Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mmintl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory,net.legal
Subject: Litigation
Message-ID: <955@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Dec-85 07:31:28 EST
Article-I.D.: mmintl.955
Posted: Fri Dec 27 07:31:28 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Dec-85 20:10:34 EST
References: <365@umich.UUCP> <28200417@inmet.UUCP>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Followup-To: net.politics.theory
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 29
Xref: linus net.politics.theory:1730 net.legal:2391

In article <28200417@inmet.UUCP> janw@inmet.UUCP writes:
>I must be missing something but why wouldn't the standard default
>libertarian solution for most things, namely litigation or the
>possibility of it - work for pollution ?

This is a complete change subject (so I changed the subject line).
This quote got me to wondering -- is there any connection between the
libertarian fondness for litigation, and the current mushrooming of
litigation in the United States?

The most obvious connection would be that libertarian thought has made
people more likely to sue.  I doubt this; the ideas don't seem to be
that widespread, and the people doing the suing don't seem to be the
libertarians.

Alternatively, the libertarian ideas might have been encouraged by the
increased respectability of taking someone to court.  The time scales
don't seem to me to be right for this; libertarianism emerged first.
(Although maybe not before the trend started.)

Perhaps it's just a coincidence.  I would be interested if anyone has
any ideas on the subject, however.

----------------------------------------------------------------
I have directed followups to net.politics.theory, since I think this
discussion mostly belongs there, not net.legal.

Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108