Geolibertarianism

Geolibertarianism is the belief that each individual has an exclusive right to the fruits of his or her labor, and thus an exclusive right to the value of those fruits; and that all individuals have an equal right to land, and thus an equal right to the value of land. (http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tma68/geolib.htm)

Description

Starting paragraphs from the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolibertarianism

"Geolibertarianism (also geoanarchism) is a libertarian political philosophy that holds, like other forms of libertarian individualism, that each individual has an exclusive right to the fruits of his or her labor, as opposed to this product being owned collectively by society or the community. In other words, geolibertarians support private property. However, unlike "royalist" forms of libertarianism, geolibertarianism holds that all land is owned in common by society, and therefore if individuals claim the land as their property they must pay rent to the community for doing so. Geolibertarians generally advocate distributing the land rent to the community via a land value tax, as proposed by Henry George and others before him. For this reason, they are often called "single taxers". Fred E. Foldvary coined the word "geo-libertarianism" in an article so titled in Land and Liberty, May/June 1981, pp. 53-55. In the case of geoanarchism as described by Foldvary, rent would be collected by private associations with the opportunity to secede from a geocommunity (and not receive the geocommunity's services) if desired.

Geolibertarians are generally influenced by Georgism, but the ideas behind it pre-date Henry George, and can be found in different forms in the writings of John Locke, the French Physiocrats, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, James Mill (John Stuart Mill's father), David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, and Herbert Spencer. Perhaps the best summary of geolibertarianism is Thomas Paine's assertion that "Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds." On the other hand, Locke wrote that private land ownership should be praised, as long as its product was not left to spoil and there was "enough, and as good left in common for others"; when this Lockean proviso is violated, the land earns rental value." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolibertarianism)

More Information

Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolibertarianism

FAQ at http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tma68/geolib.htm

What is Geolibertarianism, at http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tma68/geolib.htm

Details on the Geo-Rent proposal, at http://www.econjournalwatch.org/pdf/FoldvaryIntellectualTyrannyApril2005.pdf

Websites

What are some other geolibertarian web sites?

Dan Sullivan's Geolibertarian Home Page http://geolib.com

The Thomas Paine Network http://www.tpaine.org

Fred Foldvary's Home Page http://www.foldvary.net

The Banneker Center for Economic Justice http://www.progress.org/banneker

The Henry George Institute http://www.henrygeorge.org

The School of Cooperative Individualism http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org

Major geolibertarian writings

List from http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tma68/geo-faq.htm#websites

Agrarian Justice - by Thomas Paine

Progress and Poverty - by Henry George

Social Problems - by Henry George

Democracy vs. Socialism - by Max Hirsch

Selected Articles by Harry Gunnison Brown: The Case for Land Value Taxation - by Harry Gunnison Brown

Libertarian Party at Sea on Land - by Harold Kyriazi

Rights vs. Privileges - by Robert De Fremery

Public Revenue Without Taxation - by Ronald Burgess

Land and Taxation - edited by Nicolaus Tideman

The Corruption of Economics - by Mason Gaffney and Fred Harrison

The FAQ recommends:

"Of the above list, Libertarian Party at Sea on Land and Rights vs. Privileges are the two best introductions to geolibertarian principles. If you enjoy heavy reading, the two best are Progress and Poverty and Democracy vs. Socialism. (In the latter, Max Hirsch improves upon Henry George's treatment of interest, thereby removing the sole logical blemish from the economic views expounded in the former." (http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tma68/geo-faq.htm)