and Hobbes is rolling in his grave, too

I feel a great disturbance in the Force. As if the Framers' voices suddenly cried out in terror, and then, suddenly, silence.

The Supreme Court ruled today in Kelo v. New London that you have no property rights.

A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.

— NY Times.

Links to the opinions and oral arguments are on How Appealing, and there's also a good post about it on Crime & Federalism.

After this decision, the only thing between a homeowner and his land is the legislative branch. Kelo means that if your city counsel wants to take away your land to give it to private developers, that's their prerogative.

I'm usually not a big proponent of property rights, but for chrissake, at least I recognize a right to property, unlike the majority of the Court. This is absolutely absurd.