Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site unmvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!unmvax!cliff From: cliff@unmvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: long live lawyers -:) Message-ID: <580@unmvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 23:09:47 EST Article-I.D.: unmvax.580 Posted: Wed Jan 16 23:09:47 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 03:17:39 EST References: <748@loral.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 44 Yup. It is a ridiculous concept. The law is so complex that a special group of people have to train many years too have a chance to understand it on more than a basic level. (don't get the wrong idea, I represent myself in court, both criminal and civil. The only time I have lost was the one exception I was foolish enough to let a lawyer represent me.) On top of that the people that write the new laws have little incentive to clean things up. Special interests make sure that the laws are filled with special cases. If anyone ever wrote code that looked like: if (x < 3 && x < 5 && x < 7) { if (x == 2) y = 7; else if (x == 4) y = 9; else y = x + 5; } else switch (x) { case 7: y = y - 2 + 3; case 6: ++y; case 5: y = y + 2; case 3: y += 2; case 1: y++; break; default: y = x + 5; } noone would have much faith in the final product. However the U.S. legal system is much more obtuse. How many different laws can you think of just for one person hitting another? Remember, when the laws are simple lawyers, congresspeople, policepeople and judges, will have much less power then they do today. --Cliff