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The “Right” to a Value
For decades, we have been told that individuals have a “right” to certain values, such as an education, a “living wage,” and health care. Such claims ignore the meaning of the concept right. Rights pertain to action–the freedom to take the actions one deems appropriate. The right to free speech means the freedom to express…
Coming to the Nuisance
Nuisance law holds that an owner has the right to the peaceful use of his property. Loud noises, nauseating odors, and similar disturbances can interfere with one’s use of his property, and is thus considered a nuisance. However, nuisance is highly contextual–what is a nuisance in one context is not necessarily a nuisance in another….
Making Judgment Illegal
The city of Frisco is considering an ordinance that will require developers to devote at least 10 percent of their land to open space and they must include at least eight amenities, such as lawn furniture and trees. Frisco Planning Manager Anthony Satarino said the reason for these changes is to keep up with the trends…
Who Owns Dinosaur Fossils?
In late November, a federal judge in Fort Worth ruled that a Wichita Falls anesthesiologist and fossil enthusiast could keep the Tyrannosaurus bataar skull in his possession. The federal government had brought the lawsuit in an effort to return the skull to Mongolia, which claims ownership of the fossil. Admittedly, this is a very esoteric…
Progress and Poverty
Henry George was an American journalist and political economist. His book Progress and Poverty (1879) was one of the best selling books of its time. While he was considered an advocate of free trade (he opposed tariffs), George was a staunch opponent of property rights. In Progress and Poverty, George argued that labor is the…
Texas’ War on Free Speech
In May, a federal appeals court upheld a Texas law that prohibits social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube from discriminating against users based on their ideas. In prohibiting such actions, Texas has declared war on free speech. Proponents of the law claim that social media companies are guilty of censorship when they block,…