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A comment on Why The IRS Harassing Political Groups Is Important To Everybody.

Re:Why The IRS Harassing Political Groups Is Important To Ev... by CapitalistCartr on Monday May 13, 2013 @10:28AM (#5698822)
Any situation in which the government flouts the law/is "above" the law is a dangerous situation of importance to everyone. And the higher up the governmental chain they are, from the local precinct to the federal level, the greater the danger.

A rule of law, rather than a rule of authoritarianism, is one of our greatest advancements. Like traffic signals, it is predicated on, and requires, most everyone to agree to that system. If an individual decides to not follow it, such as the "sovereign citizen" silliness, we experience a minor degree of harassment on a small scale. But when the federal government does it, our entire way of life is imperiled.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why The IRS Harassing Political Groups Is Important To Ev... by hga on Monday May 13, 2013 @11:06AM (#5699055)
I would say it's potentially more dire than that. Suppression of political opposition in a "democracy" (we're actually a constitutional republic, the constitutional part is especially important to the rule of law), that is, excluding groups wholesale from the political process, is fantastically dangerous. What peaceful choices are left to these people?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why The IRS Harassing Political Groups Is Important To Ev... by illuminate on Monday May 13, 2013 @11:10AM (#5699082)
"A rule of law, rather than a rule of authoritarianism, is one of our greatest advancements"

"Our"? Authoritarians do not set and enforce the Rule of Law? I think you're creating more of a divide between the two concepts than exist in reality.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why The IRS Harassing Political Groups Is Important To Ev... by 300bps on Monday May 13, 2013 @10:54AM (#5698983)
>Any situation in which the government flouts the law/is "above" the law is a dangerous situation of importance to everyone.

That's why it's so important to have harsher penalties for people that abuse power. Unfortunately the opposite seems to be true.

[ Parent | on HN ]