The Devaluation of Law

 

"By whatever process it has become legitimate for government to engage in practices that, if performed by individuals, would be clearly recognized as theft, fraud, trespass, and even worse. This is law turned inside out."

Opting Out: "The Devaluation of Law", Gerrit Wormhoudt, c.1975, published by  Jameson Books

Parallel Failures ... common cause?

In a fascinating and prescient [for us in 2022] address given as the Moorman Memorial Lecture at Culver-Stockton College c.1975, noted Kansas jurist Gerrit Wormhoudt compared the decline in purchasing power of the US$ with what he proposed was a decline in the "value of law" in America.

His clear suspicion is that both devaluations arise from a common source, although he only briefly touches on this at the end of his remarks with the invitation ... "Is this not a question worth pondering?"

And, of course, the resounding answer is YES ... it IS worth pondering.

In that spirit, I encourage you to secure a copy of Wormhoudt's book and reread the collection of his thoughts accumulated in essays and addresses over a distinguished career and a well-examined life.

As a preface and encouragement to engaging Wormhoudt directly in the book, I offer this brief summary of my take-aways from his thoughts in Chapter 9: The Devaluation of Law* (Or . . . A Sophisticated Kind of Ignorance?). The truth of things is usually much simpler than our handlers would have us undertand.

The Devaluation of Law