4 ms·

I think a better map would be to show how much land is in private hands versus held by Federal and State governments. I bet people would be shocked, see this ar

I think a better map would be to show how much land is in private hands versus held by Federal and State governments. I bet people would be shocked, see this article from 2016 [1] [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/federal-land-ownership/422637/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/federal...

avoutthere 8y ago
I've never understood how the federal government holding all of this land has held up in court. What is the constitutional justification for this?
- dodgemustang 8y ago
  Because the land is owned by the U.S. Federal government after making deals with European countries, Native Americans, and also taking it from Native Americans by force. No one has yet transfered the property rights to the land to anyone else.
- adams_at 8y ago
  The Property Clause. https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/4/essays/126/property-clause https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/4/essays/1...
- gamblor956 8y ago
  Governments can own property too...in capitalist economy government is just one of many market participants.
baybal2 8y ago
I advise Americans to auction empty federal land holdings. having so much of land in state's property is wrong, and very uncapitalist.
- ianleeclark 8y ago
  Sell your kidneys, too. /s
  - baybal2 8y ago
    What useful things does the US federal government do with all that land?
    - xapata 8y ago
      Prevent ecological destruction.
      - baybal2 8y ago
        Can you formulate this in a less meaning-amorphous phrase. "Prevent ecological destruction" in this context can mean every thing imaginable.
        xapata 8y ago
        Yes, I can. But I think it's clear enough already, especially in contrast to the supremely vague assertion about economic ethics.
        baybal2 8y ago
        It is not clear to me.
24gttghh 8y ago
I bet with more data they would be underwhelmed. Compare the Federal Lands map[0] with a land-cover map[1]. See how much of that BLM managed property is semi-desert? And how much is actually Forest Service land? The first map also includes state lands, which is more apparent in the East, and Alaska. I for one am proud of our reserving of lands for the greater public. It's all of our lands, not just a few greedy landowners. [0]https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/PAD_US%2C%20Land%20Management%20%20Map.jpg https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium... (above found here: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map) [1]https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map

avoutthere 8y ago

I've never understood how the federal government holding all of this land has held up in court. What is the constitutional justification for this?

dodgemustang 8y ago
Because the land is owned by the U.S. Federal government after making deals with European countries, Native Americans, and also taking it from Native Americans by force. No one has yet transfered the property rights to the land to anyone else.
adams_at 8y ago
The Property Clause. https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/4/essays/126/property-clause https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/4/essays/1...
gamblor956 8y ago
Governments can own property too...in capitalist economy government is just one of many market participants.

baybal2 8y ago

I advise Americans to auction empty federal land holdings. having so much of land in state's property is wrong, and very uncapitalist.

ianleeclark 8y ago
Sell your kidneys, too. /s
- baybal2 8y ago
  What useful things does the US federal government do with all that land?
  - xapata 8y ago
    Prevent ecological destruction.
    - baybal2 8y ago
      Can you formulate this in a less meaning-amorphous phrase. "Prevent ecological destruction" in this context can mean every thing imaginable.
      - xapata 8y ago
        Yes, I can. But I think it's clear enough already, especially in contrast to the supremely vague assertion about economic ethics.
        baybal2 8y ago
        It is not clear to me.

24gttghh 8y ago

I bet with more data they would be underwhelmed. Compare the Federal Lands map[0] with a land-cover map[1]. See how much of that BLM managed property is semi-desert? And how much is actually Forest Service land? The first map also includes state lands, which is more apparent in the East, and Alaska. I for one am proud of our reserving of lands for the greater public. It's all of our lands, not just a few greedy landowners. [0]https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/PAD_US%2C%20Land%20Management%20%20Map.jpg https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium... (above found here: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map) [1]https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pad-us-land-management-map