History PlayingWith / ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem

** [[ScrewYourself Screw myself,]] [[RussianReversal the rules make me.]]

** Since he enforces the rules, Justice believes that he should follow the rules more strictly than those under him.

** [[TheCaligula Screw them, I make the rules]]
** Since he enforces the rules, Justice believes that he should lead a much more moral life than those under him.

** A character is on the lower tiers of law enforcement (think meter maid or bike cop) but [[DrunkWithPower throws around their weight like they're an emperor because they're charged with law enforcement.]]

** Every time the President wants to break a law he takes it off the books, commits the act, and then reinstates it. Any private citizen can break the law too, but they must time it perfectly.
* '''Zig-Zagged''': The President realizes he committed a crime and must go to prison to serve his sentence, but sends his clone to prison in his place. Then he steps down, but he becomes TheManBehindTheMan for his successor.

* '''Invoked''': President Justice's predecessor, President Law, was practically TheFettered when it came to obeying the rules. Justice, seeing an opportunity, decides to take over and use his status to his advantage.

* '''Played for Laughs''': President Justice happens to be an amateur comedian, so he outlaws the profession only to break his prohibition regularly and make his people laugh -- whether they find his jokes genuinely funny is irrelevant.

* '''Straight''': President Justice frequently breaks the rules he's supposed to enforce.

** Justice [[EvilIsPetty cuts in line]] when not carrying out official state duties.
** Justice states that the laws sometimes have exceptions, which seem to conveniently apply to him and no one else.

** He believes the ends justify the means.

** Screw myself, [[RussianReversal the rules make me]].

** There are no rules, and those are the rules!

* '''Subverted''': The President realizes he committed a crime. He debates what to do for a while, then decides the moral thing to do is to serve out his time.

** A character is on the lower tiers of law enforcement (think meter maid or bike cop) but throws around their weight like they're an emperor because they're on the enforcement side of the law.

* '''Zig-Zagged''': The President realizes he committed a crime, and must go to prison to serve out his time, but sends his clone to prison in his place. Then he steps down.

* '''Deconstructed''': The lack of a connect between his stated ideals and his actual ideals leads President Justice's citizens to revolt -- they've decided ''they'' don't care about the rules too much either.
* '''Reconstructed''': The revolt fails because President Justice slaughters disloyal citizens, despite that defying his rules.
* '''Played for Laughs''': President Justice happens to be an amateur comedian, so he outlaws the profession only to break it regularly and make his people laugh -- whether they find his jokes genuinely funny is irrelevant.

%%

* '''Justified''': He is literally JudgeJuryAndExecutioner -- he's not going to punish himself.

** Bob is an ordinary Joe who speeds and does other minor lawbreaking because he believes that since he doesn't enforce the rules, they don't apply to him.

** There's no rules, and them's the rules!
** Every time the President wants to break a law he takes it off the books, commits the act, and then reinstates it. Any private citizen can break the law too, but they must time it perfectly.
* '''Zig Zagged''': The President realizes he committed a crime, and must go to prison to serve out his time, but sends his clone to prison in his place. Then he steps down.

* '''Lampshaded''': "I am above the law. No...I am the law!"

** "I am not above the law. I must obey it like all men."
** "[[BodyguardBetrayal Should the Emperor ever disregard his own law, the Captain of the Praetorian Guard must execute him.]]"
* '''Discussed''': "Is it just me, or does the President not seem to practice what he preaches?"

%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': Justice [[EvilIsPetty cuts in line]] when not carrying out official state duties.

** Screw myself, the rules make me.

* '''Downplayed''': ???
* '''Justified''': He is literally JudgeJuryAndExecutioner - he's not going to punish himself.
* '''Inverted''':
** Since he enforces the rules, he believes that he should lead a much more moral life than those under him.
** Bob is an ordinary joe who speeds and does other minor lawbreaking because he believes that since he doesn't enforce the rules, they don't apply to him.

* '''Parodied''':

* '''Defied''':

* '''Deconstructed''': The lack of a connect between his stated ideals and his actual ideals leads President Justice's citizens to revolt - they've decided ''they'' don't care about the rules too much either.
* '''Reconstructed''': The revolt fails because President Justice slaughters unloyal citizens, despite that being against his rules.

What's that? You want a link back to ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem? Well, I'm not going to give you one - I am the law!

* '''Inverted''': Since he enforces the rules, he believes that he should lead a much more moral life than those under him.

* '''Parodied''': A character is on the lower tiers of law enforcement (think meter maid or bike cop) but throws around their weight like they're an emperor because they're on the enforcement side of the law.

* '''Deconstructed''': The lack of a connect between his stated ideals and his actual ideals leads President Justice's citizens to revolt - they've decided ''they'' don't care about the rules too much either.
* '''Reconstructed''': The revolt fails because President Justice slaughters unloyal citizens, despite that being against his rules.

* '''Defied''': "I am not above the law. I must obey it like all men."

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** "Should the Emperor ever disregard his own law, the Captain of the Praetorian Guard must execute him."