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Re:The Whanganui River in New Zealand is a legal person by bluGill on Monday April 22, 2019 @05:30PM (#19723180)
If I dump "waste" in the river I will argue on behalf of the river in court that the fish are invaders and my "waste" is an antibiotic killing those invaders. It is just as valid as anything else.

That the river is valued for the fish and plants is a human construct.

Re:The Whanganui River in New Zealand is a legal person by chris1993 on Monday April 22, 2019 @06:32PM (#19723703)
Would you argue that slavery is valid since freedom from slavery and other human rights are human constructs?
Re:The Whanganui River in New Zealand is a legal person by bluGill on Tuesday April 23, 2019 @09:16AM (#19728253)
I note by the downvotes on my original post several people cannot understand the concept of "devils advocate".

Philosophers have debated questions like this for years, and have far more powerful arguments (on both sides) than I do. I suggest you look them up if you are really interested.

I have concluded that slavery should be legal, but there is a catch: all slaves must agree to become a slave while in their right mind. I can't imagine someone agreeing to become a slave, but if someone does I don't have a problem with it. (Note that depression, drunkenness, children, and kidnapping are some of the more obvious ways to get a slave that I have ruled out)