2TecTom's Journal: On copyright and complexity

It seems that to me, laws are like gears, it is possible to have too many of them. Like any system, the more diversity, the more complexity. The more complexity, the more uncertainty. The more parts, the more friction.

Why should more laws be better than less laws? If one considers the over all original design of legal system, it seems clear that the founding fathers were mindful of this problem of over-encumberance and worked towards the goal of simplicity. I believe they, taken by the reflection of justice they saw amoung themselves, thought that providing a spare and functional machine, would inspire those that followed to value efficency over weight. Perhaps however, that trust was their flaw in an almost otherwise perfect political hack. If only they had as clearly seen the end and middle as well as the beginning, I believe they would have provided for a mechanism to force expiration or replacement of old law whenever new law was needed. For clearly, the current political operating system is needlessly encrusted.

Perhaps what is needed is an open expert system to model the legal structure of laws? For perhaps, if the people could "see" the overall effect of a new law, or even an old one, we might not be willing to pay such a price. It seems the best hacks are not brute force efforts to overwhelm, but rather, a subtle introduction of intelligence into an larger established system. Truly, it's hard to change others, but they will move, if they know they want too.