Every human being has the moral right to take the actions necessary to create material values. Of course, many governments do not recognize this right, and individuals can be restricted in their freedom to create values and sustain their lives. The discussion of property rights in space is dominated by the premise that individuals should…
A truly moral justification for property rights in space must include an identification of the nature of property and property rights. If we aren’t clear about what it is that we are defending, then our arguments will lack clarity and be unconvincing. Property rights, whether in space or on Earth, must be grounded in reality….
While purporting to offer the foundation for “morally-justified property rights in space,” Lowe’s proposal actually is an abrogation of property rights. In terms of essentials, her paper is founded on premises shared with the Left. First, Lowe accepts the Left’s claim that space is a “celestial commons.” This gives rise to her plan to allow…
In 1967, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty. While the treaty states that no country can claim sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, it says nothing about what individuals may do. With a growing number of private companies making successful launches into space, pundits…
Beginning with its position that space is a part of the “celestial commons,” the Left argues that we need “democratic use of celestial resources for the benefit of all.” Property rights in space would allow “a few exorbitantly wealthy billionaires” to profit from space, while most of mankind is denied a share of the wealth….
Leftists regard space as a part of the “celestial commons.” Space, they claim, belongs to all of mankind and private interests should not benefit from what belongs to everyone. Any wealth generated from activities in space should be shared with all of mankind. The celestial commons should not be “enclosed” by establishing property rights in…
Last July, both Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson launched private rockets into space carrying human passengers. In September, Elon Musk’s SpaceX sent four civilians into space to orbit the Earth for three days. Musk has talked of colonizing Mars, and several companies are looking at mining asteroids and other celestial bodies. These efforts have provoked…
Last November, voters in St. Paul approved the most stringent rent control law in the nation. This past week, a Minnesota Senator introduced a bill that would repeal that law and prohibit other municipalities from imposing rent control. This is an appropriate bill because rights, including property rights, are not subject to a vote. The…
Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that would protect farmers from nuisance lawsuits after a farm has been operating for a year. Such a bill would be unnecessary if “coming to the nuisance” was understood and applied properly. Coming to the nuisance essentially means “first in time, first in rights.” A property owner has a…
At Jacobin Magazine, Luke Savage argues that against capitalists on the moon. He isn’t happy that billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are working to make space travel commercially viable. Space, he argues, should not be a playground exclusively for the wealthy: What is presently called “private space exploration,” after all, is in practice…
Lawmakers and political activists like to frame their policy proposals in terms that hide their real meaning. An example of this is a proposal in Colorado to impose “rent stabilization” on mobile home parks. Rent stabilization is nothing more than a euphemism for theft. The bill would require park owners to pay up to $30,000…
In the early 2000s, Florida officials cut down about 18,000 backyard citrus trees in an effort to eradicate citrus-canker disease. At the time, the state offered a $100 gift certificate to Walmart as compensation. Many property owners sued, and the case was recently settled with the plaintiffs receiving an award of $43.9 million. The state’s…