One of the latest trends in the “tenants’ rights” movement is to provide free legal representation for tenants facing eviction. Washington state has passed such a law and other states are considering doing so. As with nearly everything associated with “housing justice,” these laws will ultimately create a host of new problems. As one example, if tenants are getting free legal representation, landlords will need to hire their own attorney rather than represent themselves (as is often done). This cost will eventually show up in increased rents.
An old adage holds that it’s better to keep your mouth shut and let others think that you are a fool rather than open your mouth and prove them correct. Tucker Carlson provides an example. For nearly a month, Carlson has opined that the COVID vaccines don’t work. If they did, he has asked, then why is it suggested that those who have been vaccinated still wear a mask in public? “But what’s the other potential explanation?” he asked, referring to his contention that the vaccines don’t work. “We can’t think of one.” Here are two other explanations that weren’t difficult to locate on the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 1. The vaccinated can still get the virus and spread it to others, and 2. It is unknown how well the vaccines protect one against mutations of the virus.
Bernie Sanders, among others, has called for the Biden administration to waive Big Pharma’s intellectual property rights to the COVID vaccines. There are three crucial points regarding this demand. The first is, the intellectual property rights belong to the companies that developed the vaccines. They do not belong to Biden or the government. The disposal of those rights is a decision that only the respective companies have a moral right to make. The second point is, if government can waive property rights for any reason, then property rights are nothing more than a disposable luxury. According to this type of thinking, we will protect property rights when it is convenient. And we will throw them in the trash when that is convenient. The third point is, while recognizing the value of the vaccines, Sanders and his ilk want to penalize those who created these life-saving medicines. Rather than sacrifice Big Pharma on the altar of altruism, we should be honoring these heroic companies.