Index 
Law and Government
Random Selection of Lawmakers: I can think of no better way to define “justice, except I would not place the threshold of law at 50.1%, rather I suggest 75% or 80%, along with randomly selected lawmaker. I would prefer a pool of all register voters over age of about 50; by then they have a PhD in life – rule by “elders.” Plato’s guardians appeal to me except as Averroes points out “such societies tend to become hereditary, canceling their raison d'être. The opportunity for guarding training to is given the several randomly selected candidates from the pool for each potential lawmaker about 5 years before “sitting” as a lawmaker. From that point on, all wealth is put in trust for candidate and they are given a yearly pension for life somewhere around the 90th income percentile. Pensions cannot be assigned to another or traded in any fashion. All candidates have subpoena power; they can attend or audit any school for free. Justice: I just got back from court today. The case of my entering as a sex offender a Conservation Area which is considered a park was continued to December 19. The cause of the continuance was because I didn’t have a lawyer, which the judge admonished my 3 or 4 time to get one, as did the young prosecutor beside me. (added 20200507) I did and he cost me $4000 for a couple of letters and guilty judgement and maximum sentence. What did the lawyer get me? Interesting comparison to the worship ritual in Vedic Indian tradition, as I watch a course on the Axial age when morality was invented. When ritual started as supplication to the gods who may or may not appreciate the gifts of sacrifice. To better entice the gods capricious favor, the “acts” of ritual need to be performed “just right”. It then came to be seen that the magic resided in the correct performance of ritual, rather than in the gods to whom the rituals were originally intended. The priests (lawyers) trained in the rituals began to believe magic resided in themselves, or at least strict adherence to their rituals who only they could perform. I was told “the ritual is to pay a priest (lawyer) who speak the proper magical incantations according to rituals and thus justice (the gods) well be served. When I proposed resolution of the case based on my being my own witness to the truth (not my own attorney), I was told by the judge, “Get a lawyer”. The young lady lawyer next to me seconded the judge and added “The facts of a case are never simple”. The judge repeated, “Get a lawyer”. I said “OK”. He then rescheduled the same kind of gathering before him again in 6 weeks, with all the legal attendants. In the meantime, I on the advice of lawyers will get a lawyer and pay him a month’s salary to guide me through the proper rituals to “tell my truth.” Do judges, lawyers, and others believe that the magic is in the “ritual” – in the “rule of law?” Yes, ISTMRN that many do, with the reservation that rules serve justice, but that reservation is rarely in mind. More often it is accepted as a given: given by the will of the people through democracy. At base, all rules are just because rules allow unjust law to be abolished. If not abolished they must be just if justice is the “will of the people.” | They live with the knowledge their life is paid for, full medical insurance, no more financial worry if wise with the pension. BUT an automatic death penalty if convicted of taking a bribe as well as automatic death for the briber. Two separate closed trials must convict by jury; the trials should run simultaneously: no appeal. The pool of 5 or so candidates for each sitting lawmaker almost assures someone is alive to fill the legislative seat, throughout its term. About 1 year before filling the seat from a retired previous lawmaker, a “designee” and an “alternate” are randomly selected from among the candidates. The designee and alternate can sit-in on any meeting, hear any phone call, read any email of the “sitting” lawmaker, but cannot express an opinion for that year. The 3 or so candidates are free from legislative obligation, except if a designee or alternate dies, the 3 candidates may be called back to legislative duty as the alternate. After the “old” lawmaker retires from a term of several years (TBD), and the designee becomes the lawmaker. His or her service now begins. They are drafted just like soldiers. They have duties. I suggest something along the lines of ½ day spent in interviews with randomly select registrants, the length interviews at the lawmaker’s discretion, perhaps ½ hour on Monday, 15 minutes on Tuesday, 1 hour on Wednesday, etc. Registrants are reimbursed at the lawmaker hourly rate. Interviewees are randomly chosen from the pool of registrants about one month in advance of the interview, if the schedule is full. The other ½ day is spent researching, smoozing, and voting. After the 2 or so year term ends, all candidates, lawmakers, and alternates as yearly options are free to either
 POWER TO THE PEOPLE |