Hacker News Reader

Comment by 2OEH8eoCRo0 | Hacker News Reader

Here is a better pro-tip- don't do criminal things.

"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." -- Cardinal Richelieu [1]

[1] https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/23785/what-did-r...

I bet you've committed at least a ticketable offense in the past 48 hours, unless you are a true hermit.

Our laws were not designed for a society with perfect surveillance.

This is quite the proposition. You think that the average person commits a legal offense at least every 2 days?

What examples are you proposing? If you count speeding, sure I guess.

Do you know how many laws you are subject to right this moment? If you don't know the number, how can you be sure you haven't broken any?

Speed Limit 55

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594035229

That was the term I had in mind, but didn't want to use. Heh

Yes. Every time someone changes lanes without signalling 200ft prior. Every time someone goes 56 instead of 55. Every time someone operates any kind of vehicle after having more than one drink. Any time someone is drunk in public (in many states). Probably a huge number of gun owners in states with legal cannabis. Any time someone walks across a street without a protected "walk" sign.

These are the ones I can brainstorm in 30 seconds.

If the government could enforce every law on the books with perfect accuracy and with 100% effectiveness, it would be intolerably oppressive.

Laws are written often with the expectation that enforcement will not be perfect, that between impracticality and officer discretion, that such laws will be a net positive without being silly.

We are coming up on a time of government surveillance and data analysis technology (AI) that we will not be able to escape the panopticon. Laws or enforcement will have to adapt.

where's the fun in that??? Live a little, be a little bit evil. Like 5% evil

Statistically if everyone is 5% evil, the chances of someone being evil to you in the course of the day is pretty high. That sounds like the makings for a downward spiral and "don't be evil at all" is much safer for society.

Obviously there will be people who choose to be mostly evil regardless of what everyone else is doing, but society trying not to be evil in general is still the best case scenario.

I take a penny but I never leave one.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com