Once again I must take issue with one of my comrade's posts. Henry George may be a an easier adversary to argue with than Jesus.... Once again I must take issue with one of my comrade's posts. Henry George may be a an easier adversary to argue with than Jesus or Abe Lincoln, but this time I think I might be up against a misled Georgist with his own opinions rather than of George himself.

I refer to a statement in the article found at the link provided. "They fail to recognize the fact that the value of the land does not originate from the exertion of direct labor on it and consequently that it is not really capital at all."

I'm afraid the value of land does originate in many cases from the exertion of direct labor, that's why a land-value tax works. If you tax the land instead of the buildings you encourage the investment of capital and the exertion of labor to improve land (and build denser communities.) It encourages maximum use.

More, land is not like another commodity, say toilet seats. It is scarce, unique ---and you can make improvements to it and increase the value-- that's what makes the statement above is unmistakably false.

The other comment I'd like to take issue with is that land is a "commons" and it's immoral to own a commons. Rick, I hope you have fun explaining this to your landlord or in the sense of a people owning land, to the nation of Israel. When you want your plumbing fixed, I expect your landlord may say, "I'm sorry, but the value of this land is not related to labor." Perhaps land is scarce, and there may not be enough for every person on earth to have an equal piece of Manhattan Island, but there's more than enough land to go around, especially if we use it wisely (and this can be encouraged through a land-value tax). Unlike air or water, another quality of land is that it is indestructible (bar dumping nuclear waste on it which would make it unusable).

I think it's important to provide easements and allow common access to the more "unique" land, such as that along waterways. It's also unfair to divide land in such a way as to say "this land is your land, this land is my land and you cannot cross onto my land." In that respect, I see the earth as being for the people and we have no right to unilaterally restrict access (to a country) on the basis of where you were born. Beyond that, land is not a commons.