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22 Pounds of UAW Rules and Regulations (Literally) (laborpains.org)
13 points by Shamiq on Dec 14, 2008 | hide | past | favorite | 6 comments



So, all those workers voted on whether this was a good contract. I know I love reading 2,000 pages of legal crap.

Frankly, I think contracts this long are stupid. Look at most of the legislation in DC. It's so long that people can't (and don't) read it. The 342 page USA PATRIOT Act passed in a day. Sure, some people might be able to read 342 pages in a day, but I doubt any of them did.

I'm not against regulation or making clear what you're doing, but at a certain point it gets ridiculous. People need to be able to understand the laws and contracts that govern them.


That 22 pounds will be the straw that broke the camel's back


This kind of problem seems to be common these days. The IRS tax laws are so complicated that experts are scared of it. The criminal legal system has so many laws that even the government has lost count. And instead of trying to get rid of the complexity, every year thousands of new laws and regulations get added.

What a waste.


Complexity is deliberate in affairs of state. It provides politicians and lobbyists with power and secrecy.


Upmod on the parent for insight.

Criminal law has reached the point that cops can jail/get rid of about anybody they choose -- as long as the person doesn't have a lot of money.

Tax law is so complex that only the super-rich (and perhaps chairman of the House Financial Services Committee that writes the tax code) can comfortably avoid most taxation. The rest of us are left in a murky "best-guess" status as to what is allowed or not.

Back when the U.S. was getting started, many wanted a complex government like the Europeans had. Thomas Paine, a firebrand, warned against such complexity. When a tyrant oppresses you, he said, you know exactly whom to blame. When a complex government oppresses you, there is no one person to blame, and you continue to be more and more oppressed.


Yup, and here's something else to consider:

You (as a citizen) are expected to know every law and can be punished if you break any of them, but you must pass the bar exam to practice law. In other words, the government holds you accountable to all laws while admitting that knowledge of the law is impossible for most people.




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