Do Rules and Regulations Protect or Handicap Us?

Rules and regulations have been on my mind today. Two things triggered that.

First was this post by Holly Jahangiri titled Netiquette in the Nineties where she makes a good case for not reinventing the wheel when it comes to etiquette on the Internet – nettiquette as she calls it and political correctness.

As she writes, consideration and respect for others have done a good job of keeping some semblance of order in the world of published writing. Until the arrival of the Internet.

Holly has views on other aspects of writing, publishing and promoting on the Internet. It’s a good post, well worth reading.

The second trigger was this article from CTV news. It is the story of a family which for 10 years, has been living in a house built with unconventional materials. The township in which the house is situated is now demanding that the house be modified to comply with building codes or demolished. The family is faced with a court appearance and a costly legal battle to keep the home.

I wrote about in more detail in a post which will appear on our Tiny Home Geniuses blog next week.

Rules and Regulations Were Well Intended

Most rules and regulations are well-intended. The problem is that their original purposes are often overtaken by events, making them obsolete, ineffective or overly restrictive. There are many examples of old bylaws that are now obsolete and stupid. This one is from “67 Ridiculous Laws From Around The World That Still Exist” on Thought Catalogue.

22. In Iowa, it is illegal for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public.

It seems that the more laws that are passed to restrict or control a real or perceived undesirable action, the more reactions there will be.

Case in point is the rise of political correctness that now makes it illegal to criticise activities one might consider offensive to one’s religious or cultural beliefs. In many parts of the world, a business owner is at risk for refusing to serve or accept an order for a product from someone with whom he or she does not want to do business. The slightest chance that the owner or manager has a racial, religious, cultural or sexual preference motivation for that decision could result in massive fines or a prison sentence. Business owners have been the victims of frenzied mob attacks, loss of income and bankruptcy as a result of unfounded allegations.

This is bullying and mob rule of the worst kind. Whatever happened to the freedom to associate and do business with those you choose? Other than utilities, government departments or monopolies, businesses should be free to choose their customers. The market will soon decide if their choices are correct. In my childhood in British oriented Rhodesia and in Britain itself, most small businesses and especially hotels and pubs had a sign above the entrance “Right of Admission Reserved”. This was to allow the owner or manager to prevent undesirables of any race, belief or preference causing trouble or upsetting the regular clients of the business.

It seems from this answer on Quora, that hotels and restaurants in other parts still use this provision. I guess other types of retail shops have removed them from fear of persecution.

The Balance Between Individual and Group Rights

As more rules and regulations are introduced to protect group rights and as special interest groups proliferate, individual rights are eroded.

The story about the family in the unconventional house is an example. The parents built the house 10 years ago using natural materials. They have survived there quite comfortably. Their self sustaining lifestyle has a low impact on the environment. The house is not visible from the road so cannot be considered an eyesore. They have chosen to live like that and have come to no harm. What sense does it make to force them to comply with regulations when the result will either ruin them financially or cause their home to be demolished leaving them homeless?

It seems bizarre when I remember the freedom I had on our farm in Africa to build whatever I wanted with whatever materials I chose with my and my workers’ hands without getting permits or permission from anyone. The only requirement I had to meet was to get the electrical work approved by a certified electrician before it could be connected to the electrical supply utility’s grid.

I accept that unsightly buildings on large farms are unlikely to be eyesores and that residential areas in cities and suburbs need standards of appearance. The cities in Southern Africa did require building plans to be approved before construction began but it was a much easier and less costly process than in the developed world.

More Control – Less Tolerance

There has been a rise in the intolerance of differing opinions, increased polarisation of society and a surge of bullying tactics both real and digital. It has been in concert with the increased attempts to control what we can think, say and do. I wrote about the pendulum theory in this post. It is proving to be a good indicator that we are nearing the apogee of the “we” cycle. This would suggest that there will be changes from 2023 when we start the swing back towards a more “normal” society. The pendulum theory is well researched in the book of that name by Roy Williams

The rise in populism and backlash against many of the effects of too much control, the excesses of political correctness, real and imagined bias against conservative thought are all symptoms that we are out of balance.

Conclusion

I hope we can get back to the voluntary respect and consideration of others Holly remembers, attempts to enforce them by rules and regulations are backfiring on us.

Two quotations sum it up for me:

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin

It seems to me that too many are giving up essential liberty for the dubious safety of protection from exposure to opinions different from their own.

Don’t talk about ‘progress’ in terms of longevity, safety, or comfort before comparing zoo animals to those in the wilderness.”

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Having spent many hours observing wild animals in their natural environment and (luckily) few hours at zoos, I have a very good idea which group is more content and living the way they should.

Share your thoughts in a comment.

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