In Part 1, we briefly examined the prevalence of false alternatives in controversial political issues. In Part 2, we examined how to identify false alternatives. In this post, we will look at one of the most common ways in which false alternatives are presented. One of the most common ways in which false alternatives are…
In Part 1, we briefly examined the prevalence of false alternatives in controversial political issues. But how do we know when false alternatives are being presented? How do we know that there are other alternatives? The clearest indication is when we actually know of real alternatives. If we are aware of an alternative that isn’t…
If we examine virtually any controversial political issue, we often find that we are presented with false alternatives. This fallacy consists of asserting that we must choose between a limited number of alternatives when other, unmentioned alternatives exist. As an example, when a Christian baker refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding, and…
In Part 1 of this series, we examined why the claim that a proposal will violate property rights often falls on deaf ears. In this post, we will examine a similar error in defending property rights. Often, when a proposal is made that will violate property rights, the victims state that they support the general…
Often, when a regulation or law is proposed, the would-be victims argue that their property rights would be violated if the regulation is enacted. While this is far too often true, it just as frequently falls on deaf ears. And the reason is quite simple: Most people think that property rights are not sacrosanct. They…
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….
States cross the nation have enacted laws that allow property owners to designate their property lines by painting purple lines on trees, fence posts, and various other things. The purple lines are intended to take the place of “No Trespassing” signs. While I have no problem with a property owner explicitly stating that others are…
This is an excerpt from Individual Rights and Government Wrongs. To meet budget shortfalls, a growing number of municipalities and state governments are considering some form of privatization for their parks. These proposals are usually met with indignant opposition. Private companies, it is claimed, would despoil the parks by building condos on the rim of…
The purported goal of land-use regulations, such as Austin’s CodeNext, is to plan the development within a community. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable goal. After all, we are often told that a business that fails to plan is a business that is planning to fail. But government isn’t a business. Governments and…