Iron Sharpens Iron

First, Robert Michels formulated the Iron Law of Oligarchy:

All forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop into oligarchies.

Then Jerry Pournelle constructed the Iron Law of Bureaucracy:

In any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself.

Richard Cowan coined the Iron Law of Prohibition:

The more intense the law enforcement, the more potent the prohibited substance becomes.

Now, from Art Carden, we get the Iron Law of Intervention:

If you want to make a problem worse, pass a law to fix it.

I don't know if I should be depressed, or encouraged. The more I think about it, the more I think that Princess Leia managed to sum it all up...

The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.