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A Case Study in Nuisance
Misunderstandings about property rights abound, with nuisance near the top of the list. A controversy in California provides an interesting case study in nuisance. The concept of nuisance as a violation of property rights has its roots in common law. A property owner, according to the concept, has a right to the peaceful use of…
Houston, We Have a (Zoning) Problem
ByjbpThe following article was published in the Spring 2009 issue of The Objective Standard. $ $ $ Houston, Texas, my hometown, is one of only two American cities with a population greater than one hundred thousand that has not imposed zoning laws on its citizens. (The other city is Pasadena, Texas, a suburb of Houston.)…
Giving Thanks to Big Pharma
This week, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, a body established by the World Health Organization, released a paper that argues that “global health has been ‘left hostage’ to Big Pharma.” Such a claim equates the actions of pharmaceutical companies with the actions of kidnappers. This is a grossly unjust accusation. A kidnapper…
The “Right” to Housing
Material values must be created. And to create material values, individuals must be virtuous. They must adhere to certain moral principles if they are to successfully create the values that we want and need. Morally, those who create material values are the rightful owners of those values. Those values are their property, to use, trade,…
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…
With Friends Like This…
Many attempts to defend property rights are founded on the wrong premises. The result, unfortunately, is ultimately destructive to the cause. Consider an essay titled “A primer of private property” by Eric Schansberg, a professor of economics at Indiana University Southeast. The essay begins reasonably well, noting that property rights are important to all individuals….