Friday, September 6, 2013



My friend, Clive Menzies wrote today (Friday 6 September 2013):

  "It is vital to distinguish land from other forms of investment.

Land belongs to us all and the value in it (by virtue of location or 
resources) is created communally. Private capture of this value is 
immoral and creates inequality and poverty. It should be shared for the 
common good. Land is not capital.

The issue of corporate greed and dominance is a separate issue and is 
facilitated by interest on money to tilt the economic playing field in 
favour of the big. It is demonstrably proven that interest on money 
drives inequality and it enables leveraged buyouts, derivatives etc. 
Eliminate interest and you eliminate the excesses of financial 
capitalism and level the playing field.

Finally, an unconditional citizens income will equalise the balance 
between employer and employee because survival would no longer be tied 
to paid employment. No need for unions and many destructive or 
superfluous jobs would disappear. People would then be free to choose 
how to contribute without being forced to undertake unpalatable work.

http://freecriticalthinking.org/new-economy

Regards

Clive"
 
        To which I add:
 
Dear friends

I add +1, at least, to Clive's succinct posting and thanks! for it.

I consider that all knowledge is also:

   a) socially-produced, in social, collective and historical contexts,(as
such strands of e-mailery prove!), and,

(and for those of us comfortable with such language, and also God-given), and,

   b) therefore part of the commons, and so,

   c) should not be subject to appropriation and exploitation.

I hope, therefore, that, after this evening's 
(Occupy LSX Economics Working Group)consideration of Guaranteed
Income and land, etc as commons, we will move on to succinct statements on 
workplaces (where knowledge is use to make wealth) - and/including money/banking/financial service workplaces in due course. Recall the Spirit Level evidence: that income equality is the creator of well-ness: ill-ness being, in a generic sense, what we are trying to eradicate (As best we can) - versa (income inequality) being the creator of vice.

For all, in all, by all

john

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