breaking the law to enforce the law

[SmarterthanYou]

Do you believe that the government should be able to ignore the law in order to catch people breaking the law?

 

[anatta]

what law? Constitutional principles are more inherently flexible ( if also more systematically damaging in the long run to abuse).

In general we are supposed to be a nation of laws -so I vote "no"

 

[SmarterthanYou]

what law? Constitutional principles are more inherently flexible ( if also more systematically damaging in the long run to abuse).

is 'what law' really relevant? if we are a nation of laws, why should exemptions or exceptions be made just because it's the government?

 

[anatta]

is 'what law' really relevant? if we are a nation of laws, why should exemptions or exceptions be made just because it's the government?

oh I agree, but I was referring to separation/balance of of powers -which are subject to at least some interpretation. I probly shouldn't have brought that up.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

oh I agree, but I was referring to separation/balance of of powers -which are subject to at least some interpretation. I probly shouldn't have brought that up.

i see where you might be confused. when I refer to 'laws', i'm referring to criminal codes...i.e. drug possession or the like.

 

[anatta]

i see where you might be confused. when I refer to 'laws', i'm referring to criminal codes...i.e. drug possession or the like.

sure. That brings up a good point - to use your ex., where narcotics officers (narcs) routinely use illegal searches/entrapment.
But because we are so gung ho on "winning the war on drugs" we allow it. which undermines law not just there
but also becomes pervasive look the other way type stuff.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

or more directly to the point, possession of meth is illegal everywhere, yet a government agent is 'allowed' to possess it for the intent of selling it to catch criminals. how is that possession exempted?