To: IngotWeTrust who wrote (20046 ) 1/9/2004 9:29:01 AM From: mcg404 Read Replies (8) | Respond to Is most of the general populace really disturbed when they learn of the mining law? I know nothing more than what you've described in your post, but it's not clear to me why most people would be disturbed by this in the context of the bush deal - or other situations. I'll stick my neck out and speculate that the origin of the mining law probably had more to do with providing some protection for small scale operators than simply a mechanism to transfer public resources into the hands of a few politically connected few. So we have well intentioned laws from one era abused by the big corporations of another - like agricultural price supports, initially implemented with the idea of providing some stability to the feast or famine problems of food production for small farmers - subsequently used to great advantage by agri-business. I don't fault businesses for seeking ways to maximize their profits by looking at the existing laws, determining how they can be used to their greatest advantage, and they proceeding accordingly. But i would fault the logic of supporting an unfair situation (that has become disconnected with the original situation) simply because 'it's the law'. Do we simply love the law (for its own sake) or do we look to the quality of justice it provides?
