General

Re: A Civil Action

Anenome — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:40:16 GMT

Ironically, it has been the places where central control is strongest that have been the biggest polluters. Capitalist countries are positively saints by comparison. Examples are replete in Russia, China, and the 3rd world where power reigns over rights.

Re: A Civil Action

Neodoxy — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 22:06:15 GMT

Tell her that dumping stuff which makes people sick near where they live is violating property as much as poisoning them is. It's a huge violation of property rights which the state didn't stop.

Re: A Civil Action

Autolykos — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:43:22 GMT

Are you going to explain to your parents that they're assuming the court system would be no different in an anarcho-capitalist society?

Re: A Civil Action

SkepticalMetal — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:40:04 GMT

Yeah. Well, both of my parents have come quite a long way towards anarcho-capitalism, especially well-noted as they are in their fifties, so that is a sign of well-lasting open-mindedness. Thank you for your responses, but sometimes I think that free-market anarchism is reserved for the younger generation.

Re: A Civil Action

cporter — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:09:00 GMT

These kinds of things are so common, and yet they blow my mind every time.

The courts are government run from top to bottom. Why would the government screwing the pooch make her rethink a free-market environmentalist position? I guess the other government alternative would be a regulator doing something about it when the court didn't, but that is no more guaranteed than the court doing something about it was. The EPA was already around when this was happening, after all.

People have a very strong tendency to imagine - with hindsight, of course - a "simple" solution and then pretend like it would have gone down exactly how they have dreamed it going. If only life was that easy.

Re: A Civil Action

Autolykos — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:08:59 GMT

Explain to her that, in all likelihood, there'd be a lot more courts in a free-market justice system, so court cases would go a lot faster.

A Civil Action

SkepticalMetal — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:55:12 GMT

My Mom has been reading this book called "A Civil Action," which basically revolves around some corporation or something like that dumping waste around a town causing people to get sick. It took years for the courts to finally do something in the book (and by the way, the book is based off of a true story...or so it says).

But anyway, it's made her reconsider the free-market environmentalist position that I have helped her to aquire over time. What can I do to bring her back? Also, if you want to know more about what the book is about, read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Civil_Action