What are the benefits of rule of law?

Rule of law is one of the most fundamental concepts that has helped shape Western civilisation. It is the concept that lays the foundation for all of society’s values and institutions. Seeing as it is such an integral part of society, it is important to know what the benefits of rule of law are.

The main benefit of rule of law is that it is the foundation for a free and fair democratic society. It ensures freedom and prosperity to all whilst protecting us from any arbitrary uses of power. It is the keystone to maintaining individual rights and equality for all.

Democracy

One of the biggest benefits of rule of law is that it is the key foundation of democracy. Democracy cannot exist if there is no solid framework to ensure it operates as it is supposed to, but also protects it from any outside intervention. The rule of law is the foundation that ensures these aims are met. Without rule of law, democracy would cease to exist.

Rule of law ensures that public officials, for example, are elected through a democratic process in which the people decide who gets appointed. It gives a democracy the best possible chance of electing leaders who respect and uphold rule of law. The citizens are responsible for this, too, as they are the voice which elects these officials. If done correctly, not only will elected officials uphold the rule of law, but they will also represent the people of a given society and implement policies that improve those people’s lives. That is the beauty of democracy, and why rule of law is a quintessential element in maintaining a free and fair democratic society.

Rule of law also protects democracy from any outside intervention or arbitrary uses of power. This is essential for protecting society from tyranny and other arbitrary forces such as authoritarianism and totalitarianism. If society loses the rule of law, democracy is quick to fall, paving the way for corruption and the demise of society. It is important that a state remains a democratic one, as democracy is the surest method of giving voice to each and every individual. It is the system in which people get to determine who represents them, and what must be done to improve society. Rule of law ensures this is the case, which is highly beneficial to society and the individual.

Freedom

Another important benefit rule of law gives society is that it ensures freedom. Freedom is a very important concept, as it is freedom which allows society to progress and the individual to prosper. Free societies are almost always more prosperous than societies where freedom is restricted. Free societies on average have better economic conditions, GDP per capita, education, health, life expectancy and civil liberties. This shows how crucial it is for a society to remain free. The rule of law lays the foundation for a free society, as without it, freedom would be endangered.

For a society to remain free, it has to have rules in place to ensure that the rights and liberties of the individual are protected. Rule of law makes sure that the legal system puts an emphasis on individual freedom, and that the law protects the liberty of the individual. Rule of law decrees that no citizen is above the law. This is important for maintaining freedom as it prevents public figures and individuals who hold positions of power from restricting freedom and stripping away the fundamental rights of the individual.

Freedom is a quintessential concept of a free and fair democratic society. It is the one value that has allowed the western world in particular to progress as much as it has. It is therefore important that it is protected at all costs. Rule of law is the keystone for a free society, as without it freedom could not be preserved and society would be susceptible to the forces of tyranny. Hence, one of the main benefits of rule of law is that it maintains a free society.

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Individual Rights

The third main benefit of rule of law is that it ensures individual rights. In a free and fair democratic society, it is paramount that the rights of the individual are protected at all costs. Rule of law decrees that every citizen is equal under the law. This is the ideal foundation for maintaining individual rights and protecting them from outside intervention or from arbitrary uses of power. Individual rights lay the framework for a society that is in unison and harmony. They must be protected at all costs.

Emphasising the rights of the individual and that every citizen is equal before the law is crucial in ensuring two things. Firstly, it prevents individuals in power from unjustly interfering in the lives of other individuals who they deem ‘lesser’ than them. Secondly, it limits any form of dicrimination under the legal system that would unfairly target a certain group within society. Maintaining the rights of the individual means that no-one is discriminated against on the basis of their status, class, race, faith, gender or sexuality. It makes certain that each and every individual has the same rights, freedoms and opportunities as everyone else. Every individual has the same chance to succeed in life. The rule of law stresses the importance of individual rights and equality for all.

Individual rights are paramount to a free and fair democratic society. They are important for maintaining a healthy democracy and ensuring the individual is free and protected under the law. The rule of law is essential in ensuring the rights of the individual are valued and protected, which therefore benefits society greatly as a whole.

Summary

The main benefit of the rule of law is that it is the foundation for a free and fair democratic society. It ensures freedom and prosperity to all whilst protecting us from any arbitrary uses of power. It is the keystone to maintaining individual rights and equality for all.

Rule of law is essential for ensuring a healthy democracy. It lays the foundation for a free and fair democratic society. It makes sure democracy works as it is supposed to. It guarantees that public officials are democratically chosen by the people, and that they maintain the rule of law and serve those who put them into office.

Rule of law is important in ensuring freedom. Freedom is a quintessential element of a free and fair democratic society. Freedom gives the individual more power and rights, leading to a more prosperous society overtime. Rule of law makes sure freedom is protected and valued by all members of society.

Rule of law ensures the rights of the individual. Individual rights are important, as it means every citizen is equal before the law. This is important for combating tyranny and any arbitrary uses of power. It also protects individuals from any forms of discrimination. Hence, rule of law is one of the most important concepts within a democracy, and one that has many benefits for society.

What is the rule of law and why is it important?

The rule of law has been fundamental to western civilisation. It has helped shape democracies and create free and fair societies. Given that the rule of law is such an important concept, it is essential we know what it is and why it matters.

The rule of law means that no citizen is above the law. It has an emphasis on transparency and equity. It is important as it lays the foundation for free and fair democratic societies to prosper. It protects the individual from the forces of tyranny and any arbitrary use of power.

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Simply explained

As mentioned above, the easiest way to explain the rule of law is that it means no citizen is above the law. Every individual is equal before the law, regardless of their status, class, race, faith, gender or sexuality. Rule of law itself is made up of numerous laws that all maintain order and freedom within society. The actual framework that rule of law is built upon ensures that these laws are protected, and cannot be meddled with by outside forces such as the state or monarchies. The idea that everyone is equal under the law is important, as it protects us from segregation and ensures no-one in society is oppressed.

Rule of law also stresses that laws are enacted using a universal framework. This means that the laws must be transparent, universal in application and knowable to all. This ensures that citizens know and have a clear understanding of what the laws are, so they can follow them. If laws are too complicated, citizens start to lose trust in the law and society, paving the way for tyranny and anarchy.

The rule of law also emphasises the idea that legal requirements are more of a guide for citizens to follow. The legal system cannot put undue and tyrannical behavioural and cognitive demands on the individual. This is important as the rule of law is there to ensure the freedoms and rights of individuals and to lessen the threat of tyranny. Demanding people to behave and operate in a certain way strips people of their basic rights that the rule of law is required to uphold. It is of the utmost importance that legal requirements of a democratic society uphold the freedoms and rights of the individual.

Why it is important

Rule of law is foundational to a free and fair democratic society. Firstly, rule of law upholds all the values, legal systems and institutions that make for a thriving and prosperous democracy. Not only does it ensure these concepts and institutions can operate soundly, it also protects from any outside intervention or arbitrary use of power. Rule of law is the keystone of a free and fair democratic society. Freedom, individualism and democracy can only come to fruition under the rule of law. It is the essential framework from which all other concepts and institutions are built. The values that we hold dear to our hearts, and the institutions and systems that help us thrive are a direct consequence of the rule of law.

As stated just above, not only does the rule of law uphold all these values, it protects them from outside forces and arbitrary use of power. It shields society from dangerous currents such as despotism, absolutism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism – all things that threaten freedom, the rights of the individual and democracy itself. The only way to preserve freedom, individualism and democracy is through the rule of law. It is critical to the survival of these core western values. Without it, chaos will soon follow.

Rule of law is also important because as stated earlier, it ensures the legal system is more of a guide for individuals to abide by. This is paramount as it doesn’t force the individual to conduct themselves in a certain way. More so, it makes sure the individual moves in the right direction, that they benefit themselves and therefore society. It establishes the boundaries that the individual can’t cross, such as murder, damage to private property and theft. This allows for a more prosperous society as citizens understand the law and abide by it, going about life in a way that benefits society.

How does it affect society

Given that rule of law is such an important idea, it is essential to note briefly how it affects society. First and foremost, the most positive effect rule of law has on society is that it creates a framework not only for widespread concepts and institutions, but also for the individual and society as a whole. This ensures everyone is on a level playing field, and the laws are transparent, followable and easy to understand. Rule of law is the mechanism that helps us practically organise our concepts, values and institutions. This is crucial as a society cannot flourish unless it is built upon a solid framework of rules that nudge it in the right direction.

Secondly, rule of law allows for more individual freedom and is the foundation of a free and fair democracy. It means societal institutions work as they are supposed to, and political concepts such as individualism are implemented properly. It shields democracy from tyranny and arbitrary uses of power that threaten society. No citizens are above the law, which means everyone is equal before the law no matter who they are or where they come from. No-one can manipulate or dictate the legal system to suit them. It protects individuals from any forms of discrimination or opression, and makes sure the rights and freedoms of the individual are upheld. Thus, rule of law affects society in a very positive way.

Summary

Simply explained, rule of law means no individual is above the law. Every individual is equal before the law regardless of who they are or where they come from. Rule of law emphasises that the legal system must be transparent, universal in application and knowable by all.

Rule of law is important as it establishes, protects and preserves the rights and freedoms of the individual. It shields democracy from any arbitrary use of power and is essential for prosperity and a free and fair democratic society.

Rule of law affects society very positively. It is the fundamental mechanism that props up all the quintessential values of democracy, and lays the framework for the concepts and institutions that shape the daily life of the individual.

What are the 4 principles of individualism?

Individualism is one of the core political values of society, and a concept that has shaped the West into the dominant force it is today. It is a very broad concept that is made up of many principles. It is important to note what the main principles of individualism are, so we can get a better understanding of individualism as a whole. In this post I will delve into the four main principles of individualism, and give a detailed description of each principle so you get a clearer understanding of what individualism is overall.

The four main principles of individualism are: individual freedom, economic freedom, personal responsibility and rule of law. All four principles embody the overall concept of individualism, and help us see the benefits it has for society.

Individual Freedom

The first principle of individualism is individual freedom. Individual freedom is the idea that the individual is free from any state imposed oppression or coercion. It brings with it many values that are crucial to the concept of individualism. These include important ideas such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Freedom of speech is paramount to individual freedom and individualism as it allows the individual to organise their thoughts and perceptions of the world, articulate their opinions and develop a greater sense of truth. The individual is free to form their own view of the world, and live their life in the way that is of most benefit to them. This is important as individual freedom is a non-negotiable principle of individualism.

The right of the individual against the state is the keystone of individualism. The individual is free in thought, free in expression and free in worship. Individual freedom is of immense value to society and cannot be overstated in how crucial it is to a functioning democracy. It allows the individual to stand up against the forces of tyranny, and fight for the rights that they deserve right from birth.

Economic Freedom

Moving on from individual freedom, another principle that is of equal importance to the concept of individualism is economic freedom. Economic freedom can be broken up into three categories: The free market, competition, and private ownership. The free market inherently includes the other two, and means that the economy relies heavily on decentralisation. This means that the economy is less centralised, making the state less involved. This paves the way for more privatisation, and more competition.

Competition between businesses, industries and employees is crucial to society for a number of reasons. Firstly, it spawns more innovation, which directly benefits the individual and society. Secondly, it directly benefits the consumer as more competition either drives the prices of goods and services down, or increases the quality of said goods and services. Thirdly, it benefits the employees as a more competitive job market forces them to consistently become more skilled and competent at their given roles. This leads to higher wages and more employee satisfaction. All three examples given here help to greatly benefit the individual, and therefore society at large.

Private ownership is an important element of economic freedom. It means that businesses are privatised, and allows for the individual to own private property. This is important as more privatisation means the state is less involved in the affairs of business and property. The individual is in full control of what they own and don’t own, which is of critical importance to economic freedom and individualism as a whole.

Personal Responsibility

The third principle of individualism is personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is inherently tied to both individual freedom and economic freedom. In an individualistic society, the individual is inherently free. An inherently free individual is an individual that is exposed to risk, as freedom and risk are directly bound together.

The individual has to assess the relative risk of every decision that they make throughout their lives. This is true on the individual level as well as the economic level. On the individual level, the individual has to assess the comparative risk of things such as who they decide to associate with. Who or if they decide to marry. To practice a faith or to not practice a faith. There is an opportunity cost associated with each decision, so the individual must navigate through life making the choices that best suit them.

On the economic level, the individual also has to take a lot of responsibility and assess the risk of each decision they make. The individual is in control of how far they want to extend their education. What career they decide to partake in. What job or role they decide to work in. To invest their capital or not, and if so in what assets. As stated before, every decision brings with it an opportunity cost. The individual must be very particular with the choices they make and the risks they decide to take on. It is up to them to make the best decisions for themselves.

Rule of law

The fourth and final principle of individualism is rule of law. Rule of law essentially means all citizens of a society are equal before the law. It prevents any arbitrary use of power by the state or any other entities. It ensures that there is no discrimination amongst class, race, gender, sexuality and faith. The rights are the same for every single individual, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

Rule of law is quintessential in ensuring a civilised and prosperous society. It prevents the evil of tyranny from threatening the rights of the individual. It helps eliminate any form of oppression that unfairly targets innocent members of society. It ensures the individual does not get away with anything that is of harm to other individuals, such as murder.

It is the rule of law that helps maintain all the other principles that are paramount to individualism. It ensures that the rights of the individual are met and that the state does not unjustly interfere with their livelihoods. It holds up the values of freedom and makes certain the individual is free and protected from any outside intervention. Thus, the rule of law is an essential principle of individualism.

Summary

Individual freedom is a quintessential principle of individualism, as it ensures the freedom of the individual. When the individual is free, they are free in thought, expression and faith. This is important as the individual can never reach their full capacity on the individual plain if they are denied these crucial freedoms.

Economic freedom is another principle of paramount importance to individualism. It emphasises the free market. This brings with it more competition, and more privatisation. These three things allow the individual to make a living however they want, and helps boost investment and innovation. All things that benefit society.

Personal responsibility is another crucial component to individualism, and is inherently tied to the other three principles. In an individualistic society, risk is non negotiable. It is up to the individual to assess their risk tolerance and make the decisions that are of the most benefit to them. There is an opportunity cost associated with each decision.

Rule of law is the last of the four principles, and plays an important role in maintaining the other three. It means that every citizen is equal before the law. It helps reduce the threat of tyranny and oppression. It ensures that every individual has the ability to succeed and prosper, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Why New Zealand’s Covid Response Has Been the Worst in the World

New Zealand has self proclaimed to be the leading country in the world when it comes to their covid response. Many feel the world looks at New Zealand’s covid response with envy. I tend to disagree with this. In fact, I believe New Zealand has had one of the most unsatisfactory responses to the pandemic in the entire world. I understand I am a major outlier in taking this viewpoint, but I hope by the end of this post you start looking at New Zealand’s covid response in a way you never have thought about before.

First things first, our lockdowns. When the original strain of covid ripped across the world in the first quarter of 2020, Jacinda Adern was quick to implement what she called the “go hard and go early’ doctrine. What this essentially meant was before New Zealand was swamped with too many covid cases, Our borders were closed and we went into a strict lockdown for 4 weeks. This move was bold, but it ended up working (for the time being), as New Zealand essentially ‘defeated’ Covid. However, fast forward a year and a half later to when the Delta variant first arrived in New Zealand, The government decided to roll the dice and take another chance at a strict lockdown. This time it didn’t work, in fact it was an incredibly botched attempt and highlighted how unprepared our government was to actually deal with covid once it inevitably (key point) arrived. Was ‘locking down’ an effective strategy? Most kiwis say yes, but I say they were absolutely devastating to our country.

Before I continue, I need to address a theme that will be vital in all the points I make here. It is that throughout this pandemic, people, governments and epidemiologists have resorted to short term thinking. Absolutely no thought has been given to the long term consequences caused by the decisions we make today. This brings us back to lockdowns. Lockdowns are the epitome of what short term thinking looks like. The government was focussed on short term factors such as the amount of cases and amount of deaths, without considering the long term implications of what a lockdown would cause. Yes, we may have ‘kept’ covid out (the first time) but what about the effects on the economy, people’s livelihoods, mental health and young children? Shouldn’t these be vital considerations? To back up my claim, John Hopkins University (one of the most prolific, prestigious and credible scientific universities in the world), conducted a study on the link between state enforced lockdowns in relation to the spread and death toll of Covid-19. The study concluded that government imposed lockdowns were only 0.2% effective at slowing the spread of covid-19! This may seem odd considering to our credit New Zealand did indeed ‘beat’ covid the first time. In reality however we were only pushing out the inevitable fact that covid was going to indeed come, and we were eventually going to have to live with it. The study cited above goes on to say that all things considered, state enforced lockdowns were such bad policy decisions, they were ‘Morally and Economically Irresponsible.’

The terrifying thing is we don’t know what the full long-term impact of these lockdowns and restrictions will be on the economy and society as a whole. Many economists believe that the impacts from these policies will eventually cause more poverty related deaths than the mortality rate of covid-19, much more. Young people should be very concerned about this. 2 weeks to flatten the curve has turned into 2 years to flatten a whole generation. We are already seeing inflation hit highs it hasn’t hit for several decades. Close to 7.5% in New Zealand. Who does inflation hit the hardest? Working class people and poor people. Poverty kills, and these state imposed restrictions have created a climate that breeds poverty. All of this destruction to only halt the spread of covid by 0.2%, disgraceful. Depression, anxiety and other terrible mental health diseases are rampant throughout New Zealand. This is another issue that politicians dodge constantly. The pandemic or more accurately, the Government’s response to the pandemic has ignited this issue even further. We don’t even know what the psychological consequences are going to be of young children being locked down and having to wear masks. They could be catastrophic.

Our terrible covid response doesn’t end with lockdowns unfortunately. After our ‘elimination’ strategy proved ineffective (which it inevitably always would), the government still imposed overly bureaucratic and authoritarian measures to ‘slow’ the spread of covid-19. The most prominent of measures has been vaccine mandates and the vaccine pass system. Before we continue it’s important to note I am fully vaccinated and am very much pro vaccination. What I don’t agree with, however, is the state forcing people to be vaccinated in order to keep their livelihoods. This is exactly what the New Zealand government has done over the past couple of months and it is absolutely disgusting. First of all, the government’s whole rhetoric of unvaccinated individuals putting others at ‘risk’ is completely and utterly ludicrous. If you are fully vaccinated such as myself, why should you be worried about someone who isn’t. Does that not defeat the whole point of the argument that this vaccine is scientifically proven to be effective (which it is). If this vaccine is effective and you are fully vaccinated, then why on earth are you worried about the personal choice of someone else? It highlights the paranoia and fear the government has injected into New Zealanders throughout the past 2 years. The government invoking vaccine mandates, essentially destroying the livelihoods, families and careers of people over a personal bodily autonomy decision is absolutely tyrannical and very much terrifying. This one decision is going to have dire consequences felt many generations from now.

New Zealand, a famously peaceful country, has already seen violent and bloody riots outside our parliament. It is truly frightening how much hate and division our government has caused throughout it’s covid response. This is what I mean by short term and long term thinking. Vaccine mandates were merely imposed in the short term to boost the country’s vaccination statistics to look good globally, without considering the long term stains it could have on New Zealand society. The long term consequences of these policies are going to be tremendously worse than covid itself, especially under the wave of the far less severe omicron variant.
Ironically, New Zealand is now in the midst of our first real wave of covid-19 while the rest of the world is essentially celebrating the end of the pandemic. Cases numbers are rising rapidly, and people are scared only due to the mere fact the government and the media has frightened us about the virus the past 2 years. Let’s face the truth, our governments covid measures throughout the past 2 years haven’t worked at all. They have only postponed the inevitable fact a wave of covid would essentially sweep across the country. We are lucky, however, it’s the omicron variant in this instance and not Delta or the original strain. In fact we should all be rejoicing in the fact that Covid has finally hit New Zealand. The sooner more people catch it, the more natural immunity our population will have which will in turn spell the end of the pandemic. We can’t be fearful of this virus, especially omicron. If you are fully vaccinated and supplement that with the right lifestyle choices, food and exercise then there is nothing to be worried about. Don’t take my word for it, South African scientists have said omicron is the strain that will end the pandemic, and that there is nothing to be worried about as Covid is now the most treatable respiratory disease in the world. Scientists in Europe have stated the same thing. We can’t go on living like a hermit kingdom in fear of a virus which isn’t nearly as bad as the media and government have hyped it up to be. We must follow the United Kingdom’s lead in dropping all mandates, restrictions and isolation requirements. Covid is a short term issue, in the long term preserving our freedoms, rights and dignity are far more important to society.