Huainanzi - Entry 66

Trey Smith

A lost nation is not one that lacks a ruler but one that lacks law. Distortion of law does not mean there is no law; it means there is law but it is not applied.
~ a passage from The Book of Leadership and Strategy by Thomas Cleary ~

Two posts from the Huainanzi in one day!!

I find it quite interesting how some of these passages intersect with headlines and articles I read each day. In this case, the snippet above dovetails nicely with one of Glenn Greenwald's recent columns, Washington’s High-Powered Terrorist Supporters (an article I strongly encourage you to read).

In said article, Greenwald explains how a law routinely used to charge and imprison Muslim Americans is somehow overlooked when it comes to Washington insiders. Astonishingly, the Muslim Americans convicted under this law have been engaged, for the most part, in trivial activities, while the Washington insiders are committing their egregious acts in public for everyone to see.

In modern day America, there truly is a sharp divide on whether or not the laws of the land are applied. For the 99%, the application is a given and the penalties often are harsh. For the 1%, the application is lacking and, even when the culprits are caught red-handed, they often get off with little more than a meager slap on the wrists -- if that much -- plus the ability to escape without any admittance of wrongdoing!

To read the introduction to this ongoing series, go here.