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Henry George was more or less opposed to our current conception of capitalism. He believed all land and narual resources should be held in common. He stated tha
by DubiousPusher 7y ago
Henry George was more or less opposed to our current conception of capitalism. He believed all land and narual resources should be held in common. He stated that a person should be entitled to the product of their personal labor and that was about it.
But being a practical man he realized the horse was well out of the barn on private ownership of land and felt that a land value tax was essentially the next best thing. He maintained collective ownership of natural resource beside land though.
- legitster 7y agoI feel that is an overzealous interpretation. The whole crux of his work was that rent was unlike capital and labor and very subject to exploitation. He very much believed in markets and accumulation of capital. You can collectively own natural resources and still have a vibrant free trade economy.
- DubiousPusher 7y agoYup, never said he was opposed to markets nor accumulation of capital. But capitalism as we know it is hugely influenced by our current system of private property. Georgeism would have many similarities to our present form of capitalism but it would also look very different.
- legitster 7y agoI guess I don't see how it would look that different. A flat value tax on land seems less radical than a wealth tax (for example). But no one sells a wealth tax as an end to capitalism.
- DubiousPusher 7y agoYou can't see how land becoming a liability rather than an asset because of the significant tax burden it would bear might have drastic effects on modern Western capitalism? Nor how the collective ownership of resources produced from mines, forests, rivers and oceans would significantly change it?