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Old 11-29-2007, 03:34 PM
xorbie xorbie is offline
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Default Re: San Fransisco bans Plastic bags from Grocery stores

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Let these people file a claim in a private court and present their evidence that my use of a car (I don't drive by the way this is hypothetical) harms them. If a reputable private court finds that it does to the extent that damages must be awarded and I value interacting with society above cutting and running I'll stop using my car or pay damages determined by the court.

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By what standard does your proposed court make decisions? Clearly your use of a car harms the people around you to some slight degree. How does one go about putting a monetary value on this?

All you say is "reputable court", but that just means that the power of the court rests only in it's reputation. If you sue me and I say "[censored] that court", you have no power at all. Unless everyone in society agrees to ostracize me or punish me in some other manner, there is no punishment. And since everyone in society drives a car, nobody would support such a court. Which just means that the majority have managed to impose their preferences onto a minority, and in a case where they are actively harming society (the degree of harm is up to debate, it's existence is not).

In this case, we have a system with courts and lawmakers and law enforcers. They pass a law, and if you value interacting with society above cutting and running, you'll stop using plastic bags...
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