The U.S. government: breaking some laws is OK
The United States government is setting a precedent: it's OK to break laws some of the time—IF you're the United States government. Or so they think.
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It's not just some law; it is the law that forms the foundation for others. Thus violating the Constitution is a serious offense and one that should have serious consequences, yet the government routinely violates it. Breaking the Rules Thousands of Times at the N.S.A. documents a small percentage of government wrongdoing: just a tiny fraction of the tip of the iceberg. What does the government think should be the penalty for those massive and ongoing constitutional violations?
Nothing. Getting off scot-free. Getting a pass. Giving itself a Get Out of Jail Free card. The rules apply to them, not us.
Hogwash. Our Founding Fathers and the documents they drafted, most notably the Constitution, were more focused on controlling the government than controlling people. People were to be free; the government was to be controlled. Hence the USA as the land of the free.
The rule of law stipulates that all people are equally subject to the law. Not some people; all people, including the President and all members of government, from the federal government to the township board.
Unless the government wants to set a precedent for a dangerous double standard, if it can exempt itself from the law whenever it is convenient, we can, too. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Equitable treatment in necessarily equal treatment.
Notes:
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reference: Imagining dialogue can boost critical thinking: Excerpt: “Examining an issue as a debate or dialogue between two sides helps people apply deeper, more sophisticated reasoning …”