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The Enemies of Property Rights: Civil Asset Forfeiture
In 2014, Philadelphia police seized the home of Christos and Markela Sourovelis. Their son, who lived with them, had been arrested for selling forty dollars of drugs. The Sourovelises were kicked out of their home, the doors were screwed shut, and the utilities were cut off. Though they had done nothing wrong, they were homeless…
Adjectives don’t Change the Essence of Socialism
Socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders recently attempted to distinguish democratic socialism from the socialism being practiced in Venezuela. During the recent debate in Houston, Sanders called Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro a “vicious tyrant.” He went on to call for “for free elections in Venezuela so that the people of that country can make, can create…
Ag-gag Laws Protect Property Rights
A federal appeals court recently ended two injunctions that blocked Iowa laws that prevent animal “rights” activists from using deception to gain entrance to agricultural production facilities. Activists have lied on job applications and used other deception in an effort to document alleged abuse of farm animals. The so-called “ag-gag” laws were challenged on free…
Free Speech or Property Rights?
Over the past decade (and perhaps longer) there has been a trend for business owners to claim that a law violates their free speech rights. A recent example comes from Oregon, where the owner of a vape shop is claiming that regulations prohibiting him from describing the contents of the products that he sells violates his…
Resolving Social Conflicts with Property Rights: Education
Education in America is a virtual monopoly of the government. As such, it is a highly politicized topic and controversy surrounds nearly every discussion about education. From funding to curriculum, from test scores to text books, there is little agreement between politicians, educators, taxpayers, and parents about how the nation’s schools should be operated and the…
An Open Letter to Texas Central Partners
I love the idea of a privately funded, high-speed train between the two largest cities in Texas. This project epitomizes everything great about America and Texas. It is an example of individuals having an audacious dream and then working to make that dream come true. That is something worth celebrating, supporting, and admiring. However, while…