Question:

I’m a very frequent flyer (20 flights per month), which is what brought this hypothetical question to mind.

In a perfect libertarian world, how would a conflict of interest over property rights be resolved in an emergency or investigation that is handled by the NTSB or FAA? In other words, if a plane crashes on Mr. Smith’s farm, what obligation is Mr. Smith under to allow any governing body or rescue operation on his property? Would it be the state government who would compel Mr. Smith to cooperate? I realize that 99.99% people would not need to be coerced in this type of situation, I’m just curious about those that do.

Answer:

In a libertarian society, if you felt that someone ‘needed to be coerced,’ you would do so at your own risk. For example, your Mr. Smith might sue for restitution if you trespassed on his property. Even if the jury awarded Mr. Smith compensation, you (or those whose lives you saved) might feel it was a small price to pay. Most likely, however, Mr. Smith would not want to risk neighborhood scorn and ostracism by making a public claim against a rescuer, especially if he operated a local business that disgusted neighbors might boycott.