The Ownership Society

From The Corpus Callosum

Ownership Society: noun, 1. A society in which, if you do not own anything, you are not a part of the society; 2. A form of social organization patterned after the popular board game, Monopoly ®, as promoted by members of the faith-based community.

This is from an excellent post, The History and Philosophy of the Ownership Society. You really should go read the entire thing but here a a couple of snips to wet your appetite.

....Any form of government that has too much power, is dangerous. That seems pretty obvious. What may be less obvious is the fact that this depends upon a resolute separation between church and state. It also depends upon a system for the distribution of wealth.

From time to time, the leaders of the United States of America seem to forget the principles of its foundation. Allowing Religion to govern politics carries with it a grave danger. Note that I make a distinction here between Religion, on the one hand, and religious principles, on the other. There is nothing wrong with borrowing religious principles to enrich one's political views. But to allow organized Religion to influence politics is to promote too great of a concentration of power. The same idea applies to economics. Having a strong middle class, an accountable upper class, and an upwardly-mobile lower class is necessary for the prevention of an unfettered concentration of power.

Now, we have an Administration that embraces the influence of Religion, effectively escape accountability, and seeks to widen further the gap between rich and poor.........

One means of increasing the wealth gap, and thus increasing the concentration of power, is to have what some have called the Ownership Society (O.S.S).

"Another priority for a new term is to build an ownership society, because ownership brings security and dignity and independence."
--George W. Bush, November 3, 2004

Yes, ownership can bring those benefits, but is the Ownership Society the way to do it, and does it do it without unacceptable risks? I've stated before that politicians should not be allowed to make claims that they cannot prove. This is a good example. The Ownership Society is an idea whose time has come -- and gone, back in the sixteenth century.

This is a very long post but a must read for anyone who thinks feudalism is a bad idea and isn't too excited about the end of civilization or the world itself in the not too distant future. Take the time and give it a read.