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February 24, 2005
Eminent Domain= Euphemistic Claptrap
This is a letter (scroll down to "Eminent domain is theft...") I sent to the local fishwrapper, the Daily Mess, in response to this editorial. I showed it to several acquaintances, and they agreed with me to a man (and woman). Somebody even told me that a nationally syndicated radio personality had read it on the air and thanked me for writing it. I think, truly, that more people are libertarians, if not anarchists, than think they are. They just can't take that last logical step and realize democracy itself is bad, since that is what's allowed these depredations to flourish. It's like the old socialist/liberal apologetic for communism: "Communism is great, they just didn't do it right." Instead, they say, "Democracy is wonderful, but the wrong people keep getting elected."
Ah, well. Cognitive dissonance lives on.
Posted by Patrick Yancey at February 24, 2005 05:03 PM
Comments
so what is the answer than, if democracy is so bad... that's where I can't get to. socialism and communism are failures. where do we go from here because i know this plutocracy is not working.
Posted by: JTS ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.strike-the-root.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif){kind=small}
at February 24, 2005 09:38 PM
The way I see it you are right. For the "community" to take your property (even at a fair price) they had better have a better reason than more jobs taxes and such.
Theft is theft. Even if it's voted on first. As to why people don't bitch more is because most don't have the balls.
ED condemnations to build a flood control passage or an airport, maybe. A golf course or Wal-Mart no.
Posted by: Ali_Massoud at February 26, 2005 08:37 PM
JTS:
Democracy is so bad because, to paraphrase one of the founding fathers, it is too easy to sacrifice the offensive idea or the obnoxious individual (and I can think of a few groups who would vote me out on that basis!). When any majority has the right to oppress any individual, no one is free.
Ali:
My argument is exactly against flood control passages or airports or any other "public work" being built through eminent domain. I specifically labeled such condemnations as theft in my letter to the editor precisely because of the slippery slope even the most benign projects place property rights on. Some label the slippery slope argument a fallacy, but there is another fallacy of ignoring history which trumps it in this case: politicians are, by their nature, expedient pragmatists (like cops) and therefore untrustworthy. As they say across the pond, it may be possible for a gentleman to become an M.P., but it is never possible for an M.P. to be a gentleman.
Posted by: PBY at February 27, 2005 04:13 PM
Eminent domain is too commonly used as an excuse to expand pet projects. It should only be used when absolutely necessary.
Posted by: steveinid at February 28, 2005 11:04 PM
steveinid:
Again, as I said to Ali, there is no time when it is "absolutely necessary." They're *all* pet projects.
Posted by: PBY at March 2, 2005 04:18 PM
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