Re: Wages, Inflation and Social Security

From: New Dark Ages (nda_at_ignorance.is.bliss.invalid)
Date: 01/21/05 

Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 16:38:55 GMT

lNOcargill@cfl.Arr.com wrote...
> New Dark Ages wrote:
>
> > I guess it's just a good thing for us that some enterprising little
> > *** didn't think to claim ownership of the ocean, 300 or 400 years
> > ago. Think of the usage fees and rents they could have racked up!
> > Why, their decendents would have been the very wealthiest and most
> > powerful people on earth today.
> >
> > And, if it had happened during that time period, they'd probably be
> > French to boot!
> >
> > The notion of land ownership is just as goofy, if you argue from
> > first principles.
>
> It is not goofy at all if you think like an agrarian person
> surrounded by "barbarians".

You've got a point. But barbarians aren't going to honor deeds and
titles. So you're sort of back where you started, at least regarding
the barbarians.

> It's arguably the single most fundamental principle of
> civilization.

There's still a difference between carving off a chunk of land and
saying (to the barbarians) 'We're growing crops here. If you try to
run your horses over it, your tribe and my tribe are going to
fight," and, "My tribe claims all lands around the river. That means
you can't get to the river a) at all, or b) unless you pay me a toll
to cross the land."

One is an action made to support a way of life (agrarian), and the
other is an act of war, or at best extortion.

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