Small government and environmentalism

Here’s a Reason link to Dr Paul on the environment. The important section:

When all forms of physical trespass, be that smoke, particulate matter, etc., are legally recognized for what they are — a physical trespass upon the property and rights of another — concerns about difficulty in suing the offending party will be largely diminished. When any such cases are known to be slam-dunk wins for the person whose property is being polluted, those doing the polluting will no longer persist in doing so. Against a backdrop of property rights actually enforced, contingency and class-action cases are additional legal mechanisms that resolve this concern.
……..
To the extent property rights are strictly enforced against those who would pollute the land or air of another, the costs of any environmental harm associated with an energy source would be imposed upon the producer of that energy source, and, in so
doing, the cheap sources that pollute are not so cheap anymore.

My understanding of Rothbardian law policy in this area is that rights to pollute exist and can be bought and sold. So, while it’s true that at one time people whose physical property rights were invaded by pollution would have had legal remedy against the polluter, the case that current property owners have recourse would be much murkier from a Rothbardian perspective.

For example, suppose A lives next to a plant that starts polluting. At this time the government prohibits A from seeking redress through the courts. Consequently the value of A’s property falls from $100 to $80. Then say that B buys A’s property at this new value of $80. My understanding of Rothbardian law would suggest that B has no recourse against the plant. Instead the plant now, effectively has a right to pollute. The government screwed up, but there is no good way to rectify the screw up from a Rothbardian perspective that I can see.

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Loan modification

Here is an Economist article on the subject. The problem as I see it is that mortgages, once originated, are sliced and diced in so many ways that someone will be made worse off if the government shoe-horns everyone into specific types of modifications. Most proposals also waive refinancing fees. Some investors have bought rights to these contractual refinancing fees. So, the government action will make certain investors worse off. Two groups that come to mind immediately, are purchases of origination fees and investors in the highest priority tranches of securitizations, who may consequently be repaid at a faster or slower rate than they were expecting. If the government initiates a program of loan modification, it seems to me it would have to compensate the holders of these securities for the takings.

The perils of robot warriors

here

"Hulls in the water"

I forgot to link to the Robert D. Kaplan piece in The Atlantic after I read it.

Barbarism and civilization

Mr Goldberg brings up the following quote:

“It is in the nature of civilization that it must be in constant conflict with barbarism. Very few empires have been the result of a deliberate ambition. They have grown, inevitably, because it has been found necessary to expand in order to preserve what is already held. The French had to annex Algiers because it was the only way in which the Mediterranean could be made safe from pirates. Empire moves in a series of ‘incidents,’ and these ‘incidents’ mean that it is impossible for a country to live in isolation. Barbarism means constant provocation.”

From “We Can Applaud Italy” (1935), in The Essays, Articles and Reviews of Evelyn Waugh.

I don’t consider myself an “acolyte” for anyone, including Dr Paul, but here’s my response.

First, I agree wholeheartedly that civilization is an unstable equilibrium, and therefore its defenders must constantly fight off the forces of barbarism.

But, my reading on the downfall of civilizations leads me to believe that they fall not becuase they fail to keep fighting the good fight. Instead they fall through internal rot and decay, which in the end leaves them with nothing to fight for.

Moreover, I disagree that civilization necessarily needs to expand to be preserved. If ancient Rome had stayed within Augustus’s prescribed boundaries, it may have lasted a lot longer. Even to use Ms Waugh’s example, how well did that Algiers thing go for the French?

Finally, the act of defending one’s country from barbarism is a very different act than that of remaking an entire society through the use of force. Dr Paul takes a very pacifist approach that would be hard to defend against a policy of limited attacks that serve to minimize the threat posed by hostile barbaric regimes. However, defending his approach against a policy that says we need to turn any barbaric country that threatens us into a peaceful, stable and democratic society that respects western notions of private property and the rule of law is a lot easier.

Marriage freedom

Professor Tabarrok:

It’s no accident that the state began restricting and intervening in the marriage contract at the same time as it was restricting and intervening in economic contracts. . . .

I think it’s time to restore freedom of contract to marriage. Why should two men, for example, be denied the same rights to contract as are allowed to a man and a woman? Far from ending civilization the extension of the bourgeoisie concept of contract ever further is the epitome of civilization [emphasis mine]. . . .

The purpose of contract law is to give individual’s greater control over their lives [and therefore give government less control]. To make contract law a restraint on how people may govern themselves is a perversion of the social contract. To restrict people from accessing the tools of civilization on the basis of their sexual preference is baseless discrimination.

It is time to restore freedom of contract to marriage, Laissez-faire for all capitalist acts between consenting adults!

Agreed! More broadly, I’ve always been uncomfortable with divisions of rights into social and economic spheres. Similarly, some have complained that Mr Huckabee’s “conservatism” intrudes into both the bedroom and the wallet – as if for conservatives it’s ok to intrude into one and not the other (with the opposite set of intrusions and non-intrusions ok for liberals).

My problems with this are twofold. First, I see no logicially consistent way to differentiate meaningfully between economic shperes and social spheres of life. Much social pateralism is conducted via the tax code. Is a tax break for kids a social or economic act?

Second, I see no way of justifying social intrusions into private lives that does not also justify economic intrusions, and vice versa (this point may just be a logical corollary of the first).

(The New York Times article on the history of marriage that Prof Tabarrok links to is worth a read)

Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest

After a trip to Seattle for Thanksgiving, I can say that this is true:

Mark Silk of Trinity College in Connecticut argues that there are in fact eight regions of American religion, varying from California’s new-age spirituality to Southern protestantism. The pagan Pacific north-west’s unofficial religion, says Mr Silk, is environmentalism.

Edmond Dantes – The Count of Monte Cristo

“Perhaps what I am about to say may seem strange to you, who are socialists, and vaunt humanity and your duty to your neighbor, but I never seek to protect a society which does not protect me, and which I will even say, generally occupies itself about me only to injure me; and thus by giving them a low place in my esteem, and preserving a neutrality towards them, it is society and my neighbor who are indebted to me.”

Goldwater and Paul

This Red State post criticizes Paul for not being a Goldwater Republican. Unfortunately, it concludes:

Barry Goldwater, like Ronald Reagan and like George W. Bush, saw America as having the unique ability and opportunity to be the champion of freedom worldwide. Ron Paul, when he whitewashes the horrors of Communism or Jihad, is nothing like them, and has no legitimate claim to being the heir of conservatism in our party or our country.

While I agree that Dr. Paul is not necessarily a Goldwater Republican, Presidents Reagan and especially Bush are not either. I’ll ignore the cheap shot about Communism and Jihadism. (Goldwater likely wouldn’t have invaded Communist countries, and Reagan didn’t – yet Bush did, so what’s the obvious connection)?

Here is what I like about Goldwater – he was uncomfortable with expanding government to achieve his goals. Reagan was more comfortable using government and Bush seems to be confused why anyone would care that the expands government to achieve his goals. Paul, like Goldwater, seems to have an innate feeling of discomfort with using government. We need more politicians with that same sense.