Definition of law by Merriam-Webster
1 a (1) : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed (see prescribe 1a) or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority (2) : the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law. (3) : common law
b (1) : the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law preserved law and order in the town
Once we where all tribes and the ruler of said tribe handed down "the law" & enforcement of those laws. In this day & age we have a controlling authority which enforces past laws and uses them as a mean to control the masses.
The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law. This job is presided by a "judge" who sits on the "bench".
Ever notice how only the laws apply to the masses and not the wealthy? Plutocrats consider themselves above "the law".
All of the laws that have been instituted... have been broken time again by the wealthiest of individuals upon the masses yet they aren't punished. One must never forget that the term "bench" where the judge presides, means "bank" & comes from the Italian word for Bench "banco".
http://factmyth.com/factoids/the-word-bank-comes-from-the-italian-word-for-bench/
We can wax philisophical and poetic all we want, but laws are only applied if we are caught.
@mithrilweed,
You have a point.
I recall once telling a friend, "Right or wrong doesn't make the slightest difference. The guy who can pay the lawyers the longest, wins."
While this is a bit hyperbolic for the sake of making a point, it is clear that money is the Achilles Heel of the legal system. But, I might remind everyone, that this is a universal problem in the Affairs of Man. The one thing you can always count on with humans is that "someone will try to game the system."
When you look through the Trending Page here on Steemit, have you not noticed a disconnect between quality and compensation? Look through the list of upvotes on these posts. What do you notice? Look through the comments section and begin counting the number of vote-bots.
Money, even here, where the Central Premise is supposed to be: Content is Compensated Commiserate with its Quality, the system fails.