More on property confiscation

The Englishman notes David Ireland's citing of John Stuart Mill in support of his desire to confiscate private property.

I can't help but refer to the great 19th Century British thinker John Stuart Mill who's [sic] work "On Liberty" discussed the limits of power that the state can have over the individual. His brilliant concept was the harm principle. Briefly it said that people should be free to engage in whatever behavior[sic] they wish as long as it does not harm others.

Seen through this principle the owner of the empty home of course has rights but not unlimited rights. Once it starts harming others whether that be though restricting housing to those that need it, spoiling the appearance of a street or loose slates falling onto playing children the state should and does have the right to intervene.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognise the kind of distortion of the English language so beloved of socialists. Ireland has simply redefined the meaning of "harm" ("injury" according to my dictionary) to suit his purposes. Harm now apparently means not giving someone what they need.

I do hope that David Gillies doesn't agree with this definition because he thinks (commenting on Tim Worstall's piece) that what Mr Ireland needs is stringing up from the nearest lamppost.