There’s a huge amount of talk about amnesty. It ignores much of the transformative history in this hemisphere of those given amnesty and the consequences of that excessive tolerance towards aberrant and abhorrent behavior. As politicians push for amnesty, consider what that meant in the past as a measure of what we can expect in the future. It has no real direct benefit to the citizens.
I became aware of amnesty through a study of the age of the buccanneer. In essence, pirates would loot, plunder, pillage, burn, rape, and do all sorts of lasciviousness. Suddenly, a government would offer amnesty, forgiving them all of their trespasses against that government in exchange for turning privateer. They would then prey on enemy governments with the PERMISSION of that government. The government got nothing; the citizens got nothing. The pirates gained a safe harbor, a title, some land in some cases, and the protection of the rulers. Sometimes they continued to prey on ships of the government that gave them permission to raid.
Amnesty is license to continue the practice of pillage and plunder. It excuses them without justice because the excuse will elevate the government or is perceived as having such a benefit. It does not help the citizens, and in fact it cheapens the work of those who try to adhere to the law. All amnesty will do is change the width and breadth of benefits the government can pass to those who are helping them wage war.
Who is the enemy of government? The citizens are the enemies of government. When the government offers letters of marque and turns pirates to privateers, the citizens have an openly declared and politically protected enemy. The citizens are trying to hold power in check. Recipients of amnesty know no such controls on power or restraint. When the government offers amnesty, it is looking to buy mercenaries to prey on the citizens who believe in the protections of the law. It will not help us.
Every politician who supports amnesty misapprehends the importance of the rule of law. Civil society is an agreement of people on a form and structure of government most likely to secure them freedom and peace at the lowest cost. We make laws to help us manage expected behaviors, so that we know how to play the game. Amnesty is akin to changing the rules during the game to favor a new player at the expense of those who have already made improvements. Every politician who favors amnesty hopes it will benefit them. If it helps the citizens, it’s entirely coincidental.
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