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Patriotism, American Values, Capitalist and Real Estate


               
2012 Dec 15, 1:00am   6,475 views  25 comments

by GraooGra   follow (0)  

Is ownership a real property and a personal property a patriotic act?
Is ownership considered adherence to American Values?
Is ownership a manifestation of being a proud Capitalist?

Are these values still alive or dead in our society?
Are Americans still think that way?

#housing

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1   Peter P   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:02am  

No. Ownership has nothing to do with patriotism.

Yes.

Not necessarily. A proud Capitalist will seek the maximum control with the minimum amount of capital. Sometimes renting makes sense. Sometimes leasing a car makes sense.

2   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:16am  

Is ownership a real property and a personal property a patriotic act?

LOL. King George III was the greatest patriot in American history?

"And We do further declare it to be Our Royal Will and Pleasure, for the present as aforesaid, to reserve under our Sovereignty, Protection, and Dominion, for the use of the said Indians, all the Lands and Territories not included within the Limits of Our said Three new Governments, or within the Limits of the Territory granted to the Hudson's Bay Company, as also all the Lands and Territories lying to the Westward of the Sources of the Rivers which fall into the Sea from the West and North West as aforesaid."

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/proclamation.html

Is ownership a manifestation of being a proud Capitalist?

by definition, yes.

Are these values still alive or dead in our society?

Loaded word "value" there.

If more "ownership" is a "value", what could be the highest expression than owning ALL classes of chattel property, including legal title to other humans themselves?

Now THAT is a traditional American value we need to return to!

So mere ownership is not "patriotic", though the more you own the more "patriotic" you tend to be (and the less you own the less "patriotic").

True "patriots" would want to see MORE people own real estate and physical capital, LOL.

Problem is real estate -- the land component at least -- is pretty much a zero sum thing. The more I own the less you can own.

We can build more housing, but more housing in a given area actually makes it a shittier place to live, generally speaking.

Wealth is that which improves our lives. The goods we make and trade, and the services we provide each other.

Capital wealth is that which makes it easier to create this primary, direct wealth. It is the land, the natural resources, and the knowledge, skills, and talent we need to create wealth.

Patriots should be INCREASING the capital of the nation.

Mere ownership (of what was the natural commons), and TAKING other people's productive output by leveraging natural monopoly and other asymmetric dealings, is the opposite of that; indeed, such rent-seeking in land and monopoly is profoundly unpatriotic in that it weakens the social fabric of this nation, and our collective ability to create wealth.

3   GraooGra   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:22am  

1. Patriotism. If you have your own land and a house and you take care of it, you improve the quality of your life and quality of your neighborhood. You participate and feel part of your community and on the bigger scale your country. You are responsible citizen. Property gives you this feeling of obligation/responsibility and feeling of ownership a piece of the country. You also work towards the good of the country if you own and work to improve your property.

3. Capitalist. I don't think it is the correct definition. Capitalist is wealth creator and owner. I understand if the property doesn't create wealth or a big amount of wealth then sometimes is better not to own it. Is property always wealth then?

4   Peter P   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:25am  

GraooGra says

Is property always wealth then?

No. Property can be a liability.

5   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:28am  

GraooGra says

Is property always wealth then?

Wealth is that which satisfies human wants and needs.

Technically, wealth is providing certain services of utility, the act of satisfying unmet wants or needs.

A concrete sidewalk is a form of wealth, in that it provides a more efficient pathway to get between two places compared to the natural state of dirt or whatever, which in the rain becomes mud and also will soon become an impenetrable mass of weeds if left alone.

A prosperous society has everyone diligently CREATING needed new wealth and nobody wantonly DESTROYING existing wealth.

Note that wealth is not money, LOL. Nor is the the titles we attach to existing wealth. Money and titles of ownership are legalisms we use to facilitate the creation, trade, and preservation of wealth.

6   Peter P   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:29am  

Bellingham Bill says

Wealth is that which satisfies human wants and needs.

I think wealth is control, which may be contrary to the wants and needs of some.

7   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:41am  

Peter P says

I think wealth is control

title provides the legal means of determining control over existing wealth.

different, but related

For real property the legal tenancy determines who controls the entitled wealth.

Fee simple owners can rent their property out to tenants -- which, in the original Latin is not as "derogatory" in meaning as the English is today -- who have the right to exclusively "hold" and use the property as long as they keep to the agreement between parties.

In the physical world, wealth cannot be used simultaneously so tenancy -- "control" -- is important.

But there are abstract forms of wealth that do not require tenancy to be able to be used productively. Nobody "controls" most of the IP we use to live our lives productively today, yet this IP is a form of capital wealth.

8   GraooGra   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:43am  

Bellingham Bill says

LOL. King George III was the greatest patriot in American history?

Canadians were patriots, you were rebels ;)

9   GraooGra   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:45am  

Peter P says

GraooGra says

Is property always wealth then?

No. Property can be a liability.

You are correct. If property is asset and your liabilities exceed assets you don't have wealth.

10   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:45am  

yes, the American Revolution was something of an "inside job".

"You know, we can probably take this place . . . Parliament is far off and us colonials are pretty pissed at them now . . ."

11   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:47am  

GraooGra says

If property is asset and your liabilities exceed assets you don't have wealth.

Never confuse asset value for "wealth"!

During the last years of Steve Jobs life I was wealthier than he, even though he was a multi-billionaire.

I had a functional body, he did not.

12   GraooGra   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:48am  

I know, I'm talking Balance Sheet's wealth.

13   Bellingham Bill   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:49am  

Balance sheets can lie.

14   New Renter   @   2012 Dec 15, 5:51am  

GraooGra says

1. Patriotism. If you have your own land and a house and you take care of it, you improve the quality of your life and quality of your neighborhood. You participate and feel part of your community and on the bigger scale your country. You are responsible citizen. Property gives you this feeling of obligation/responsibility and feeling of ownership a piece of the country. You also work towards the good of the country if you own and work to improve your property.

So as a renter I should not care that:

The house next door was the target of a drive-by shooting. Why should I, it doesn't affect MY property value!

My kids school is staffed by indifferent teachers. It is also full of bullies, wanna be gang bangers and druggies. But hey, its not MY problem, I'M a renter.

The house is full of black mold - not my problem, it's the landlords.

The drug dealer on the corner selling hard drugs to kids - eh, who cares, I rent.

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