Whatever happened to property rights...anyone?

Justices Affirm Property Seizures

So, now the government may seize property not for "public use" but for "public purpose". That is an inch away from "public good" and I am worried that this sort of statism is going to be allowed. That the American people will not be outraged by this.

But if there is anything more scary in this event than the blatant defacement of property rights, it's that Justice Stevens thinks that "[t]he court should not 'second-guess' local governments". If the Supreme Court has decided that they don't have the power to "second-guess" legislators then we may as well toss our notion of checks and balances. When does a hesitance to check local legislators spread to state and federal legislators? And why is Stevens so quick to make himself ineffectual?

I also recently discovered the impotence of patent laws, so all-in-all, I'm pretty pissed about property rights. I'm considering becoming a hermit and hiding on a mountain, because what the hell am I going to do? How can I achieve any of the things I planned for my life if I have to protect myself not only from ordinary thieves but also the government? It's like this giant mouldering pit of blackness stretching out like a chasm and I don't know how to fix it.

Update [6.27.2005]: Related items
ARI Op-Ed
Cap. Mag. Article
Property Wrongs by Cox and Forkum