Possession

Any lawyer knows “possession is nine tenths of the law”. Songs claim “the best things in life are free”. Neither are absolutes, and boundaries are fuzzy. 

In our culture of mass abundance, possession of many things is almost too easy. Yet, trained as we are to competition, owning something is regarded as much more important than merely appreciating it. After all, anyone can view the moon or gaze at the Mona Lisa. Peons! I want to be unique and have something nobody else does, even if it is merely my own rose bush or kitchen pot. 

Limits to ownership are also fuzzy. We’re not quite sure where the law line is drawn between temporary rental and complete control. If I own the Mona Lisa do I have the right to destroy it? If I “own” an ocean beach do I have the right to cover it with oil? On and on, a complicated dance of the ages and cultures. 

“Intangible property” is an increasingly dense legal fiction, in this era of easy reproduction of art, facts and ideas. “My” accepted ownership of a piece of land gets complicated if I produce noxious smells or loud noise or store radioactive materials or rent to terrorists or …

Obviously I have certain qualms about the magnificent and certain values of private property trumpeted these days. A useful concept, like many others, if applied in moderation.