Everybody knows the statue of Justitia or Lady Justice, standing there blindfolded with scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The scales represent the weighing of evidence, the blindfold represents impartiality, and the sword represents the authoritative force as well as the idea that justice can be swift and final.
source: YouTube
When the world was watching the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, I'm sure many people had the same initial feeling as I did: there's two insanely rich people battling out a dispute over millions of dollars to add to their already over-sized bank accounts. Two individuals who live in a completely different world, on a completely different level than the rest of us. Yes, I'm glad that we all got to see the other side of the #MeToo coin (although right wing outlets are now abusing the attention to this case as a club to beat down on progressives, much like they did with the Rittenhouse case), but ultimately it was rich against rich. They got equal justice under the law, as it's supposed to be. However, Lady Justice takes off her blindfold whenever it's rich against poor, makes sure her scales tip to the side of the rich and her sword lands on the neck of the poor...
Money and wealth affect every aspect of our lifes, even justice and the application of it. When you're arrested it makes all the difference if you have enough money to pay a good lawyer. If not, you get a public defender who has a murderous case-load, doesn't have time to spend on you and most of the times ends up being a "meet 'm and plead 'm" lawyer; he or she explains the what plea bargain is offered by the state and advises you to take it. That's it. With the celebrity couple we saw with our own eyes what a real defense looks like; months or years of preparation, weeks of trial and each side represented by an entire team of lawyers with each their own specialty. If you ever had the illusion that "everybody is equal under the law," this trial should have wakened you up for good.
If that didn't do it, think back to the Great Recession of 2008:
Consider this: If you or I were to walk into a gas station, grab a six-pack of soda, and walk back out the front door without paying, the attendant would call the police and we would be charged for shoplifting. But when the reckless behavior of out-of-control financial institutions tanked the stock market and kicked off the Great Recession of 2008, nobody went to jail.
source: Business Insider
In my country of The Netherlands our current King was once the crown-Prince; he even studied at the university in my city. I remember that back then, when he just got his driver's license, he was a notorious speeder, always driving way too fast in his luxurious sports cars. For you and I those very expensive speeding tickets would maybe change our automotive behavior; do you think the Prince ever changed his behavior? Imagine what would have happened if Johnny Depp was a nobody without any money, represented by one of those "meet 'm and plead 'm" lawyers... A 2018 study shows that the rich are more likely to feel above the law, which should come as no surprise by now:
A new study has found that wealthy people are more likely to lie, steal, cheat and engage in other unethical behavior because of their money makes them feel entitled.
As new information comes to light about Paul Manafort’s splurges and suspicious behavior while his trial enters its third week, experts on wealth and power are weighing in on his actions.
Unfortunately, Manafort’s excessive spending falls in line with what researchers have discovered about the wealthy and powerful: that they are more likely to see themselves as above the law.
source: Earth.com
When rich people don't face the same consequences as the rest of us, the system falls apart — and it's bad for everyone. This is true, as well as the title of the article I quoted earlier. The whole point of that article is the same that I'm trying to make here; there's no such thing as "equal justice under the law." The rich buy and bribe the lawmakers, shaping the entire system to their benefit, which excludes the 99 percent who have lost all trust in the system that's so clearly rigged against them. This also means that there's no such thing as (a working) democracy, which further diminishes the trust of the masses. And we're all in it together, no matter if you're a white 2nd Amendment NRA member or a black Antifa supporter; we are equal under the law with Lady Justice's sword aimed at our necks.
It's all about the money. It's all about the wealth. So the only viable solution to this mess is to redistribute the wealth, or fundamentally change the economy to render redistribution pointless. It's the only way to seduce Lady Justice back into our camp and put an end to the law of money. Or should I say the lawlessness of money?
Rock Your Brain | Justice for The Rich, Prison for The Poor | MTV News
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and reading my posts dear reader, I appreciate that a lot :-) If you like my content, please consider leaving a comment, upvote or resteem. I'll be back here tomorrow and sincerely hope you'll join me. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy!
Recent articles you might be interested in:
| Latest article >>>>>>>>>>> | History Repeating |
|---|---|
| Immortal Greed | Our Place In Nature |
| "Overpopulation Crisis" Crisis | Retirement Age Nonsense |
| Our Greatest Gift | Amber Heard V. Free Speech |
Thanks for stopping by and reading. If you really liked this content, if you disagree (or if you do agree), please leave a comment. Of course, upvotes, follows, resteems are all greatly appreciated, but nothing brings me and you more growth than sharing our ideas.