Anarchist calisthenics

Arriving in Germany in the summer of 1990, James C. Scott is surprised to find that Germans seem entirely unwilling to jaywalk across a narrow road, even when no cars are evident for miles. On the occasions when he or someone else dares to do so, they are met by clucks of disapproval by pedestrians waiting patiently for the light to change. Determined not to let this get to him, he jaywalks anyway: As a way of justifying my conduct to myself, I began to rehearse a little discourse that I imagined delivering in perfect German. It went something like this. “You know, you and especially your grandparents could have used more of a spirit of lawbreaking. One day you will be called on to break a big law in the name of justice and rationality. Everything will depend on it. You have to be ready. How are you going to prepare for that day when it really matters? You have to stay ‘in shape’ so that when the big day comes you will be ready. What you need is ‘anarchist calisthenics.’ Every day or…