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Eminent Domain: Where the Right and Left Commune

A spirited dinner conversation with visiting (conservative) parents and and local (liberal) descendents attacked the question of the role of government in a free market democratic society. The conversation started at a theoretical level, with one of the conservatives relaying the wisdom of an F.A. Hayek, a philosopher and economist of the Austrian School, who might be considered a libertarian by today's labels. One of the liberals asked for some specific examples of the alleged dangers and loss of freedom associated with increased government. This led to a debate about nationalized health care. No common ground. Then a conversation about national defense. Less common ground.

And then, one of the conservatives suggested the example of the 2005 Supreme Court decision that expanded the reach of eminent domain to include seizure of private property to make way for private development that would benefit the community. Aha! Here was something the local liberals and the out-of-town conservatives could agree upon! Eminent domain, as witnessed by the locals in the case of evil developer Bruce Ratner and his Atlantic Yards project, is bad. It stomps on the rights of little citizens for the benefit of rich developers, with questionable benefits for the community as a whole. And for the conservatives, it tramples on the ever-sacred individual rights of the citizen as property owner.

It was a beautiful moment of common ground. One of the liberals found herself momentarily surprised to be side-by-side with the C's on this one—a cause celebrated by all the dyed-in-the-wool Brooklyn liberals. In recent years, she had forgotten about old-school conservatives, becoming much more accustomed to Republicans who favor big business and profit interests over governmental restraint. Oh Halliburton, how you've changed us all.

"She's got...like...pre-cancerous cells"

Every time I go out to bars on a Saturday night in Manhattan (a relatively rare occurence in my Brooklyn thirtysomething lifestyle) I always come back with a good story. Last night, at a West Village joint called Dublin 6, the downstairs bathroom was where it was at.

It was about midnight and the fairly young bridge-and-tunnel crowd was on their way to being fairly-well sauced. I walked into the 2-stall room to hear Catty Girl #1 explaining to Catty Girl #2: "Yeah, she's got, like, pre-cancerous cells," she said as she gestured towards her nether regions. CG #2 "Yeah, HPV! Oh God." There was a certain delight in their voices as they relished the unfortunate circumstance of the HPV girl. CG#3 entered the conversation with an all-knowing, it's-time-for-compassion tone. "I know, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody. I really wouldn't. I wouldn't wish that on anybody." CG#1 and CG#2 slipped in to an open stall together. CG#3 continued to pity the HPV girl.

Meanwhile, in the shared stall, CG#1: "I mean, you get that from having unprotected sex." CG#2: "Yeah, she's a whore!" CG#3 on the outside: "But I wouldn't wish that on anybody though."