Quote:
Originally Posted by Sidd Finch
who gives a shit if Cuba sells a t-shirt?
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I, for my part, do not, but presumably Congress does, and it's not for individuals to undermine our foreign policy, however unwise that policy may be.
Or, more accurately, if you want to engage in acts of civil disobedience, fine, but to expect a government agent at any level to stand by and tolerate it in the name of autonomy or freedom or what-have-you is to expect a government of corruption, or at least one of men and not laws.
I get that it's just a t-shirt but it pushes my buttons when someone says it's outrageous that the government is enforcing Ridiculous Policy A (that I oppose) when its limited resources would be far better spent enforcing Ridiculous Policy B (which I favor). Both of those ridiculous policies are the sausage made by our flawed democratic process, and I've seen personally how awkward it can be when a citizen engages with a government functionary with the "That rule is bullshit" argument. The functionary is probably in the 49% or less of America that opposed that rule, but there is no good answer other than "Okay, I'll only enforce the rules that I would have adopted if it were my choice" or (much more commonly) "Ma'am, this is my job to enforce these rules" the latter of which always seems to result in the Nuremberg argument, and we all know how productive THAT is.
ETA Your friend probably was cool about it -- "Yes, of course sir, just doing your job" etc. so I'm not implying s/he flew off the handle. It's no fun having to put up with other people's bullshit rules but in a democracy you can/should only get but so mad at the people who enforce them -- get mad instead at the idiots who made the rule, which as often as not involves looking in the mirror.
