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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Justicia Regnum Fundamentum

Two weeks ago I spent a day and a night in Vienna. In this connection I would like to recommend the wonderful blog Merisi's Vienna for Beginners.

I offered my colleagues a very standard and unimaginative walk along Graben, across Hofburg, the beautiful Palmenhaus and Museum Quartier. However, next time I would really like to go off the beaten track but never mind.

While walking through Hofburg I came upon an inscription over one of the gates - Justicia Regnum Fundamentum - Law is the Fundament of the Empire. I can't agree more with the emperor who ordered it (does anybody know anything about it as I couldn't find anything on Internet?). Years ago, sometimes I imagined that I am the Bulgarian prime minister and I was thinking of my priorities. Not that I ever had political ambitions, it was simply an exercise of prioritizing.

Hofburg, Vienna

If I have to do it again, fixing the judicial system would be my absolute priority and I would spare no resources to do so. Maybe this is difficult to understand by people living in countries with well-functioning judicial systems.

Isn't the trust in the rule of law the invisible network that holds everything together?

Paradoxically, I am not the most law-abiding person that I've met. I usually have a critical approach to rules and I do not follow them blindly. I somehow like adapting the rules a bit. I guess I would be paying fines through my nose if I were living in Switzerland for example. However, I feel that you need reliable, fair and enforceable rules for a stable and just society.

And how can we break the law if there is no law? How can we try to improve the law if it is not enforced?

I have to say, though, that I am in favour of a set of laws that are not stifling and which do not kill creativity and the joy of life for the individuals and enterpreneurship and innovation for the companies.


Fortunately, there is no law forbidding the creation of
strange whispering eyeless figures and their sale

5 comments:

Amber said...

I like to think that karma keeps us all on track, but I dont know if that is strictly true! I guess we do rely heavily on laws though, but I have to say I think some countries go overboard with the amount of laws taht 'they' stick on its citizens and often it seems in my travels that the countries and cities that have a 'softer' approach to law seem to mesh better and have a much happier community. Hmmm, not sure!

The Clever Pup said...

You've been to the Palm House! I didn't have time when I was there.

If you haven't already check out KunsthausWien, Spittleburg and the ceiling in the State Library.

Thanks for dropping by my site sometimes. I really appreciate it.

I_am_Tulsa said...

The blog you introduced was gorgeous...there are so many places I haven't been that I would like to go to...

As for laws, there are so many it is practically impossible to know all of them! Strange isn't it?!

Meri said...

The photos evidencing the entrepreneurial spirit are gorgeous. Nice job!

Ruslan said...

Amber,

That's an interesting statement. I also think overregulation is not good.

Clever Pup,

thanks a lot for your suggestions.

Tulsa,

It is high time you make an European trip.

Meri,

These were the only photos I made last time in Vienna as I didn;t have time. I don't even know that it is, these were some shops in the centre of Vienna.