When you use a phrase like Trial of the Century, you usually mean a celebrity affair, such as Fatty Arbuckle, the Lindbergh case, O.J. or M.J. The ruling that has just come down from the Supreme Court has flown under the radar of most folks, yet its implications for the expansion of government power in the U.S. qualify it for the title of Ruling of the Century So Far.
As the Associated Press reports, the Supremes have ruled that "... local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development ..."
For the record, I think the minority (losing side) in this case has it right. The AP quotes Sandra Day O'Connor's dissent:
"Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," she wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."
One thing that most liberals or progressives have failed to see is that it is the great power of government that has led to the great power of corporations in our lives. Rather than acting as a buffer to the power of corporations, government becomes a tool of the corporations. That, in a nutshell, is why I am a Libertarian rather than a Republican or Democrat. Yes, I'm registered as an R for now, so I can try and influence primary elections, but I find myself voting for Ds quite often.
To paraphrase an earlier court ruling, a chill wind blows.... And when the government gets to decide that one party can make "better use" of property than another, and is "more deserving," and can confiscate it from one to give to another, that chill wind is communism.
Peace,
Tor
Categories: politics, libertarianism
