Our history is a history dominated by two processes: (1) conflicts of territorial conquest between those who think of themselves as sovereign people, with no obligation to respect the equal birthright of others to a place on this planet; and (2) the internal development of hierarchies within societies that inevitably have established entrenched landed privilege as a basis for law and societal norms. Along the way the idea that the planet is a commons to be equitably shared has essentially disappeared as a core moral principle. The majority of people passively accept the idea of private property in nature, with only a nominal expression of concern over monopolization of natural resources or the evils of land speculation. Social democracy has done nothing to overcome the destructive influence on human behavior of pervasive landlessness. This is not to suggest that most of us today should be living on a family farm, growing our own food and relying on self-sufficiency as Thomas Jefferson believed was the only basis for the survival of a democratic republic. Few of us own more land than that which exists under our primary residence. Fully one-third of households in the United States own no land at all, thus it is no surprise that households that live in rental housing have a much lower net worth than the two-thirds who at least own a residential property. Roughly one-half of the land area of the United States is in private hands. In terms of land area, just a handful of corporations and wealthy individuals own vast acreages of land. Two individuals each own land equal in size to the state of Delaware. But, that is not the most important measure of land monopoly in the United States. Most destructive is the concentrated holding of land value, of land in the central business districts of our major cities and suburban communities. The handful of economists who have focused on this issue as a major cause of poverty estimate (estimate because there are no accurate statistics collected or published), that 95 percent of the nation's land value is controlled by around 3 percent of the population, as well as foreign nationals and foreign corporate interests. The impact on our society is enormous. Land monopoly means that a major portion of the wealth produced is transferred from producers to non-producers (i.e.., to a rentier elite, who as a land owner produce nothing and provide no serivces in return). The easiest example to understand is the absentee land owner who leases land to the highest bidder for whatever purpose, collects the ground rent, and takes no risk as a producer or goods and services. Crime will only get worse as the power of the rentier elite expands, leaving less and less for others. What is needed is public policy changes that will address this problem, creating more opportunity for people to rise out of poverty and begin to realize the promise of social democracy. The most important change we can adopt is a change in how government raises its revenue, moving to land's rental value as THE main source of public revenue so that land is no longer hoarded or held for speculative gain.
Such an important point needing more exposure. Better education for poor young people is certainly a chance for them to improve, but what about that progress being undone due to high rates of domestic violence at home and in their environment?
This underlies the importance of government of the people, by the people, for the people - all the people of a given jurisdiction - nation, state, province, county, municipality. Security is the primary purpose of community - the fundamental community motive. The tendency of humans to seek power and dominate needs to be managed by the spiritual mores of humanity. Any human organization can become a predator, rather than a protector. "Greater Community Spirituality" and other books by Marshall Vian Summers puts these challenges into a language that enables the hard earned wisdom of our social evolution to thoughtfully be put to use.
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Like the last question from one of the Report and she have a point
Our history is a history dominated by two processes: (1) conflicts of territorial conquest between those who think of themselves as sovereign people, with no obligation to respect the equal birthright of others to a place on this planet; and (2) the internal development of hierarchies within societies that inevitably have established entrenched landed privilege as a basis for law and societal norms.
Along the way the idea that the planet is a commons to be equitably shared has essentially disappeared as a core moral principle. The majority of people passively accept the idea of private property in nature, with only a nominal expression of concern over monopolization of natural resources or the evils of land speculation.
Social democracy has done nothing to overcome the destructive influence on human behavior of pervasive landlessness. This is not to suggest that most of us today should be living on a family farm, growing our own food and relying on self-sufficiency as Thomas Jefferson believed was the only basis for the survival of a democratic republic. Few of us own more land than that which exists under our primary residence. Fully one-third of households in the United States own no land at all, thus it is no surprise that households that live in rental housing have a much lower net worth than the two-thirds who at least own a residential property.
Roughly one-half of the land area of the United States is in private hands. In terms of land area, just a handful of corporations and wealthy individuals own vast acreages of land. Two individuals each own land equal in size to the state of Delaware. But, that is not the most important measure of land monopoly in the United States. Most destructive is the concentrated holding of land value, of land in the central business districts of our major cities and suburban communities. The handful of economists who have focused on this issue as a major cause of poverty estimate (estimate because there are no accurate statistics collected or published), that 95 percent of the nation's land value is controlled by around 3 percent of the population, as well as foreign nationals and foreign corporate interests.
The impact on our society is enormous. Land monopoly means that a major portion of the wealth produced is transferred from producers to non-producers (i.e.., to a rentier elite, who as a land owner produce nothing and provide no serivces in return). The easiest example to understand is the absentee land owner who leases land to the highest bidder for whatever purpose, collects the ground rent, and takes no risk as a producer or goods and services.
Crime will only get worse as the power of the rentier elite expands, leaving less and less for others. What is needed is public policy changes that will address this problem, creating more opportunity for people to rise out of poverty and begin to realize the promise of social democracy. The most important change we can adopt is a change in how government raises its revenue, moving to land's rental value as THE main source of public revenue so that land is no longer hoarded or held for speculative gain.
Great Work! Excellent Presentation.
Such an important point needing more exposure. Better education for poor young people is certainly a chance for them to improve, but what about that progress being undone due to high rates of domestic violence at home and in their environment?
This underlies the importance of government of the people, by the people, for the people - all the people of a given jurisdiction - nation, state, province, county, municipality. Security is the primary purpose of community - the fundamental community motive. The tendency of humans to seek power and dominate needs to be managed by the spiritual mores of humanity. Any human organization can become a predator, rather than a protector. "Greater Community Spirituality" and other books by Marshall Vian Summers puts these challenges into a language that enables the hard earned wisdom of our social evolution to thoughtfully be put to use.
#haugen = voice people
I hope those bright minds at Google are inspired to use their brains and the tech they have to enhance the prevention of violence and poverty.