Property is theft!

[Mr.De-Regulation]

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...

How about you me try work such a system together? You could have a centralised government that works on default capitalist free market principals, but local authorities that control the level of tax, were the tax is spent, and what degrees capitalism/socialism we should have?

Howth could function on free market principals, but Reheny could have a socialist local authority?

[birthday]

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

Troll.

To be fair to you sarahj at least you have set up a dedicated thread to your topic of interest rather than tagging it onto, say, a discussion on the implications of the recent IMF report

[stringjack]

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

I didn't say that you misread the statement. I said that understanding the claim being made as self-refuting would require a misreading of the statement.

[sauntersplash]

Seriously, for most people I think property is accepted because it is what works.

It works? When did this happen?

[Hazlitt]

..understanding the claim being made as self-refuting would require a misreading of the statement.

Are you insinuating that "Public Property" should not be considered theft?

[toughbutfair]

There was a programme on China a few weeks ago. They used to have communal farming and they weren't producing enough food to feed the population. Then in the late 1970s/early 80s, they divided up the land and the peasant was allowed trade any excess produce he grew over a certain level. Quickly, the amount food shot up, and markets emerged where peasants could sell their excess stock. Very quicly everybody got a bit richer and the country could feed itself.

"No property is theft"

[TradCat]

[quote=sauntersplash;1818990][QUOTE=TradCat;1818912]
Seriously, for most people I think property is accepted because it is what works.

It works? When did this happen?

When I bought my house!

Does any party openly advocate the abolition of property? It works in that society functions and while there are contradictions and even disasters like the property bubble, do we have a workable alternative?

[sarahj]

To be fair to you sarahj at least you have set up a dedicated thread to your topic of interest rather than tagging it onto, say, a discussion on the implications of the recent IMF report

I discussed the IMF and the IMF report on the IMF report thread. When I realised the conversation was becoming irrelevant to the thread, I set up another one.

[Hazlitt]

A Theory of Just Property: Homesteading

There are two fundamental principles upon which the libertarian theory of just property rests:

1.Everyone has absolute property right over his or her own body; and
2.everyone has an absolute property right over previously unowned natural resources (land) which he first occupies and brings into use (in the Lockean phrase, "Mixing his labor with the land").

The "first ownership to first use" principle for natural resources is also popularly called the "homesteading principle." If each man owns the land that he "mixes his labor with," then he owns the product of that mixture, and he has the right to exchange property titles with other, similar producers. This establishes the right of free contract in the sense of transfer of property titles. It also establishes the right to give away such titles, either as a gift or bequest.

Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Institute

[birthday]

There was a programme on China a few weeks ago. They used to have communal farming and they weren't producing enough food to feed the population. Then in the late 1970s/early 80s, they divided up the land and the peasant was allowed trade any excess produce he grew over a certain level. Quickly, the amount food shot up, and markets emerged where peasants could sell their excess stock. Very quicly everybody got a bit richer and the country could feed itself.

"No property is theft"

To add to this. Collectivisation in China caused the needless death of 30-40 million by starvation between 1958-1961. I dont know what Sarahj has to say on this??