| Libertarianism asserts that, amongst other things, "If someone is engaging in an activity on their property that causes injury to one or any number of their neighbors, the neighbors, can simply sue the offending party. Therefore, there is no need for government regulations. " Alright. But let's say I possess a secret stash of the pesticide known as " chloridane ". ( I say " secret stash " because this chemical was such an obvious carcinogen that even Ronald Rea- gan's EPA under Ann Burford Gorsech recognized the need to ban it, as it did ). Now then, let us also suppose that I live in a rural/mountainous area where each and every household is dependent upon its own well water, and that I have been applying chloridane to my property in an effort to control its ant population since before the chemical was banned in, I believe, 1985. Well it is now, 1999, and four children and two adults who reside downhill and within, say, a quarter mile of my property ha- ve been diagnosed as having contracted liver cancer. Now what ? "The effected adults and the parents of the effected children should simply sue ( me ) for everything ( I ) have," say libertarians ? Okay. But do they know I have been using chloridane all these years ? And, if they do happen to be privy to my now not-so-secret stash, how do they go about proving that my chloridane - my behavior caused these six cases of liver cancer? Does a little flag pop up through each victim's skin - directly over the liver - stating, " This cancer is the result of Guy Marsh having contaminated your well-water with chloridane " ? And even if such a sign were to manifest itself, how could it be proven that these cancers were caused by chloridane ? Simply stated, it couldn't be proven. Guy Marsh med@ptw.com Member-at-large: Socialist Labor Party of America (est. 1890) http://www.slp.org> |
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