Freedom: Begone!
In a decision handed down by the US Supreme Court, the Federal, State and Local governments have just invalidated all private land ownership and turned all titles into 'lease agreements' that can be nullified at a moment's notice simply because someone has convinced any group of elected or appointed officials that they can do more with your property that you are.
In what I think is most important case for the US this decade and moving forward, by a 5-4 vote the Supreme Court has upheld that any government entity can seize homes *AND* businesses and transfer their ownership to a PRIVATE entity if they think it will boost tax revenues. In a move similar to when they interpreted the interstate commerce clause to give them power over nearly everything under the sun, they are redefining the phrase 'public use' to mean 'increase tax revenues'.
Our cities, counties and states have now gotten into the business of 'making money'. Is that their job? Is it the responsibility of our governments to be involved in land development and real estate speculation now? And at what cost?
To be honest, I'm at a loss of words for once. When the issue was brought up before the Supreme Court I was confident that they would see the insanity of the ruling and strike it down to preserve the notion of property rights in the United States, one of the main ideas that this country was founded upon and the only way to ensure any sense of freedom from the base tyranny that all governments possess.
Instead, they abandoned our very notion of what this country means to most of it's citizens. A place where we can be free on our own property. The reality, there is no longer any such thing as property ownership. We are all just leasing it with the clause that we can be thrown out on our ears at the whim of any governmental body with the proper jurisdiction.
I'm not normally a loud 'Doom and Gloom'er and avoid as much as possible the over-the-top hyperbole that many others I've read possess (worst presidency ever, most corrupt, etc). But, does anyone, except of course for the few hard core communist and socialists who are no doubt hailing this as a victory for their cause, really think that this is a Good Idea? Do you really think that you have any real freedoms left at this point?
And the worst part of all, if the Supreme Court can rule this way on THIS issue, are any of us safe? My faith in the Supreme Court as the last line of defense against tyranny and over-reaching government, after defending and relying upon it for years, has been completely shattered. It use to be that any crazy nonsense that the congress, senate or president put into effect would eventually be reviewed by this group of 'non-partisan' officials who would more often than not make the right decision.
But no longer. There is no more any real line of last defense against corrupt tyranny in this country.
The dream, in existence for over 200 yeas now, is indeed dead.