Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Laws often create loopholes that allow corruption or dishonest gain.
In plain terms
Laws can create new ways to steal.
What can you take from it?
Watch out for how rules are used.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • regulation
  • government

Putting it to work

  • audit rules
  • watch loopholes
  • demand transparency

Questions to consider

  • How to prevent loopholes?
  • Is all law corrupt?

Another view

Not all laws lead to graft; some prevent it.

More from Robert A. Heinlein

  1. The whole principle is wrong. It's like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't have steak.

    Permalink to quote #6
  2. Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do.

    Permalink to quote #8
  3. An armed society is a polite society.

    Permalink to quote #5

Related quotes

  1. The problem of cat versus bird is as old as time. If we attempt to resolve it by legislation who knows but what we may be called upon to take sides as well in …

    Adlai StevensonAdlai Stevenson quote #1
  2. It may be necessary to use methods other than constitutional ones.

    Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe quote #2
  3. The government is well aware of the dangers of corruption, and I call on everybody to take measures to implement this program and fight this phenomenon.

    Andranik MargaryanAndranik Margaryan quote #4