Information AboutGeorgism |
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Georgism, named after Henry George ( 1839 - 1897 ), is a Philosophy and Economic Ideology that follows from the belief that everyone owns what they create, but everything supplied by nature, most importantly Land , belongs equally to all humanity. Georgists argue that all of the Economic Rent (ie, unearned income) collected from land, broadcast spectrum, mineral extraction, Tradable Emission Permits , Fishing Quota s, airway corridor use, Seignorage , space orbits, etc. and extraordinary returns from "natural monopolies" should go to the community rather than the owner and that no other taxes or burdensome economic regulations should be levied. In practice that implies a high Land Value Tax (LVT), although no change in land rental prices (other than those caused by reduction of other taxes and regulations) for reasons first explained by Adam Smith . The Wealth Of Nations Book 1, Chapter XI, first paragraph: ::''Rent, considered as the price paid for the use of land, is naturally the highest which the tenant can afford to pay in the actual circumstances of the land. In adjusting the terms of the lease, the landlord endeavours to leave him no greater share of the produce than what is sufficient to keep up the stock from which he furnishes the seed, pays the labour, and purchases and maintains the cattle and other instruments of husbandry, together with the ordinary profits of farming stock in the neighbourhood. This is evidently the smallest share with which the tenant can content himself without being a loser, and the landlord seldom means to leave him any more. Whatever part of the produce, or, what is the same thing, whatever part of its price is over and above this share, he naturally endeavours to reserve to himself as the rent of his land, which is evidently the highest the tenant can afford to pay in the actual circumstances of the land.'' SYNONYMS AND VARIANTS Most early advocacy groups described themselves as ''Single Taxers'', and George endorsed this as being an accurate description of the movement's main political goal - the replacement of all taxes with a LVT. In the modern era, there are groups inspired by Henry George with more of an emphasis on Environmentalism or monetary Economics . In today's more economically complex world, a quick and total change to LVT is very difficult to sell politically, so the term "Georgist" has come into vogue, being a more general term which encompasses even incremental changes towards the ideal of replacing unjust and economically destructive taxes on economic activity by recovery of the economic rent of land for the purposes and benefit of the public that creates land value. Some Georgists are not entirely satisfied with the label. Henry George is now little known and the principle predates him. Some use the term "Geoism", with the meaning of "Geo" deliberately ambiguous. "Earth Sharing", " Geoism ", "Geonomics" and " Geolibertarianism " (see Libertarianism ) are also preferred by some Georgists; "Geoanarchism" is another one. These terms reflect a difference of emphasis, and sometimes real differences about how land rent should be spent ( Citizen's Dividend or just replacing other taxes); but all agree that land rent should be recovered from its private recipients. FAMOUS GEORGISTS
In the 2004 Presidential Campaign , Ralph Nader mentioned Henry George in his platform.http://www.votenader.org/issues/index.php?cid=7 In Denmark, the Georgist Justice Party has previously been represented in Folketinget . SINGLE-TAX COMMUNITIES
NOTES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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