Libertarian Discussion #1

It plays out this way :

A bunch of folks around you...we'll call them your neighbors, who aren't scientists, libertarians, democrats, or republicans....they're just people...they'll find out about your contraption and goals.

They'll complain to the city officials. An inspector will come by. If by some miracle city officials allow you to proceed, you will still have the ire and suspicion of your neighbors to contend with.

At some point, people with scientific backgrounds will demand to see your activities. Already being bombarded by the press, and your crazy neighbors, and misc people threatening you, you will be very reluctant to allow even scientists to have access.

After a while, people will grow impatient, a mob of local citizens will smash and burn your house to the ground.

I think that about covers it.

This is the dumbest thing ever.

The US Constitution grants the Federal Government no power to regulate such a thing UNLESS you presented an imminent threat to National Security by clearly intending to build a nuclear weapon. If you are just building a reactor, no Federal power to interfere.

State governments have the authority to interfere. Should they? Not if you are just trying to produce energy.

That leaves a lawsuit by your neighbors. If your activities present a strong probability of causing injury to your neighbors (for example because you are messing around with enriched uranium without proper containment) they should be able to sue and get an injunction preventing you from continuing what you are doing.

A right cannot be something which must be had at the expense of others. You have the right to do what you want with your property as long as you do not threaten your neighbor.

because the knowledge and materials needed to do such a thing would cost so much that it would far outweigh the benefits of creating your own energy in that manner.

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absolutely not.
As I would see it, that would be a danger to everyone around you. And while you are free to do what you want with your own life. You can't effect others at your own will. I believe that someone posted that the constitution doesnt prohibit it. That doesnt make it constitutional though. The arguement that if the constitution doesnt prohibit it explicitly, then it must be constitutional, is the arguement that has destroyed the constitution.
It is that arguement that has expanded presidential war powers.

"Who Killed The Constitution" by Dr. Thomas E. Woods.

Is this a question about what should be or what actually is?

Actual? You ARE free to develop a nuclear facility small or large; if you have the resources, you can do whatever you want. Like our mothers told us, you just have to pay the consequences, so if you get away with it you might be able to rule the world eventually or you might get punished by those who have bigger guns and more resources. Natural law: the big fish eats the little fish, unless the little fish outsmarts the big fish.

Should be? You shouldn't be free to do anything like that because it's too dangerous, so in the fantasy world of fairness and ethics (blah, blah, blah) you should only have access to energy equal in power to everyone else's.

and you shouldn't be. It's an unreasonable danger to other people.

The principle, from the standpoint of the type of libertarianism I subscribe to, is that you should be allowed to do what you want as long as you don't harm anyone else or put them in unreasonable danger of being harmed (unless they consent to being subject to that danger)