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I think something may be down -- another had the same problem. Here is what Hank posted:
From Professor Edward Kent
Something for us teachers to think about. Maybe it is time to tell the kids that they are being set up?
"Private Property Is Theft!"
Exam question:
1. The split between poverty and wealth is growing in this country it is the widest of any of the developed nations with many finding it impossible to make ends meet or even to provide themselves and families with the basics (food/shelter/medicine) on a minimum wage job that produces an annual income of about $10,000, far below the poverty line. Include in your essay answers to at least the following: a) What might a Kantian and utilitarian say we ought to do about this situation? b) What would be your own proposals as to what we should do about it? c) Who or what should be held accountable for it?
The above is one of my exam questions to which I all too well know the answer, as I wrote my dissertation back when on property theory and discovered what all of us should know -- that private property is NOT something that we earn, but rather an assignment arranged by the particular society in which we live of legal relationships -- rights and duties, powers and liabilities -- by which our respective legal systems distribute resources. One man's legal rights and powers entail everyone else's duties and liabilities, etc.
Well before Marx and Engels had built up much momentum, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in his "What Is Private Property?" (originally published in the French in 1840) had declared it to be what it all too often is -- theft!
If one explores how one acquires wealth in America one discovers far too much deference to the thoroughly anachronistic and false Lockean notion that one somehow magically converts public resources to one's own absolute possession simply by mixing a bit of labor with them. Such were the 17th century entrepreneurs of Locke's day precisely doing by snatching the commons (where any and all previously could graze their sheep, goats, cattle, whatever) as their absolute private entitlements.
Locke was the huckster for ripping off the natives -- both at home and in America where such was actually being done even during his life time at a tremendous clip. And the Lockean con for grabbing from others is embalmed in our Constitution with its mantras of rights of life, liberty, and property -- originally only entitlements for rich land and slave-owning European males!
Back to the present day -- our billionaires from Gates to Bloomberg are making out like bandits because they have grabbed our public resources. We have walked away from the prudent anti-trust protections that Teddy Roosevelt introduced a the start of the twentieth century to protect us from such robber barons and are letting our pols sabotage us with deficits targeted to destroy the social support mechanisms that FDR was beginning to introduce before the Republicans (AMA and such) cut short the process under Truman and later rightists did their things to chop down Johnson's anti-poverty programs. Shrub is merely doing more of the same along with various Republicans empowered in our states, e.g. our anti-tax 'em horror Pataki who used the usual emotive appeals to get on board (pro death penalty) and since then has proceeded towards bankrupting us -- one of the nation's wealthiest states! We shall be seeing Medicaid cut back here this next year.
Our various infra-structures -- roads, sewers, bridges, water supplies -- are in a mess. Our public schools and universities are struggling and all the while taxes are being cut for the rich? Wonder how long they can get away with this grab? I suppose as long as the public can be diverted by the usual right wing emotive ploys -- gay marriage, abortion, faith-based this and that, grim murders cum executions for entertainment -- whatever re-directs the attention of the gullible from the real property games. Ish! How much can they steal before our public -- dumbed down by the media -- wakes up?
Something for us teachers to think about. Maybe it is time to tell the kids that they are being set up?
Pat Korbet wrote:
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From: PNEWS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: "Private Property is Theft" Topic: capitalism From: Professor Edward Kent
''Private Property Is Theft!'' Something for us teachers to think about. Maybe it is time to tell the kids that they are being set up?
"Private Property Is Theft!" http://g0lem.net/portal/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=64 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Edward,
I am no longer allowed access to that particulat Golem portal. I was never told why, and I am apparently being punished for some reason or another - maybe I'm considered a dangerous hacker. (LOL!)
This is what's on the page I get when I clicked on your link:
Forbidden [in bold letters :-)] You don't have permission to access /portal/modules.php on this server..
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Apache/1.3.31 Server at www.g0lem.net Port 80 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the second Golem portal that has forbidden access for my IP, and I would really like to read that article since it is a subject that is dear to my heart. Could you please send me the original link to that piece (if it's still on the web)?
Thank you, I would really appreciate it.
Paxdora
--- / o o \ ===OO=====OO================================================= http://pnews.org/vortal/ New World disOrder and Myth Busters http://g0lem.net/vortal/ Insane Planet and Wacko World http://g0lem.net/portal/ Bad-Ass Truth and TheGolemsPortal http://pnews.org/portal/ Naked Truth and PNEWS Portal http://g0lem.net/PhpWiki/ (Wiki) http://pnews.org/ (Home) -DON'T FEED THE TROLLS- ============================================================= \_/ \_/
-- "A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy) -- Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
--- / o o \ ===OO=====OO================================================= http://pnews.org/vortal/ New World disOrder and Myth Busters http://g0lem.net/vortal/ Insane Planet and Wacko World http://g0lem.net/portal/ Bad-Ass Truth and TheGolemsPortal http://pnews.org/portal/ Naked Truth and PNEWS Portal http://g0lem.net/PhpWiki/ (Wiki) http://pnews.org/ (Home) -DON'T FEED THE TROLLS- ============================================================= \_/ \_/
