Turkey and the EU
Today's top story on the BBC is Turkey's attempts to join the European Union. (Actually, it's the second story, but I don't think anyone is interested in a minor Scottish by-election.) Turkish membership of the EU would be a Very Important Thing. It would bring a Moslem nation into a major western power block, achieving by peaceful means what violence has failed to do.
Unfortunately, I am ashamed to say, certain nations have raised last minute objections. I have to say that I agree with the various Turkish historians who say this sounds like racism, or at least a distrust of outsiders.
Culturally, nations are all insecure. Why? Because our nations, from their origins to the present day, are based on theft - exclusion based on violence. Our borders exist because centuries ago we stole the land by force. Land owners - from the billionaire to the humble house owner, gain security from knowing that, even if they are not the most efficient users of the land, they are still guaranteed wealth just because they own it. Our whole way of life is based on exclusion. We do not know how to share, except with our close friends.
Land rent changes that culture. Land rent provides a way that land (the source of all wealth) can be allocated according to merit, and (because land prices go down) there is always enough for everyone. It encourages efficient use of resources, then shares the profit with society. So land rent provides economic security that welcomes any outsiders into its system.
An end to xenophobia - another long-term benefit of land rent.
posted by Chris Tolworthy at 5:42 AM
2 Comments:
This doesn't really have anything to do with this post, but all this land rents stuff got me to thinking about Celine Dion's song, Rain Tax. I never heard such a thing and thought it was showing the absurdity of all the taxes by singing a song about taxing rain. i was even more surprised to hear that it is taxed in some areas, I would go broke with the amount of rain off my roof!
LOL! I suppose it depends how you do it. Rain seems kind of arbitrary (unless it can be shown that human activity changes it). But if for 'rain' we substitute 'groundwater' then a water tax is a good idea in desert areas. It stops people taking more than their fair share, and compensates those who have their water taken. For example, some land locked nations take water from major rivers, and this leaves less for countries further down the river. And in desert areas, wealthy landowners often lower the water table by taking groundwater for their hotels and golf courses. So the poor peoples' wells run dry. Taxing rain might be silly, but taxing water we take from the ground is a good idea. :)
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