Thread

1. ChrisLTD · 1789746428 · focus · HN ↗

   The law, as practiced in the United States, protects but does not bind elites, whereas the law binds but does not protect the lower classes.

   1. stvltvs · 1789748544 · focus · HN ↗

      Which is basically Wilhoit's Law, an attempt to define conservatism.

      edit: For those who don't want to look it up, Wilhoit's law is usually stated like this: "Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

      1. psunavy03 · 1789749670 · focus · HN ↗

         Life's so much easier when you can just caricature the people you disagree with, innit?

         1. stvltvs · 1789749938 · focus · HN ↗

            FWIW I don't agree with Wilhoit, just explaining where the idea came from.
         2. FLeXMurphy · 1789751842 · focus · HN ↗

            To back up stvltvs, the OP did more or less just use the one-liner as a zinger. "Protects but doesn't bind X, binds but doesn't protect Y" is the caricature, really. I'm sure you can find more floating examples on HN of it because it is a very lazy, midwit flex that signals the in-group the person spends too much time on the internet.

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