Should citizens be able to commit crimes?

[noname223]

I think for a functioning society the answer must be yes. Otherwise we end up in mass-surveillance and totalitarianism.

It might be even good that not all crimes get punished. Sometimes law simply does not equate common sense. This is not a statement in favor of vigilante justice though.

I don't know the statistics but I think for example many animes would have never been a success in the Western world without pirating.

I don't have much money and I bypass paywalls often (which might be a grey area). I could not afford more subscriptions and noone gets hurt when I bypass paywalls because I would never pay for the services. I even advertise articles when I give the links to others. I pay for two subscrptions though.

For suicide methods some illegal methods even seem to be more ethical than legal ones. It is even cynical that there are legal punishments for certain methods. The example of suicide and legality proves that in order to guarantee freedom humans must have the option to break the law.

 

[SVEN]

Whether we should or not ... we do.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Only cool crimes are allowed to be committed and only by cool people. Uncool people just have to sit and take all the crime.

 

[Forever Sleep]

No. I suspect most crimes hurt someone. Theft drives up the cost of products and services for everyone. But, I suspect we've all broken some sort of law at some point.

But sure- I think laws need to exist. If people were given the totally open choice- watch this film, listen to this music, play this game for free or, pay for it, which would they choose? Why would they pay if they knew other people were getting it for free? So- how do all the people that create these products make a living? Should they just be expected to work for free? Would you work for free? Why is it ok to expect that of them? Not all of them will be on high salaries.

As another example, would you be ok with someone plagarizing your ideas and your work and, beneffiting from it? Say someone did a cut and paste job of one of your threads here, published it in a magazine. Gave you no credit, didn't request your permission, passed the work off as their own and, got paid for it. Would you be ok with that or, would you expect the law to protect you?

In theory, laws exist to stop people being exploited. The problem I guess is when there is corruption in the way laws are written and implemented. Basically though- it's to try to stop one person hurting another. Promising them there will be consequences. That's a good thing- I would say. Sadly, I don't think we're a good or moral enough race to not do certain things without those deterrents.

As for suicide, the laws restricting certain methods probably aren't solely aimed at preventing suicide. Drugs like Heroin and Fentanyl also cause serious addiction problems for people plus, accidental overdose. Guns are restricted to try to prevent homicides as well as suicides. Both are heavily associated with crime. Not just suicide. I guess SN and Nembutal are different. I've not heard of anyone going to jail for obtaining them though. Occasionally psyche holds if they're unlucky.

 

[Anne Alias]

no idea about other people but I should be allowed to do anything I want and if people want to stop me I should be allowed to destroy them.

no idea about other people but I should be allowed to do anything I want and if people want to stop me I should be allowed to destroy them.

Also if people were allowed to commit crime it would not be crime, it'd be legal

 

[Namelesa]

Some laws I think shouldn't be listened to for the greater good like assisted suicide. The law doesn't represent what is truly good cus the people who made them aren't the most moral themselves.

 

[Pluto]

 

[whywere]

AWESOME!

Thank you so much for the laugh, much needed.

Walter

 

[Neutron-Witch]

On the societal level, I believe that laws are oppressive tools of the state to perpetuate its domination, and many of them deserve to be broken. Laws aimed at preventing suicide are a good example: the state's vested interest in keeping workers alive as perpetual wage slaves should not take primacy over people's decisions to end their lives as part of their bodily autonomy.

On the individual level, I don't recognize the legitimacy or authority of any laws placed on me, and will freely violate them as political praxis or out of mere desire.