this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 15 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I guess I haven't yet. Maybe you can help me: How do laws against, for example, rape, only benefit the rich while oppressing the rest of us?

[–] bunkyprewster@startrek.website 41 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They are enforced against poors. While rich rapists walk free.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 16 points 1 day ago

That has certainly been the case in some places, though by no means all of them. Enforcement is also a separate issue to the law itself.

But to provide some maybe better examples, do laws that enshrine workers' rights to form a union only serve to benefit the rich? Laws that limit donations to political parties? I really don't think you can make that argument for all laws.

[–] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Then that's not a problem with the law, but with enforcement.

If there was whatever glorious socialist revolution tomorrow, that law would stay.

My guy, the institution of law and its enforcement cannot be studied in isolation of one another. They're both different arms of the same state. And the state represents the Bourgeoise, so there's loopholes and bribes that keep the rich from facing punishment that the poors are subjected to for far minor crimes.

This honestly feels like arguing over semantics while trying to obfuscate the point being made

[–] marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Donald Trump violently raped his ex-wife because his hair plugs hurt. She was bruised for days, according to her book.

He saw no jail time. Not even a charge.

Not one Epstein Client has seen jail time.

The vast majority of cases against the Affluent fail to secure jail time, if they're even brought at all.

In many cases it is not that the laws are written in a way that precludes prosecution, however they are written in a way knowing it is unlikely to ever bring prosecution against those in the Epstein class.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The US is a hellhole with a billionaire class living above the law, sure, not arguing with that. I guess maybe I should have assumed US defaultism for this question.

But OP made a blanket statement about all laws, and didn't specify a country either. If your username is any indication you're a Marxist. How do you think a Marxist state would work without laws?

One can assume they're drawing from current material conditions, and not meaning to disparage the theoretical platonic form of 'laws;' specifically the fact that it doesn't matter which country you pick (with few exceptions that do try their best), under capitalism those with capital statistically make the laws, and specifically make them to bind the working class while not expecting them to ever affect themselves.

Now one could argue all laws that could possibly exist do this to some extent. And some people would think you're correct, but realistically the word society is synonymous with rules, which itself is synonymous with laws, so no one seriously believes that any group of more than one person would exist without some level of legality; though that last line itself is incredibly contentious given the hang up some people have on 'if there are laws then surely there must be a state to enact and enforce them -- and to those people I say actually read your literature, either anarchism or communism.

[–] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No way you haven’t heard about Epstein and friends.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 1 points 1 day ago

No way you haven't read the other replies to my comment.

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Social cohesion is important for a smoothly running business. Unpunished rape creates problems on the shop room floor. Or to put it another way, rape gets punished extrajudicially in ways that are not good for business or social cohesion in general.