A dirty little secret hiding in plain sight
How is it that insanity seems to reign supreme these days, and the most wicked people in society gain more freedom daily to dictate our every move? How is it that they aren’t being mocked and jeered, or at the very least ignored by the great mass of the population? I’m going to do a deep dive into one very central aspect of what’s going on which provides a big piece of the puzzle. I refer to one very simple concept: Contract.
Contracts
When you think about it, every law, custom, relationship and business arrangement comes down to one thing: What has been agreed between two or more parties; In other words- contract. A contract requires two basic things: first- A precise definition of what is to be exchanged and second- A clear indication of consent by all parties to the contract. It sounds so straightforward and simple- that’s because it is. There are three types of contract: Written, verbal and implied. Most contracts that we engage in are implied contracts. One example is civil courtesy. People generally agree to deal with each other in a civil manner and not lie cheat and steal (or injure/ murder!). At a different level altogether is the “obligation” to pay taxes to the State. By paying taxes it can be argued that we assent to an implied contract (no matter how inadvertently). Of course we are never presented with this contract; It was never mentioned, and we were never asked to sign anything because it’s not a written contract, which under the most basic premises of Contract Law fundamentally ought to be.
Kinds of Contracts
Having established what a contract is and is not I want to explore the kinds of contracts we deal with on a daily basis and what their implications are. The mother of all contracts is that between the individual and the State. When we’re born we are gifted with a delightful memento known as the Birth Certificate. This is not just a record of birth, but also the establishment of an implied contract. Our parents supply information about us in exchange for the “protection” of the State. This is done with the best of intentions, however innocently. I’ve done the same for my two children unthinkingly. There are a number of items in this arrangement that contravene Contract Law; Firstly- The “signatory” to the contract didn’t sign it (You). You could argue that because you aren’t capable of forming contracts that it’s fitting your parents should act in your stead. This is fine as long as you are informed of the situation when you are old enough to understand, and then given an option to review any contracts your party to by the age of consent. But that never happens.
The Most Insidious Contract
It’s a very underhanded way of forming a contractual arrangement. At no stage is the contract mentioned. It’s taboo and you’re insane if you even think it’s worth mentioning. We’re allowed to grumble about the State, but utterly condemned for suggesting remedies. The State knows who you are and how old, so as you approach working age it prepares to engage with you in your first implied contract with their revenue collectors. This is the most insidious “contract” of all, as your assent to this unmentioned “agreement” is not just implied but also enforced- As if you had signed it. Did you sign anything?
The Burden of Responsibility
If you didn’t sign anything, then there’s no contract. It’s unenforceable, except that the other party (the State) will enforce it anyway, and the ordinary people around you who don’t understand what a contract is, will tell you you’re an idiot if you don’t just “pay your f***ing taxes and shut up.” Earlier I talked about how contracts can be tacitly formed through compliance. However, to form a legally binding contract we also need full disclosure. The burden of responsibility for this is on the party that wrote the contract. The counterparty can’t be expected to have as good a comprehension of the contract as the party who wrote it.
No Disclosure Means No Contract
Often we’ll find that there has never been full disclosure, or that details have been buried in the “small print”. No disclosure means no contract. It’s what’s described in Contract Law as “null and void”. If we discover any hidden details in a contract and continue to participate, then we’re effectively agreeing to those terms. If we wish to rescind a contract that’s flawed or void (consult a knowledgeable advisor on this point), all we have to do is stop participating in it. It’s usually advisable to write to the counterparty notifying them that we’re abandoning the arrangement and why, as this helps protect us from legal action. However, every case has to be judged on its own merits.
The contract nobody wants to talk about
Westerners are brought up to believe that they are part of a “Republic”. Most of us don’t know what a Republic is and there are various interpretations. Basically it means each person gets to vote representatives to form a government in exchange for handing over certain areas of control (such as security administered by a civil police force that is backed up by the courts system), the government promises never to meddle with our basic individual freedoms.
We the People
Places like the US have written constitutions, and they begin with fine words such as “we the people” and they tell us about all the things that the government is not allowed to do to us. This is all very well, and these are generally fine documents; But are we ever asked whether we agreed to them? Were we ever asked to sign this contract? No; Our assent is taken for granted, or more correctly it’s not required at all. The State assumes the “right” to extract a considerable portion of our wealth, with or without our consent. This lack of consultation may be very convenient for those running the machinery of the State, but it creates a weakness like a crack in a wall that only grows over time until the whole edifice comes crashing down.
The Irish Constitution
There are many things to be said about the Irish Constitution and the massive deceptions employed by the British crown in the negotiations to create the so-called “Free State” and transparently non-existent “Republic”. This has been written about in an article featured on this website called “We have been lied to for 100 years” https://www.irishpeople.ie/we-have-been-lied-to-for-100-years/ If the State keeps its hands off our rights to ownership, free speech, right to bear arms etc., then most people won’t bother “reading the contract”. However, when we find these things being threatened, then the contract details suddenly start to become very interesting indeed.
So what do we do about all this mess? I have a few suggestions, but they are for another day’s work. Thanks for reading.
Seamus O’Laoi
*Seamus O’Laoi is a writer, artist and architect and has studied and administered architect’s agreements and building contracts these last 25 years. Contract and Planning Law formed an important part of his undergraduate studies in Trinity College Dublin.
Please visit his satirical blog “The Globalist Gazette” which looks at all the crazy shenanigans and unbridled stupidity going on in today’s world: https://globalistgazette.substack.com.
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