Page 34 - Workbook3E

In America and throughout western civilization, political power and wealth are often tied to land ownership. In contrast, communist countries forbid personal ownership of land, claiming the right of common possession. The collapse of communist Russia in the twentieth century, reveals the failure of the restrictive policy of communal ownership.
Pride and Care in Ownership
It’s been proven when individuals own property, it leads to a sense of pride and responsibility in caring for and improving the property. When you own property and make improvements, you truly feel responsible for it. Once landowners add their labor to property, the value of it becomes
the combination of the land value—plus the value of the added labor. Because labor is private, the value
of the land becomes based even more on the added value of human labor than on its original value.
Responsible Capitalism —Stewardship
In Western history, wealth has always been connected with land ownership. Through land improvements a landowner became wealthier. The wealthier a landowner became, the more respect he received. Responsible stewardship affords benefits that fall into three main categories:
1 Capital Increases Your Opportunities
Our ancestors entered the industrial revolution with visions of a
new world where machines could increase physical abilities, replace backbreaking labor, and protect you from unsafe working conditions.
The computer age brought predictions of amazing mental enhancement. Computer science put men on the moon and personal computers became as commonplace as television sets.
In much the same way that machines and computers increase our physical and mental abilities, money or “capital” increases our personal opportunities. Today, capital is leveraged to buy, sell, trade, loan, and exchange assets. It can help you develop opportunities for personal gain and self-expression.
“Private property is desirable, is a positive good in the world.”
~ Abraham Lincoln
30 Workbook 3: Prepare for the Future