Quarantines may be justified

[Vincent Penquerc'h]

Odd. What you said is pretty close to what I was saying (or maybe
thinking), apart from the fact that I see property as a tool to
reach a goal (of a better life), and you seem to see it as an end
in itself. All the examples you cited are "trying to live a better
life", and there's nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't
make another person's life worse.

My point is just that property rights aren't the only possible
way to improve one's life. It's just an easy way to approximate
it well enough, but it only approximates, as shown by the smoke
example: how to solve this problem with property rights without
it being too intrusive ?

> It's after all, not just about trying to live a better life.
> It's true that trying to live a better life is a huge goal.

It is. Some people have different goals, but everyone of them
will strive for a better life, which is a different measure for
everyone, a mixture of everything, possessions (and by this, the
knowledge that use (etc, you see what I mean) of it is secured
for the present and (hopefully) future), but also entertainment,
as you mentionned, contentment of senses (whether it is food,
sex, or whatever), spiritual beliefs, or even the warm fuzzy
feeling of having altruistically helped another person.
In having property rights and defending them, you are trying to
secure a better life for you, and possibly others. But there
are other ways that can be used to make one's life better, be
it in addition or (partial) replacement of property rights.

But just because there could be other ways to make your life
better doesn't mean you should think property rights are in
danger :) Hey, I own stuff, and I'd be pretty pissed off if
someone stole them :)

-- 
Vincent Penquerc'h