Quote:Yes, but isn't the government supposed to be us?   So if the government owns the land outside some ranch in the west, you and I own that land.  Not just the local rancher.  He has no more rights to it than some guy living in New York City.   Why would I cede my rights to that land to him just because he lives next to it?   Put another way, why would the taxpayers give away land to private interests such as those local ranchers? 

 

The problem I think is that at one time a citizen did own the land, but then later on became subject to federal takeover.  It's actually just smart for the feds to do this.  They are thinking long down the road while average Joe is just thinking about now.

 

I suppose preserving the land FOR NOW is more beneficial to future generations, but I wouldn't say that it's their right.  It just so happens that the federal government has the power, therefore they have the ability to hold the land, and then later on give it to whom they wish (likely a corporation they're invested in).

 

Similarly, it wasn't our country's right to inhabit this country.  It just so happened that we had the power and conquered it from the natives. The federal government didn't have the right to suddenly claim land due to an endangered species or some other nonsense, they did it because they could.

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