“The Land Trap”

[ndrosen]

Slate magazine has a book review of The Land Trap, a book by Mike Bird. Mr. Bird may not be a Georgist, strictly speaking, but what he writes about how land speculation contributes to economic instability seems to resemble what the late (Georgist) Professor Mason Gaffney and others have tried to tell the world for many years, and, according to the review, the book does include an account of the thought of Henry George.

Judging by the review, Mr. Bird favors taking land by eminent domain for housing projects, as has been done in Singapore. I believe on several grounds that this would be less good than simply taxing all land on its rental value, but if nothing else, this book may help get Georgist and and Georgist-adjacent ideas into mainstream circulation.

Comments

[thewayne]

Land speculation killed Mervyn's, Toys R Us, FAO Schwarz barely survived, there are dozens of corporations that were gobbled up by vulture capitalists for their land value, saddled with unserviceable debt - which was almost entirely swept up by the VCs, and then left to die on their own.

I really hate VCs and land speculators.