There was a false report of heroin in a car where police identified the back seat passenger as Ben by name at the beginning of the search. They also arrested him while serving legal papers which is protected, and refused to serve the papers themselves.

I still did well, but I had gaps for which there was no help outside of the internet available.

Seems like a slippery slope argument to forestall any practical positive change which doesn't directly immediately benefit you.

What's actually going to happen though, is every principled parasite at the top will fight tooth and nail to protect every principled right they have while for example the health care, infrastructure, and institutions decline, and they will happily support a fascist demagogue rather than give up those rights (on principles of course! Not on pesky reality).

This is not the first time around. Wealth concentrating policies rely on appealing to the middle class' fear that someone, somewhere will get a benefit that I won't. So principled!

And it works.

C.f. the discussion in Australia right now over whether increasing capital gains tax is 'fair'... The right is talking on principles, conveniently ignoring the massive tax breaks and regulatory capture that have resulted in huge measurable increases in wealth concentration, and justifying those spuriously as overall productivity increases. Principles for thee, pragmatism for me.

They were called kings. Cutting their heads off was the best thing to happen to society, ever.

Take the long view. Our particular economic and ideological moment is not worth defending.