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LS | Political Economy

“LS is a revolutionary approach to political economy, power and social organisation which protects the planet while also putting ordinary people in the driving seat”

2. How does it fit with Compass’ core beliefs of equality, solidarity, democracy, freedom, sustainability and well being?

Equality: equalisation of centrally collected Land Value Tax, redistributed to each locality. Likewise with new banking system and benefits. Individuals in each locality have an equal say in how budgets are spent, via horizontal decision-making processes. Freedom: people will have as a mainstream choice to live in intentional community or work to transform their locality. LS opens up a new line of politics, employment and banking facilities, all controlled by the people. Solidarity: community empowerment. Democracy: direct participation in power. Sustainability: localisation is core principle of LA 21. Well-being: establishing a truly human culture

3. How does it build the institutions of social democracy, like social groups and collective and cooperative forms of ownership and control?

Autonomous stewardship hub space, Community Land Trust (CLT), ideally with a garden, in every locality/neighbourhood. Each to be run by the people who live around it, as they see fit. But also with four-fold constitutional significance: (1) local parliamentary assembly (2) employment/benefit function (3) new, national bank branch and (4) interacting with ‘higher’ levels of administration, slowly developing decentralised national constitution

In parallel, citizen’s right to form teams and set up low-impact, intentional communities on ring-fenced rural land, again as CLTs

4. How much will it cost or raise and where will any cost come from?

Land Value Tax funds to provide self-governance locality budget for each neighbourhood, as outlined above, but also for community orientated, affordable/council housing and other public services

Unemployment/housing benefit funds reemployed by local community to pay people to work (doing part or full-time) what they actually want to do (in collaboration with, and for, the local community)

Fractional Reserve Banking System phased out and replaced with nationalised, debt-free government issued public credit facility.

Tax and new money funds redistributed evenly, with every local neighbourhood getting an equal share.

5. Which groups in the electorate are likely to support or oppose this measure? Is there any polling evidence you have on this?

Supporters: everyone, as income tax will be phased out & replaced with LVT. Also, LVT exemption/reduction for homeowners, so many will be happy to see those with second homes taxed. People yearning for a better/more meaningful, ethical life. Libertarians of both left and right, because LS tackles big state power aswell as opening up the new political realm, beyond private property and reclaiming the commons. People with spirit, intelligence and political nouse. All will hop on board and lead the charge, triangulating to the left - post Lehman Bros.

Bankers and Duke of Westminster will hate it!

6. Is there a place or country where it’s worked? Please provide some information.

LVT: Harrisburg, USA and Hong Kong, see Carol Wilcox’s entry. Money Reform: Abraham Lincoln’s treasury-backed, government-issued greenbacks helped win the civil war by funding troops at a time when the banks refused to lend. Likewise today we need to fund the ‘troops’ and win war for a more ecological, socially cohesive and economically just society. Local Sovereignty: Montesquieu ‘man makes kingdoms but communes seem to come from God’, and De Tocqueville ‘C’est dans la commune que reside la force des peoples libres’

7. What are the three main arguments in favour/against it?

FOR:
Positive democratic innovation, low ecological footprint, human community restored. Also: banks, land, tax, public services and the whole governmental decision-making system, these, together with air, water, earth and fire, are ALL the commons, stolen from our ancestors. It is time to claim them back. And put them to good use!

AGAINST:
I can’t think of any good ones, all objections will be demolished in due course.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 6:48 pm and is filed under Equality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.