The Myth of the Rule of Law

Many libertarians are giddy about the men in black magnanimously giving temporary, limited, and conditional recognition of one tiny aspect of one of our rights–and seizing more federal power over the states in the process. Me, I don’t trust anything the feds do. Anyway, all this reminded me of a great article by John Hasnas, about which I plan to write more later. Here’s a choice quote therefrom:

The reason why the myth of the rule of law has survived for 100 years despite the knowledge of its falsity is that it is too valuable a tool to relinquish. The myth of impersonal government is simply the most effective means of social control available to the state.

In this context, I also commend The Squalid 14th Amendment and The 14th Amendment and the Perils of Libertarian Centralism by the great Gene Healy, now at Cato.

More later.

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9:34 am on June 29, 2008