strikes" policy as uploaders, and music companies could be kicked off the site for making baseless copyright claims. One suspects that the dumb systems you're talking about would get a lot smarter.

TeMPOraL 8y ago
What you suggest would amount to biting off the hand that feeds you, so no, ain't going to happen. The system isn't dumb, it's working as intended - making people in control of it money.

srtjstjsj 8y ago