A Man For All Seasons- The Devil and The Law

[friendly_iconoclast]

The person who posted this on Youtube said it better than I can:

A clip from the classic movie and play, "A Man For All Seasons". Roper, More's future son-in-law, argues that we need not uphold the law when it comes to "getting the bad guy". But what happens when those in authority decide to come after you? A relevant topic, considering the broadened powers we have ceded to our government (or that we have allowed the government to take, under the pretense of security, or protection or combating terrorism).

[iandhr]

1. It's worth noting that Thomas More was a religious zealot...

Last edited Tue Jun 21, 2016, 09:08 AM - Edit history (1)

... who had protestants tortured during the reformation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More#Campaign_against_the_Reformation

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. Granted, but what Bolt has him saying is still relevant

[iandhr]

4. True

But sometimes the messenger matters and More isn't exactly the best messenger.

I prefer Franklin's "He who is willing to sacrifice essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

[rusty quoin]

5. It's one hell of a movie though.

[iandhr]

6. Agreed

[longship]

8. It's More, not Moore. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

2. The Sovereign fails when it cannot protect its citizenry

We have given, by The Social Contract, much in exchange for safety

But the Sovereign cannot stop mass shootings or daily shootings, can't even agree on what
to do

So they allow us to protect ourselves by arming ourselves

Are we safer?

[longship]

7. It is a fantastic film!

Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Venessa Redgrave, Orson Welles, Leo McKern, and a rather young John Hurt.

And on and on and on.

Yup! More was a crazy religious ideologue. But the film tells it fairly straight. He apparently did not betray his conscience. He was betrayed. Nobody could fault him for that.

And the cast is fucking awesome!

One of my favorite films!

And Scofield justifiably earned his Oscar.