3 ms·

You can, actually, make a circumstance illegal. The vast majority of regulation explicitly make circumstances illegal. "That ladder just happened to be placed

You can, actually, make a circumstance illegal. The vast majority of regulation explicitly make circumstances illegal. "That ladder just happened to be placed there". "The forklift happened to be parked that way". "The room happened to have too many people in it". "The fire extinguisher happened to be expired and failed to fire" -- all illegal circumstances (in various parts of the US, based on Federal/State/Local regulations) "They needed to sue, but couldn't get a lawyer" is absolutely a circumstance we could make illegal. Making a circumstance illegal doesn't mean it will never happen, of course, but it does mean there can be immediate repercussions and fixes for it if/when it does.

FeepingCreature 6y ago
You can make actions illegal, and you can make not taking an action illegal, but you can't make not having enough money illegal, because "having money" is not an action that you can mandate people take. > "They needed to sue, but couldn't get a lawyer" is absolutely a circumstance we could make illegal. I mean -- I guess, technically you can, but it's one of the most insulting things I have ever heard. What are you gonna do, sue them for not having the money to have a lawyer to defend themselves? Maybe take them to court for damages, caused by them not having money? Kafka would have a field day with this.
- wtetzner 6y ago
  You seem to be interpreting it the opposite of how I interpreted it. You wouldn't take action against the person without money. You'd do something to fix the situation, like provide them with a lawyer for free. Note I don't necessarily think that's a good idea (really haven't thought it through), but that's how I interpreted th comment.
  - FeepingCreature 6y ago
    Right, I agree that's probably how it's meant, but that's not accurately described by the phrase "making it illegal". If I make houses without a sewer line illegal, that doesn't mean the state has to lay a sewer line, it means you the owner have to take care that you get a sewer line or you open yourself up to liability.
- kbelder 6y ago
  They made not having medical insurance illegal. Quite controversial, at the time.

FeepingCreature 6y ago

You can make actions illegal, and you can make not taking an action illegal, but you can't make not having enough money illegal, because "having money" is not an action that you can mandate people take. > "They needed to sue, but couldn't get a lawyer" is absolutely a circumstance we could make illegal. I mean -- I guess, technically you can, but it's one of the most insulting things I have ever heard. What are you gonna do, sue them for not having the money to have a lawyer to defend themselves? Maybe take them to court for damages, caused by them not having money? Kafka would have a field day with this.

wtetzner 6y ago
You seem to be interpreting it the opposite of how I interpreted it. You wouldn't take action against the person without money. You'd do something to fix the situation, like provide them with a lawyer for free. Note I don't necessarily think that's a good idea (really haven't thought it through), but that's how I interpreted th comment.
- FeepingCreature 6y ago
  Right, I agree that's probably how it's meant, but that's not accurately described by the phrase "making it illegal". If I make houses without a sewer line illegal, that doesn't mean the state has to lay a sewer line, it means you the owner have to take care that you get a sewer line or you open yourself up to liability.
kbelder 6y ago
They made not having medical insurance illegal. Quite controversial, at the time.