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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kumar who wrote (230126)	5/8/2007 5:32:23 AM
From: Elroy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

law is based on historical customs..... So? My point is that if society is forced to do something it doesn't want to do by law you shouldn't call that culture. Slaves were historically slaves. It wasn't part of their "culture" to be slaves, it was their master that forced them into the situation. Historical customs don't get a free pass just because they are historical customs. When white visitors used to go to South Africa they shouldn't accept the situation of the black slaves because that was the "historical custom" of the Afrikaners.

To: kumar who wrote (230126)	5/8/2007 6:56:56 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Kumar, Law is actually based on power of those who have got themselves in charge by hook or by crook, and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with historical customs, though as you say, there is often correlation as rulers usually have to at least give a bit of genuflection to customs. Saddam's laws didn't need to take account of popular thought at all. Small but vicious groups in communities often get themselves in charge and can then set any laws they like, and do. Even in democracies, minority government often gets power and can pass laws with little public support. Say 50% of people in the USA vote in a presidential election, and 30% vote for the winner who then makes decisions for everyone. The 30% who support the president don't necessarily agree with each decision. It might be only half of them do. So as low as 15% of an electorate might be supporting some decision but it goes ahead if the other 85% aren't too concerned about the new law. Pork barrel support can be at lower levels than that! Mqurice