Property and Privatization

Kevin Carson's Libertarian Property and Privatization: An Alternative Paradigm is an eye opening look at how Government holdings could be privatized, and looks into what is actually "private" property from a somewhat new Libertarian angle.

This essay is over a year old, but I found it interesting in that lately my own views of corporate "private" property have drifted towards what Mr. Carson is advocating here.

Corporations are government sanctioned with the legal status of "paper individuals" with all of the rights of the individual, but none of the responsibilities that apply to the individual. Let me explain what I mean by this.

All corporations are granted the protections found in the Bill of Rights, but if a corporation commits manslaughter the corporation is not imprisoned.

If a corporation commits fraud, the corporation may pay a fine, but the fine goes to the government not those harmed by the fraud. There are almost limitless examples I could give, but it would go on for pages and pages. I think you get the idea.

I think we need to look long and hard at some real corporate reforms to level the playing field.