The Most Important Rule in Lawmaking
Wisdom from King Hammurabi that our current politicians should follow but won't
It was once said to rule is to serve, nothing more, nothing less.
In heated political moments over laws, and what is, or is not, ethical, rises to the forefront.
Right now on the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded how incredibly difficult it is to satisfy a diverse and large population.
I’ve been reading about King Hammurabi lately. He was a ruler, warrior, diplomat, and skilled administrator.
The guy was a savvy self-promoter and walked that fine line of ruling with military strength and diplomatic finesse.
The skills of our politicians fail miserably in comparison.
In an age of rule-by-brute-force, as King Hammurabi lived in the mid-1700s BCE, he accomplished something miraculous for the period — he demonstrated a level of service to his people uncharacteristic for the ancient world.
He created one of the earliest and most complete written ethical and legal codes humanity had seen. Yeah, there are many eye-for-an-eye laws, but underneath it is a commitment to fairness for the masses.
The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.
~King Hammurabi
He was no saint, for sure, yet, he ruled with a level of compassion, wisdom, and understanding that laid the groundwork for future civilizations.
It could even be said he ruled with more clarity and focus on the citizenry than we get from our current brood of politicians, which is ironic considering we live in a “democracy,” and he was an autocratic King.
Very impressive.
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