WIST Quotations4d ago

A quotation from Christopher Hitchens

The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law.

Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) English intellectual, polemicist, socio-political critic
Essay (2004-02), “I Fought the Law,” Vanity Fair

More about this quote: wist.info/hitchens-christopher…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #christopherhitchens #arbitrariness #capriciousness #inconsistency #injustice #law #lawenforcement #legalsystem #tyranny #unpredictability

Hitchens, Christopher - Essay (2004-02), "I Fought the Law," Vanity Fair | WIST Quotations

The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law. Collected as "I Fought the Law in Bloomburg's New York," Love, Poverty, and War (2004).

WIST Quotations
Show threadKarel 'Clock' K.Feb 14

@FranceskAlbs I think it just shows how hypocritical, arbitrary, frivolous and wanton some Western regimes are.

#hypocrisy #hypocritical #hypocrite #hypocrites #arbitrary #arbitrariness #frivolous #frivolity #frivolousness #wanton #west #western #westerngovernments #francesca #albanese #francescaalbanese

odnewsinFeb 9

Paddy Procurement: Farmers Allege Arbitrariness By Rice Millers In Odisha’s Kendrapara

Paddy Procurement: Farmers Allege Arbitrariness By Rice Millers In Odisha’s Kendrapara #paddyprocurement #arbitrariness #ricemiller #odisha #otvnewsenglish #otvnews --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OdishaTV is Odisha's no 1 News Channel. OTV being the first private satellite TV channel in Odisha carries the onus…

https://www.odnews.in/paddy-procurement-farmers-allege-arbitrariness-by-rice-millers-in-odishas-kendrapara-2/

André OurednikJan 31
What makes Trump unusual, is the synthesis of Berlusconi's #shamelessness, Andrew Jackson's #grievance (election fraud obsession), Napoleon III's institutional #vandalism (in the name of "people against system"), Longian #clientelism, Chavista #polarization, George Wallace-style cultural #backlash, P.T. Barnum's #hoax culture, Caligula's murderous #arbitrariness, Nero's #narcissism, and Mussolini's corporate strongman aesthetics. Compound into a single organism sustained by #X and #FoxNews
Marcus Rohrmoser 🌻Jan 27

What is a #platform after all?

In our case it’s a part of the www having one owner and many users usually not affiliated otherwise. The owner being the sole source of rules and execution thereof, covering financial loss or benefit. Usually without a democratic process, but arbitrary, self-invented rules and policing.

They have in common a #feudal #asymmetry of power between the owners and the users. The users are many, but have very little #agency and face #arbitrariness. The owners are few and reside behind processes. Try to get a person with power to decide and act on the phone (let alone face-to-face) to hear appeal or resolve an issue, good luck.

Often platforms are what greed condensates to and #enshittification is their fate.

https://blog.mro.name/2024/10/goodbye-platforms-hello-www/#what-is-a-platform-after-all

Goodbye Platforms, hello WWW! | MRo Blog

Gerd_BrodowskiDec 11

#israel #palestine : #war / #gaza / #opt / #westbank / #violence / #settlers / #impunity / #arbitrariness / #internationallaw / #stateterrorism

„Deadly shootings by the army, beatings by settlers, devastating raids, arbitrary arrests, #torture in prison: The level of violence inflicted on Palestinians living in the territory has never been so high since the Israeli occupation began in 1967.“

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/12/10/israel-imposes-reign-of-terror-on-the-west-bank_6748359_4.html

Israel's reign of terror over the West Bank

Deadly shootings by the army, beatings by settlers, devastating raids, arbitrary arrests, torture in prison: The level of violence inflicted on Palestinians living in the territory has never been so high since the Israeli occupation began in 1967.

Le Monde
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Jun 30, 2025

A quotation from Judith Martin

Rules that are arbitrary may be nonetheless crucial. Whether we drive on the right or left side of the road is arbitrary, but it is crucial to obey the prevailing rule.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
“Miss Manners,” syndicated column (2015-02-01)

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/martin-judith/77241/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #adherence #arbitrariness #conventions #laws #meme #obedience #rules #social

WIST Quotations Has Moved!Apr 29, 2025

A quotation from Lincoln

I should like to know if, taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle, and making exceptions to it, where will it stop? If one man says it does not mean a negro, why not another say it does not mean some other man? If that declaration is not the truth, let us get the Statute book, in which we find it, and tear it out! Who is so bold as to do it? If it is not true let us tear it out!

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1858-07-10), Chicago, Illinois

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/lincoln-abraham/7640…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #abrahamlincoln #abrahamlincolnquotes #abelincoln #arbitrariness #createdequal #DeclarationOfIndependence #equalrights #equality #exceptions #racism #truth

Show threadKielKontrovers BlogMar 22, 2025
@randahl I think not every victim ist targeted, like some Trump voters. But they dont care. If the richest profit its okay for them. #Arbitrariness is also a method of government. People learn not to depend on government, but as a chaotic rule its unclear what the outcome will be, especially in a country with a long democratic history.
Rüdiger BenninghausMar 3, 2025
Refugees of liberty welcome ...
#USA, #Trumpism, #Muskism, #arbitrariness, #Europe, #democracy