QotD: Laws

This is what legislating is like. Say you're a legislator. You can't stand over people and tell them what to do. You make a law instead. And people frustrate the intent, and then you change it. Soon it's a hundred pages long, and people are really pissed off because they can't understand it. [. . .]

The other situation I talked about — the one where people push attorneys to mess up the law — is pretty much the same, except lawyers are involved. Legislators pass laws with good intentions, people want to get around them but they're too stupid, so they hire lawyers to help them get around them. So the legislators amend them over and over and over.

Lawyers do a lot of the dirty work, but non-lawyers pay us to do it. And it's often unethical for us to refuse.

Don't bitch because the law is complicated. Bitch because people are such weasels they can't be governed by simple laws.

Steve H., "Why You Can't Read Your Insurance Policy: It's Your Fault", Hog on Ice, 2005-10-14