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"Rules are meant to be broken" is a great maxim in my opinion. It's the expression of truly democratic attitude towards rules. Something that's "technically wro

by vvpan 5y ago

"Rules are meant to be broken" is a great maxim in my opinion. It's the expression of truly democratic attitude towards rules. Something that's "technically wrong" but taken by the majority as not an ethical issue deserves to live because it questions the legitimacy of the rule. How any progress happens.

sobkas 5y ago
In the end how many rules you can break depend on how much money you have and/or how many friends in high places you have. Because in the end it's only illegal if you get caught and find someone willing to prosecute you. And if money is the only penalty, then the law is only against poor, rich will pay and nothing will change.
beebmam 5y ago
The same argument could be made against laws, including plenty of laws that both you and I, and plenty of others, agree should never be broken. So I'm not very persuaded by this argument.
humanistbot 5y ago
But in practice, it is the people at the top who believe they can get away with it, like in this case. Rules for thee, but not me.
chrisco255 5y ago
It's a great way to breed corruption and decay. Turn the other way here and there and before long rules don't matter at all. Even a majority can be on the wrong side of right.
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >It's a great way to breed corruption and decay. Tacitus is spinning in his grave.
_0ffh 5y ago
The version I like most is Terry Pratchetts: "Rules are there so that you think before you break them".
AnimalMuppet 5y ago
Civil disobedience is one thing - breaking the rules in order to drive change. "Breaking the rules because I'm big and powerful so I can probably get away with it" does not deserve the nobility associated with the former. And the rules against romantic relationships with subordinates are there to protect the less powerful against exploitation by the more powerful. That's a really bad area for you to be extolling the virtues of breaking the rules. That's not how progress happens.
yike321123 5y ago
In any situation where an individual has direct power over another can you really claim any form of relationship born from this is consensual? For many people who are not women it can be easy to shrug this aside for their own "personal interests" especially those in academia where most women tend to either leave the workforce or are left outside the pool of candidates for an individual. From an outsiders perspective looking in all I can say is no they cannot.

by vvpan 5y ago

sobkas 5y ago

In the end how many rules you can break depend on how much money you have and/or how many friends in high places you have. Because in the end it's only illegal if you get caught and find someone willing to prosecute you. And if money is the only penalty, then the law is only against poor, rich will pay and nothing will change.

beebmam 5y ago

The same argument could be made against laws, including plenty of laws that both you and I, and plenty of others, agree should never be broken. So I'm not very persuaded by this argument.

humanistbot 5y ago

But in practice, it is the people at the top who believe they can get away with it, like in this case. Rules for thee, but not me.

chrisco255 5y ago

It's a great way to breed corruption and decay. Turn the other way here and there and before long rules don't matter at all. Even a majority can be on the wrong side of right.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>It's a great way to breed corruption and decay. Tacitus is spinning in his grave.

_0ffh 5y ago

The version I like most is Terry Pratchetts: "Rules are there so that you think before you break them".

AnimalMuppet 5y ago

Civil disobedience is one thing - breaking the rules in order to drive change. "Breaking the rules because I'm big and powerful so I can probably get away with it" does not deserve the nobility associated with the former. And the rules against romantic relationships with subordinates are there to protect the less powerful against exploitation by the more powerful. That's a really bad area for you to be extolling the virtues of breaking the rules. That's not how progress happens.

yike321123 5y ago

In any situation where an individual has direct power over another can you really claim any form of relationship born from this is consensual? For many people who are not women it can be easy to shrug this aside for their own "personal interests" especially those in academia where most women tend to either leave the workforce or are left outside the pool of candidates for an individual. From an outsiders perspective looking in all I can say is no they cannot.