🚀 go-pugleaf

>DATE:   Tue, 19 Jan 93 19:44:09 GMT
>FROM:   Tom Tilley <tilley@fsh.UUCP>
[....]
>Some forms of property (such as the copyright) exist because a political
>process has defined them.

This is a good point, but under-generalized: *all* forms of property 
exist because a political process has defined them. There is nothing 
"natural" or a priori about any form of property.

No doubt it is theoretically possible to arrange for any arbitrary 
policy outcome by tinkering around with exotic forms of property, and 
this notion seems to have an intellectual appeal for lots of people. But 
as a practical matter I don't see why we should feel any need to 
restrict ourselves to this mechanism. If the hope is to blunt the effect 
of right-wing demagogy about "regulation" and "Gummint interference", 
forget it -- that hot-air machine will be running until the heat death 
of the Universe.

--Michael Smith