Comments on: Glasgow’s Stolen Birthright

By: Derek Pretswell, Resource Use Institute

Derek Pretswell, Resource Use Institute — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:01:27 +0000

You are so right, we have lost our realtionship with the land. ‘Sustainable Development’ has become a bit like the old television advert about the bank that likes to say Yes, to which was added – but doesn’t understand the question. Sustainable is now used as an adjective to describe jobs, housing and business by people who don’t understand the question, mainly politicians, civil servants and business leaders.
SD requires the integrated devlopment of economic, social and environmental factors but the paramount factor is environmen, without this we cannot survive. Unfortunately our business model does not change the economic parameter, which has become paramount, and the other two are forced through the rigid economic hoop. We need to recognise a number of things; The soil/vegetation complex is the primary resource, THERE IS a carrying capacity and there is no need to take that to the limit, economic models should seek to optomise rather than maximise (biological versus economic) and that we are all in this together and that by working together we can reduce costs and become more efficient. Land Rental Value is a leap in the right direction, if we can bring about this we can change the rest.

By: Fraggle

Fraggle — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:17:50 +0000

Somebody tell that Green Party councillor to cheer up! Gosh, anyone would think he was being coerced to appear in the film.

By: Dr Terry Dwyer, ANU

Dr Terry Dwyer, ANU — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:56:29 +0000

Very good.

I rather regretted the abolition of feu duties as it erased the mediaeval idea that the “King should live of his own” – and his own was the rent due from those who held the land from him. What is more equitable than that those who own the land and natural resources of a country should pay for running it?

iBefore VAT, for centuries the tradition in English and British fiscal policy was that the working man should not be taxed. Taxes were gifts from the Commons to the Crown while land rents from the Lords were the natural due of the Crown.

Now the people are grossly taxed they emigrate or do not breed and are replaced by immigrants. The State devours its children, like the late Roman Empire, – and decays.

By: Edward J. Dodson

Edward J. Dodson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:12:02 +0000

The Scots seem to have grown comfortable with being dominated by a small landowning elite, perhaps because these landowners are also Scots and claim noble blood lines. Why there has not been a revolt in Scotland I do not understand. And yet, Ireland provides the lesson of after finally reclaiming sovereignty from absentee landlords living in London, the Irish was similarly succombed to land monopoly of a domestic sort.

The lessons of history and our contemporary experience seem never to be well learned. What will it take to see real justice, real equality of opportunity, real liberty become the norm instead of the very rare and very insecure exception.