The ATM Citizen or Let's All Break the Law

There are lots of reasons to not break the law.

The three primary reasons are:

1) Punishment
2) Social compact
3) Morality

What does it mean when the government turns it's citizens into ATM machines?

Go to downtown Chicago. The system in place is that if you drive into the city and pull over on a main downtown road, even just to drop someone off; if you wait in your car with the engine running a meter maid will walk by and put a ticket on your car.

They don't tell you to move. They don't give you a warning. They put a ticket on your car and walk away.

That situation by itself is a disgusting way for a government to treat its people.

But then you can go a few blocks away, to city hall, and what will you see? All the important people's fancy cars parked with their engines off on the side of the road. There are plenty of cops there, they are stationed there to protect the important people's cars. Tickets? Ha! Forget about it.

This is just one example out of dozens.

When the citizens are turned into ATM machines it means that government has broken it's social compact with the people. Without a social compact there is no morality.

And so, it appears that the only reason not to break the law is fear of punishment.

This is freedom?

And it's the same everywhere.

In Israel they claim with pride that their president was tried, convicted and sentenced for rape. "What a legal and fair country," cried the Israelis.

Yet what they forget is that Katzav, the disgraced president, was offered the "VIP" justice deal. All he had to do was plead guilty to a misdemeanor and it would all be swept under the rug. The government begged him to take the deal. Finally finally finally, despite all the pressure and begging and pleading, and Katsav still wouldn't take the deal, Israel was forced to try him the the judicial system.

I doubt  a regular citizen would be offered the deal they made him.

All we are to the government is an ATM machine.
Global recession? People out of work? Businesses failing? and the government officials vote themselves pay raises and better benefits.

Break the law? The law is broken. Just don't get caught.