Property is theft!

[Mr.De-Regulation]

Lol, I'm trying to start a conversation and I KNEW I'd attract you.

I guess it all depends on how you look at property. I myself (though I haven't come to a concrete decision) would be inclined to look on property as anything you own which past that which is necessary for a decent standard of living that others are dying without. For example, having 3 acres of a back garden is theft when there are others starving for lack of food/land to grow it on.

Definitely, I would view ownership of the means of production as theft.

Thats not really a decent explanation. I would rather develop a society that attempts the reach a 100% level of its citizens, becoming the means of their own production. As a means of re-distributing the wealth. But keeping the price system, so the most productive people get rewarded. All menial tasks will eventually replace by technology, college students(hopefully everybody will become a student), and thus who either cannot or will not attempt to contribute to society.

[Hazlitt]

They'll say that as society gave you your education and provided all material support to you in your life up to the point where you had the idea, that society owns your idea.

What do you mean "society gave us our education" ? Please explain that. I was personally taught by different individuals, can you post a picture of this "society" that taught all of us ?

Maybe own is the wrong word but definitely society would have a stake in the idea.

Nonsense. How would this "stake" in an idea be determined? Please elaborate.

...But you don't own the idea, that would be silly, how can anyone own an idea?

I would agree, obviously any thoughts in your mind are your own, but nobody "owns" what is in your head! This would also refute the previous poster who claims that society would have a "stake" in an idea.

Did you read my OP? I said that in the first sentence:

Did you read my previous post in the thread that preceeded this one? I was nailing my colours to the mast early in the thread that is all. Me-ow!

[Dios]

and what happens if their assumption that socialism brings about a post-scarcity society is wrong.

I've me mad max togs all set up for that eventuality.

The main problem with property=theft or other forms of extreme socialism runs a bit like this:
Step one: Give all the money, property and power to the central authority
Step two: Redistribute to each his needs etc.

The weak link is that it never gets beyond step one for some unfathomable reason.

Also, the nineteenth century called, it wants its discussion back.

[sarahj]

You don't say!!!

I guess you're trolling having responded to that post, birthday.

Troll.

[sarahj]

I would agree, obviously any thoughts in your mind are your own, but nobody "owns" what is in your head! This would also refute the previous poster who claims that society would have a "stake" in an idea.

Yup - nice to see us agree on something!

Did you read my previous post in the thread that preceeded this one? I was nailing my colours to the mast early in the thread that is all. Me-ow!

lol, excuse me if I was a little harsh. I was just explaining that I had already included that opinion in the OP.

[Conor]

If there was no private property, how do you think society would function? If someone came in to your house and started taking your stuff how do you think you'd react?

If there was no private property, there would be neither stuff nor house that was identifiably "yours" in the first place.

[sarahj]

I've me mad max togs all set up for that eventuality.

The main problem with property=theft or other forms of extreme socialism runs a bit like this:
Step one: Give all the money, property and power to the central authority
Step two: Redistribute to each his needs etc.

The weak link is that it never gets beyond step one for some unfathomable reason.

Also, the nineteenth century called, it wants its discussion back.

I don't think this discussion was ever had in public.

I guess we need to sort out an ideal of socialism that doesn't involve a central authority then don't we? Oh yeah, that's the one I'm all for...

[Mr.De-Regulation]

I've me mad max togs all set up for that eventuality.

The main problem with property=theft or other forms of extreme socialism runs a bit like this:
Step one: Give all the money, property and power to the central authority
Step two: Redistribute to each his needs etc.

The weak link is that it never gets beyond step one for some unfathomable reason.

Also, the nineteenth century called, it wants its discussion back.

dont worry, eventually there will be a socialist revolution that doent rely on failure.

[Hazlitt]

Only if it's misread. "Private property is theft" is less catchy a slogan.

I didn't mis-read the statement. The thread title is: Property is theft!

[TradCat]

Now, having started my own thread for this issue, I don't qualify as a troll.

Your own? Very proprioatorial!

Seriously, for most people I think property is accepted because it is what works. Other proposed systems would have to demonstrate that they could work in practice before people would even consider them.