If people do not have well-protected and
well-established property rights, the free market cannot work effectively or
efficiently. People have much more of an incentive for corruption and stealing
when property rights, as a whole, are ignored or stripped away. There is also
less of an incentive to invest in capital. Economic growth will invariably
falter without investment and natural competition. When individuals have more
of an interest in diverting their resources into protecting or fighting for
their basic and inalienable rights, the free market will suffer. Property
rights are the basis for which all other rights spring and are essential to the
free market society.
Investors will not have confidence in an economy
that does not have property rights protected. Property rights are the most
important factor in the behavior of the economy and thus prosperity. In the
free market, there are two essential elements – the first being protection from
unlawful seizure and confiscation of property from the government and the
second is institutions that facilitate contracts. Private contracts between
consensual citizens are integral for growth and prosperity in a free market. We
are seeing expropriation by our corrupt
government becoming an increasingly common event. From the raid of the Gibson
Guitar Corporation, raids on the Amish over raw milk, the harassment and raids
waged on health food companies and community picnics having their food bleached
and destroyed, the government has disregarded property rights in favor of corporate interests, rules and regulations
and passed in secrecy for too long.
Individuals profit from
the protection of property rights in both human and physical capital. If a
contract is weak or flawed, individuals can take the necessary steps to rectify
the clause or choose to end it at an appropriate time. However, there is no
protection when a government usurps the private property rights of an
individual – except to stop investing. This stifles the economy, feeds the
power of the government and creates an environment of suppression and poverty.
Investments are vital for prosperity and growth which eventually leads to
higher standard of living overall.
Christians and
right-wing Conservatives were vocally outraged when an Islamic group wanted to
open a Mosque near the Twin Towers after 9/11; this was coined as the Ground
Zero Mosque although the property was not at or on Ground Zero. The right-wing
had the perfect opportunity to support and protect property rights, but they
failed to see the bigger picture and now they are seeing the other side of the
coin as the government is starting to come into churches, libraries and other
organizations and dictating what they must do on and with their private
property.
Property rights must be
protected from the government at all cost, no matter what the circumstances are
or if you personally agree with what is being conducted on the private
property, or not. As long as it is not hurting or usurping the rights of
others, property rights must be protected.
Once you begin to
understand property rights are the basis for all other inalienable human
rights, you begin to understand their importance. If you do not want your
rights stripped away or trampled upon, you must fight for these same rights,
even if you disagree with the principle behind the other party’s actions.
