As for the non-tresspassing peeper, it could be said that the peeped-upon had consented by standing behind a transparent object, a window, without covering it with a non-transparent object, a drape. The peeped-upon was fully capable of preventing the peeping, but chose not to.
You do not own “air”. Indeed, it does not matter which air particles we breath so long as we continue to do it. We have homesteaded the right to breath. This is the sense in which we “own” air. But we do not have the right to go attack innocent people by taxing them or taking their air if we find ourselves running short.
If air becomes scarce, it will be advantageous to privatize it. Consumers will bid up the price of air, incentivizing production of it. If air is simply commonly owned, you have a tragedy of the commons, aka a collective action problem, and everyone suffocates ![]()
The illegal immigrant is an undefendable hero in my book as well. Namely, he left a landmass that had been arbitrary designated “Mexico” (or whatever his country of origin) and walked onto a landmass arbitrary designated “the United States”. This he did, inflicting harm upon no one, in order to enter the workforce and financially provide for himself and his family. Since he lacks citizenship, he lacks the ability to negotiate hours and pay with his employer on an equal footing. He faces the threat of imprisonment and deportation. He may be separated from his family and lose any property he has earned. He is scapegoated by no-good politicians who blame him for unemployment and street violence, and even tarred with the same brush as the terrorists who killed 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. Nevertheless, he contributes to the economy every day, cooking, cleaning, landscaping, and making our lives better.
People who, out of principle or just plain fear, attempt to enter the United States “the right way”, could spend years waiting in line, filing paperwork, and spending money to no avail. But anybody who does it the easy way becomes a “criminal” even though they have not hurt anybody.
An even bigger hero, in my opinion, is the draft dodger. People who, for humanitarian or just selfish reasons, refuse to serve in the military in any way. Amazing how a person who refuses to kill will be called a coward and traitor, and imprisoned, but soldiers who shoot so-called “insurgents” and drop bombs on cities with civilians in them comes home and is lauded “the best and brightest” and “hero”.
Sometimes I wish I could draw. If I could, I would make cartoon strips illustrating the absurdities of the day.
Frame One: A reporter points a microphone at a uniformed five-star general.
Journalist: Somebody released a video of Americans in a Apache helicopter wantonly shooting Iraqi civilians and posted it to wikileaks. Comment?:
General: That’s criminal!
Frame Two:
Journalist: Killing Iraqi civilians from an Apache helicopter is criminal?
General: No, the guy who put it on wikileaks is criminal
Also, maybe Walter Block could dedicate a chapter to another endefendable hero: The Blockade Runner Who Supplies Humanitarian Aid to Civilians In A War Zone And Throws Attacking Soldiers Into The Sea When Captured On International Waters.