h a l f b a k e r yTempus fudge-it.
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An international organization to cause despair.
The organization would scrutinize existing legislation in all jurisdictions, and identify things that aren't illegal, simply because there isn't a law aganst them, and no-one's thought of it before.
As an example, a few decades ago, a disgruntled
hovercraft pilot stole a hovercraft, and drove it round Southampton water at very high speed, causing chaos, before returning it - undamaged - to its pad.
He was arrested, but then the police found there was nothing they could charge him with. There was nothing in the law about borrowing hovercraft. It wasn't a boat; it wasn't an aircraft.
So they charged him with stealing the fuel he had used, at which point the pilot produced a bundle of notes and offered to pay the full cost.
Since the vehicle was undamaged, and he was a fully qualified pilot, baffled and frustrated they simply had to let him go.
This could be extrapolated.
Crowdsourced, and backed by careful research, enterprising individuals would be encouraged to carry out activities and create devices that cause alarm, nuisance and controversy, but importantly aren't illegal, because no-one's done them before.
The effects would be dramatic. Huge public resources would be expended trying to deal with the situation. Police and other public authorities would be diverted from their core activities to deal with an unmanageable problem. Legislatures would become choked, trying to deal with things that actually almost no-one bothers to do. And best of all, it will upset and confuse a lot of boring old people, expose the authorities for the hopeless numpties they are, damage their credibility, and give young people something to laugh at and a cheap way of making fun of "them".
What's not to like ?
[link]
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If I recall correctly, [8th], it was your febrile ramblings, plus
a bottle of Old Splenetic, that left the Intercalary
languishing in jail in San Marino. His lawyer's triumphant
statement of "there is no law in San Marino against painting
the Captain Regent" was completely pooh-poohed by the
judge. Apparently there are two possible interpretations of
"painting". |
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In many places "creating a public disturbance" is frowned-
upon to the extent that perpetrators can be arrested for
doing that thing. If the hovercraft driver had been guilty of
"causing chaos" then that might have legitimately led to a
modest amount of incarceration. |
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Indeed, but in that specific case there were rules about going too
fast in boats, and rules about aircraft ... but nothing, absolutely
nothing , about hovercraft. |
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Besides, for this scheme, you wouldn't want to do anything which
fell within the existing statute for public nuisance. That would be
illegal. You might, for exampke, go round in an electric truck
(which would be silent) with a searchlight on it, and shine it on a
local councillor's bedroom windows at 0330, waking them up. Of
course, the cops would be called, and after a lot of head-
scratching, have to let you go - because it isn't covered by any
laws. You haven't done any damage, and you've only disturbed
one person, just once. Public Nuisance only applies if the effect is
persistent, and affects multiple people. |
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Eventuality, they might get a court injunction, which will cost
them time, money and effort, to no effect, because by then
you've moved on to some equally annoying but legal prank. |
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Like flying a solar hot air parafoil over a major sporting event. |
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