Law will take its own course!

In public conversations, 'law will take its own course' tag has almost become a cliche. Law taking its own course is the most favorable course any case can take for the benefit of the accused. Corrupt politicians often take refuge under this umbrella to lengthen the courtroom proceedings, buy time and bailout culprits. This terminology in blame game politics implies that who ever is guilty of an offence will get punished as per law. Law will take its own course is meant for the educated people who are afraid of the law, which is not to be crossed over under any circumstances. Upholding the majesty of law and the principle of equality of all before the law, however high or mighty the persons may be, is the bounden duty of the government. In India, we have the best drafted laws but the problem is that the law enforcing agencies doesn't work effectively and the common people are the worst hit. The law almost never takes its own course in India. The state is always up to mischief against the citizen and the judiciary usually does not resist it. The conduct of democracy rests on three core ideas – representation, rule of law and freedoms. A substantive idea of representation goes beyond the minimalist protocol of electing representatives. It includes an idea of representation of voiceless people who do not know how to speak to power, or who do not know how to use existing laws to protect their lands and forests from rapacious loot by crony capitalists. The second feature of democracy is the rule of law and the accountability of those who implement and use law. The rule of law aims to protect and preserve the rights of people, and if these rights are being infringed, to provide recourse and remedies. And finally, democracy functions through a range of freedoms – to speak, express, form associations, dissent, basically through a mobilization and institutionalization of demands, and a competition of ideas and agendas. Dissent is the safety valve of democracy. If not allowed, the safety valve will burst. This is not part of some revolutionary ethic but comes out of a standard understanding of the mechanics of liberal democracy. Truth is self-effulgent. If truth requires evidence, what will evidence that evidence? - Swami Vivekananda

Wealthy people are less ethical

• Pity the rich. They drive their expensive cars with little respect for the law. Most of them (not all of them) break the rules thinking they won’t have to face the consequences, and they even take candy from children. Being wealthy is what drives the unethical behavior.
• Their unethical behavior is driven by the fact that they see nothing wrong with greed. Their wealth makes them less dependent on others, less concerned with how they're viewed and it gives them more resources for handling trouble (like traffic fines) should it come along.
• Drivers of expensive cars were four times more likely to cut off another vehicle and ignore the right-of-way than drivers of cheaper cars. The most flagrant offenders: Mercedes drivers.
• Police officers often face lecturing from the drivers of fancy cars when they pull them over for a ticket.
• Lower-class individuals are more physiologically attuned to the suffering of others than their middle- and upper-class counterparts. The difference in ethical behavior might be about opportunity rather than moral fiber.
• The pursuit of self-interest is a more fundamental motive among society's elite and the increased want associated with greater wealth and status can promote wrong-doing.
• According to a string of new studies, it's not clear if being rich increases unethical behavior or if such behavior is what allows people to become rich in the first place.
• Those given an unfair advantage believes they deserved to win. They attributed their successes to their own individual skills and talents, rather than their highly favorable circumstances.
• If rich are made to feel psychologically a little less well-off, they become way more generous, way more charitable, way more likely to offer help to another person.
• A few at the top are indeed generous, as evidenced by Bill Gates and others.

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Why we bend rules?

Even most honest among us lie, cheat or push boundaries now and then. In everyday transgressions character isn’t the real driver; situational forces are. Powerful people break the rules; breaking rules makes one seem more powerful.

• Without the intelligence to create the rules, we would have no rules to break.
• Being able to create and  follow rules is one of the things that separates humans from the rest of the animals. Being able to create and follow your own rules is what makes you intelligent. Without the intelligence to create the rules, we would have no rules to break.
• Intelligent people generally don’t bend rules, as they are aware that the rules are made for good purpose.
• Breaking the rules all the time and getting away with out getting caught doesn't make any one intelligent or smart.
• Intelligent people are those who have mastered the rules, practiced the rules, and by overcoming laziness they have perfected their interpretation of the rules.
• At work, there are rules for a reason. The rules exist to keep things moving and to make sure everyone else can do their jobs too. Everyone knows that rules need to be broken sometimes. Flexibility allows for you to actually be a better manager.
• Rich are more likely to flout rules or cheat for making more money.
• Most entrepreneurs succeed by bending the rules. Where is the line between gall and fraud?
• The man driving powerful and expensive SUV is more likely to flout traffic rules than a driver of a compact sedan.
• In its modest form rule breaking might be healthy. The more one wins the greater the confidence boost, the bigger the risks and so on. But at a certain point, risk taking can become irrational, reckless & ruthless and could cause ethical numbing and results in self destruction.
• If your tribe downloads pirated music, sells dubious stocks or accept bribes, you are likely to go with the flow and cover up for the peers.
• Kids who cheat on the high school exams are three times as likely in adulthood to lie to a customer or inflate an insurance claim compared with non-cheaters.
• The real threat is the slippery slope that minor transgressions can snowball into cataclysmic ones. Imagine Bernie Madaoff  or Ramalinga Raju thinking, this just once. And eventually they just don't think about it. Rule breaking worsens over time. 
• It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten - Chairman of Satyam Computer Services B. Ramalinga Raju described his situation and referring to the widening gap between the real and artificial numbers in the company’s books.
• When people sign an ethics pledge at the beginning rather than at the end of job applications or tax forms - before there is an opportunity to cheat - they are significantly less likely to be dishonest.
• It is much easier to be a saint in theory than in practice. At the end of the day, you have to live with your conscience – and the law.

Every person learns at some point you don't know what you don't know.

If a million people do a wrong thing, it is still a wrong thing.

When you're the only sane person, you look like the only insane person.

Rules are framed for orderly behavior of society. Rule breakers, intentional or otherwise, must be penalized and punished to avoid chaos. Good people watch their actions continuously and regret any wrongdoings and avoid recurrences. Those who enjoy first violation of rules will commit bigger and end up as bad guys and when caught will face law, penalties & jail. Bending the rules seems to have heroism and fun but it ends up facing embarrassment sooner or later apart from character destruction. Never go with the flow of wrong doers who will get caught some day. People following rules all the times seldom ends up in wrongdoings.