Page 49 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20

remarkable gains), there is such a big main idea is to give a better share in the
difference between the rich and the poor?” opportunities to produce, rather than in the
It is a good question, but the answer that product itself. Henry George proposed a
George provided was not about the need for powerful way to achieve this through land-
a more direct sharing of the increasing value taxation, instead of, as currently, on the
wealth, as in a Socialist way. George’s results of production activities.
answer was through the need for providing As Habonim-Dror’s senior citizens, we
more opportunities for everyone to have should not have given up our pursuit for
fairer chances to earn a decent living (and to social justice, even when the initial aim of
manage to dwell in a suitable home). Then as Socialism appears to have failed – our
now, even with more attention being given to kibbutzim mostly no longer being what they
first getting a good education, we can see that used to be. Perhaps as the left-overs from a
there was a great deal of variation between Socialist movement that aimed at the
the chances that exist for earning a betterment of our society, we might consider
satisfactory income. This may seem obvious these “middle-way” proposals of Henry
now that I have mentioned it, but even today George, and rekindle the flame towards the
this matter is far from being solved, and the search for how to create a better world.
polarisation of these two classes of citizens
(labourers and capitalists) remains.

The solution to it, which George proposed, is
for providing equal opportunities, it being
expressed through making an adjustment to
the rights for fair access and proper use of the
land.

Land is one of the 3 factors of production as
described by Adam Smith in 1766 (“Wealth
of Nations”), the other two being labour and
durable capital goods (such as buildings,
machines and tools). Land near the city
centres is the more valuable, because work on
it provides much more useful produce and
services compared to the much bigger rural
sites, which are extensively used for farming.
But when the right of access to land is limited
and controlled by its owner, the bountiful
opportunities it provides are being
monopolised.

George provides much more descriptive
material, which I will not give here, but the

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