since 1894 Restoring a timeless idea... Issue 1245 Winter 2018/19 Issue 1245 Winter A Stable Equilibrium No 1229 Winter 2010/11 1 “ it is not government that makes society; it is society that makes government... WWW.HENRYGEORGEFOUNDATION.ORG message from the honorary president No 1245 Winter 2018/19 PO Box 6408, London, W1A 3GY +44 (0) 800 048 8537 Those interested in history, geography, anthropology, the arts and other [email protected] humanities are well aware of how the name, form and culture of every society is a product of both natural and man-made forces. The same Editor is true of everything that people produce, and down the ages science Joseph Milne has discovered new ways in which the forces of nature may be used to increase our ability to produce the things that people need. Thus Managing Editor we can today build houses, grow food, make clothes and produce all Jesper Raundall Christensen other forms of wealth with a fraction of the labour it took in times past. However, whilst wealth in all its forms may now be easily produced Graphics and Production its equitable distribution remains an unsolved challenge as evidenced Jesper Raundall Christensen by social unrest and the prevalence of involuntary physical, mental, emotional and spiritual disease and poverty, in even the wealthiest of Publisher Henry George Foundation today’s societies. To receive Land&Liberty or support the work of the Whilst these problems are today evident in countries of every political Henry George Foundation contact us at the address hue and individual human failings mean they may never be eradicated, above. the science of political economy offers vital help. This is because it looks beyond the individual and the political in order to understand Land&Liberty has chronicled world events for the natural forces that govern both the individual and the societies over 100 years. It has offered a unique perspective of which they are a part. It provides what those who would prescribe with its reports, analysis and comment on the core issues of political economy. And that uniqueness remains. Land&Liberty aims to explore how lawssocioeconomic of nature solutionsbefore they need are first able to understand to build stable in much structures the way that our common wealth should be used - and to satisfyengineers the needsand architects or desires must of their first clients. understand certain unchanging demonstrate that this is the key to building the bridge of sustainability between private life, the Whilst the science of political economy is distinct from the art of public sector and our resources - between the individual, the community and the environment. politics they both bear on such issues as wages, living costs, rents, Land&Liberty - putting justice at the heart of house prices, the environment, savings, investments, interest rates, economics. pensions, trade and taxes etc., i.e. things that people have an interest in, have opinions about, and take into account when they elect those Copyright in this and other Land&Liberty responsible for managing public affairs. 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Goods and services advertised are not opinions in light of information drawn from unchanging principles. necessarily endorsed by the publishers. Land&Liberty is produced by the Henry George We must begin by acknowledging individual and social aspects of Foundation and printed by Premier Print Group on 100% recycled paper. human nature and what is common to every community. Next we need to consider different sources, types and measures of value and how the ISSN 0023-7574 things that people value are produced, acquired and exchanged. This includes examining the parts played by land, labour, capital, money and credit. Then we can explore how the ideas held in every society regarding common, public, personal and private forms of ownership affect the forms of economic activity that take place in that society as well as the consequences for the natural and man-made environments, the distribution of wealth, the need for public revenue and how local and national governments then collect it. This at least, is the broad shape of a new course on The Science of Political Economy that is currently under preparation and any comments and/or suggestions would welcome. The Henry George Foundation is an independent economic and social justice think tank and public education group The Foundation deals in cutting-edge ideas, exploring and David Triggs promotingwith offices principles in London for and a just members and prosperous throughout society the UK. and a healthy environment. Honorary President Henry George Foundation The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain is a www.landandliberty.net @landandliberty us on Twitter follow company limited by guarantee, registered in England, no. 00956714, and a charity registered in England under the henrygeorgefoundation@ Charities Act 1960, no. 259194. googlemail.com www.HenryGeorgeFoundation.org 3 CONTENTS issue 1245 WINTER 2018/19 10 Regulars Cover Story Features 17 6 9 HGF News The Introduction of Henry George and The Question The latest news and events from the Land Value Taxation of Universal Basic Income Henry George Foundation in London Brian Chance tackles the core practical issue of exactly how to introduce 16 LVT in the current political climate Simonis making McKenna the rounds explores across the sopressing many Reviews & Books Worth questioncontemporary of Universal political Basic communities, Income that Reading and presents his argument for exactly The Failure of Land Reform in where some Georgists may have gotten Twentieth-Century England: The this particular issue wrong Triumph of Private Property by Michael Tichelar lays out the 18 historical context as to why land value Closing Thoughts tax never ended up governing the Conclusively our Closing Thoughts market in land, and is reviewed by section has Tommas Graves asking for . Books Worth Reading one simple change whilst wondering then casts some light upon the issue of Cover Photograph why we don’t go for it? Simonmedieval McKenna economics by means of Mary OlivePrints Aquinas and the Market: Towards a Humane Economy Article image rights: Hirschfield’s book pixabay.com 4 No 12291245 Winter 2010/112018/19 letter from the editor In Protection or Free Trade Henry George draws the following dis- That is to say, as, in the process of integration, the individual be- tinction between the realm of government and the realm of the comes more and more dependent upon and subordinate to the all, individual: it becomes necessary for government, which is properly that social organ by which alone the whole body of individuals can act, to take Man is primarily an individual—a separate entity, differing from his upon itself, in the interest of all, certain functions which cannot fellows in desires and powers, and requiring for the exercise of those safely be left to individuals. powers and the gratification of those desires individual play and freedom. But he is also a social being, having desires that harmonize Perhaps the most important point George is making here is that with those of his fellows, and powers that can be brought out only in functions that properly belong to the State to perform assure in- concerted action. There is thus a domain of individual action and a dividual freedom. Private monopolies diminish individual free- domain of social action—some things which can best be done when dom. Individualists who argue in the name of liberty against all each acts for himself, and some things which can best be done when state intervention, as the Liberty and Property Defence League society acts for all its members. did against George in 1882, ultimately defeat their own purpose. True liberty of the individual cannot be attained through the loss There was great confusion about this natural distinction in of liberty of another individual. And so George draws the conclu- George’s time. ‘Individualists’ opposed him, calling him a ‘socialist’, sion: while socialists opposed him, calling him an individualist. These opposing camps held that either all matters of society should be Thus out of the principle that it is the proper end and purpose of left to the free individual, while the other held that every aspect of government to secure the natural rights and equal liberty of the society should be under the control of government. George traces individual, grows the principle that it is the business of govern- the reason for this confusion to the way civilization develops: ment to do for the mass of individuals those things which cannot be done, or cannot be so well done, by individual action. The natural tendency of advancing civilization is to make social con- ditions relatively more important, and more and more to enlarge the In Protection or Free Trade George is equally clear on what is not domain of social action. This has not been sufficiently regarded, and the business of government: at the present time, evil unquestionably results from leaving to indi- vidual action functions that by reason of the growth of society and All schemes for securing equality in the conditions of men by plac- the development of the arts have passed into the domain of social ing the distribution of wealth in the hands of government have action; just as, on the other hand, evil unquestionably results from the fatal defect of beginning at the wrong end.