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A comment on In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings. Parent comment

Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by meddlepal on Thursday January 16, 2014 @08:02AM (#7069099)
A government shouldn't be in the business of telling people or corporations how to use their property.
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Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by Pxtl on Thursday January 16, 2014 @09:30AM (#7069545)
There is a fixed amount of land available in a city, and a city is responsible for servicing it. If you've a property that's gobbling up some of the city's carefully-managed land and creating an eyesore that's a detriment to your neighbors, then it's perfectly reasonable for the city to take action.

You are a part of civilization. Accept it.

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Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by icebraining on Thursday January 16, 2014 @08:22AM (#7069206)
Sure, as long as the government isn't in the business of protecting it either.
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Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by blueskin_ on Thursday January 16, 2014 @08:43AM (#7069294)
That is part of what a government's reason for existence is. That's what taxes are for. To protect people with livelihoods and property from those who would deprive them of such. That's what makes us live in a first world society and not the world of Mad Max.
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Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by ubernostrum on Thursday January 16, 2014 @10:32AM (#7069886)
The modern patterns of land ownership in Britain are due, basically, to a Mad Max world of taking what you want and having "rights" only to what you can defend by force against all comers.

Perhaps a compromise in which property is protected but the protection comes in exchange for some limitations on how you can use it... isn't actually the end of the world?

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Re:In London 'Guardians' live in empty office buildings by icebraining on Thursday January 16, 2014 @09:51AM (#7069638)
That is part of what a government's reason for existence is.

I don't disagree, though I'm not so sure that the only possible alternative is Mad Max.

That said, historically, setting rules for how property should be used is as much a part of the State's existence as protecting its owners.

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