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What do you consider rights to locations? The scenario being described requires people who want to use the land to purchase rights to the land. They can use t
by bcheung 11y ago
What do you consider rights to locations?
The scenario being described requires people who want to use the land to purchase rights to the land. They can use the land but they don't own the land -- it's more like renting.
Any improvements upon the land are theirs 100% though.
Not sure if you read Paine's arguments but here are the important points.
1) Mankind inherited the earth and in the beginning wandered the earth as hunter and gathers. Nobody owned the land -- everyone had equal claim to it and could use it for their sustenance.
2) Governments formed and claimed monopolies on the land. They took "ownership" of the land without compensation to the original owners (everyone). This constitutes the use of force and violates the principle of non-aggression.
3) In order to make it fair, compensation must be given to the original owner. This makes it a fair transaction and is what Thomas Paine is proposing.
- ctdonath 11y agoSounds like property taxes: pay annual "fair value" for the lot you've claimed, and if you stop paying you get evicted.
- djschnei 11y agosoooo the steps: 1) nobody owned the land 2) governments formed and took the land 3) now we need to rent our purchased land from the government?
- bcheung 11y agoAnd also 4) the rent proceeds go back to the people. The people are the real owners. The government is just the administrative agent acting on their behalf.
- djschnei 11y agoI mean this in the nicest way possible... It's cute that you think that. By that logic, assuming you are a tax payer, you are $159k+ in debt thanks to the government acting on your behalf. http://www.usdebtclock.org/ http://www.usdebtclock.org/
- ctdonath 11y agoTry not paying property tax and see how long you can stay on your "purchased land". I'm not yet seeing much addressing determination of the relative value of the land: a square foot in Manhattan is extremely valuable, while a square foot most anywhere in Arizona or Wyoming (my favorite state) is practically useless. Roughly half of all land counts as "rank wilderness" which almost nobody could make use of; other land is extremely productive, some not really requiring any effort beyond simply harvesting what naturally thrives there. That said, I tend to alternate between despising property taxes vs thinking they're about the only legitimate taxation. As said, there's a finite supply of land servicing a growing population.
- bcheung 11y agoIt is very similar to property tax but there are some differences. I believe you can bid for the land for much longer periods of time. Also, under the current system property tax includes the improvements on the land as well. Paine was proposing that if you build a house on the land you don't have to pay more taxes. It's only on the land portion that you pay the "tax". It's a similar system where people bid on the rights to spectrums of radio waves.
- TheCoelacanth 11y agoExcept that property taxes are an order of magnitude lower than the fair value for the property.