[ExI] don't let your guard down, not for a minute...

[Damien Sullivan]

On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:00:32AM +0100, BillK wrote:
> On 9/11/10, Damien Sullivan  wrote:
> <snip>
> > As long as one ignores questions about the initial distribution of
> >  property and the justice thereof.  Absolute monarchy is consistent with
> >  laissez faire, as long as the king 'owns' all the land.

> There's a new article in Forbes magazine questioning whether the whole
> idea of 'property' is about to change.
> 
> <http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/09/business-shared-economy-transportation-2020-opinions-contributors-lisa-gansky.html>

Interesting article, but I don't think that's changing the whole idea of
property.  It would change how much individuals choose to own (or find
the option of owning... I'm sure lots of businesses would love to rent
stuff to you indefinitely rather than selling it outright!) but not the
nature of ownership or that everything is conventionally owned by
somebody.

At least with just businesses involved.  Muncipalities providing new
services are a bigger change.  But even bigger are things like
squatters' rights laws, or the infamous Kelo, which if embraced could be
a step toward Georgist/mutualist "whoever makes the highest social value
use of the land, as measured by property taxes, gets to use the land".
Those would change the idea of property.

-xx- Damien X-)