Quote from: FirstAscent on September 29, 2011, 02:15:05 AM

Quote from: MoonShadow on September 29, 2011, 01:10:56 AM

The Two Laws of All Civilization

1) Do all that you have agreed to do.

2) Do not encroach upon another's person or property.

This shall be the whole of the law.

Not really clear on the above.

Let's say MoonShadow lives in a house that has access via Blueberry Street. Next to him is a large lot owned by MysteriousMan. MysteriousMan brings in earthmoving equipment one day, and commences grading. Up goes a factory, shipping and receiving docks, and machinery for metal stamping, operated by compressed air. The machinery and compressors run all day and night. Trucks come and go all night long.

MysteriousMan never signed any contracts with MoonShadow. He never entered into any agreements with MoonShadow. Nonetheless, MoonShadow's life is now miserable. He attempts to retain legal counsel and file a lawsuit through the biggest private court system there is. Along the way, he discovers that his court of choice happens to have MysteriousMan as a big customer - I mean, they do a lot of business with MysteriousMan. Bummer.

Anyway, as it turns out, MysteriousMan is one of those semi rare types who just doesn't care about respecting the rights of others. I personally couldn't just do that to a neighbor, but you know how it goes. Some people can and do.

Guess what? MysteriousMan, being the big conglomerate he is, naturally saw fit to have one of his companies buy Blueberry Street prior to building his factory. It only makes sense. Fortunately, MoonShadow has a ten year contract on the tolls and rates required to use the road. Unfortunately, the contract expires in six months. Bummer.

MoonShadow wants to move. Unfortunately, his home value is sliding like crazy, and he doesn't know exactly what to do. Court seems the only option.

As it turns out, MysteriousMan is probably even a bigger asshole than you can imagine. You see, it's just not profitable to pay out to every resident who puts up a fuss - there are just too many of them. He employs a number of strategies:

- Don't pay at all. I mean, what's going to happen? Are men in blue suits going to show up and kidnap him? That's not acceptable! How dare he be forced to pay for doing what he wants on his own land! It's as if he's being regulated.

- Sometimes a beheaded head shows up in the refrigerator of the most annoying and bothersome individuals. It's just business - don't take it personally.

- Sometimes, he'll just buy your property, at 66 percent its former value. Just go away.

Let's take a look at what MysteriousMan has done here. He makes a lot of noise. His trucks create potholes, make the street unsafe, and make noise. But that's not aggression. It's not trespassing. And regarding the trucks - it's his street. As for the noise, it doesn't really affect people beyond a certain range, so there isn't much opportunity for a class action lawsuit. What about a boycott? Won't work. MysteriousMan sells his stuff on the other side of the world through a different name and company.

As for the beheaded head? Well, as it turns out, it just happened to be an acquaintance of MoonShadow's, whom certain individuals noticed some extremely angry words transpire between the two the day before. Scary stuff.

Anyway, MysteriousMan is a fictional character that embodies a lot of elements from real people and organizations out there in the real world.

So let me get this straight, you're arguing that this noise-polluting, criminal-hiring, extortionist mega-conglomerate can survive for more than a quarter in the free market?

Without government bailouts this corporation won't last more than a month.