Private Property: The Indispensable Key to Political Freedom, Social Cooperation, and Economic Progr

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https://www.theepochtimes.com/private-property-the-indispensable-key-to-political-freedom-social-cooperation-and-economic-progress_3972383.html

Private Property: The Indispensable Key to Political Freedom, Social Cooperation, and Economic Progress
by Mark Hendrickson
8.31.21

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Excerpt:
Imagine a society with no property rights: No law or officer of the law would prohibit you or punish you for taking whatever you want from whomever you want. Such a society would be chaotic, hostile, and poor.

In such a dog-eat-dog scenario, all but the most powerful and their allies would have little more than what they could carry with them or what they could successfully hide. They could try to hide things in a house, but without property rights, marauders would break in and take whatever they can find. In fact, the marauders might even take possession of the house itself if they have numbers and weaponry sufficient to expel the previous occupants. Even then, they wouldn’t be secure. Either a mightier or more ruthless character might come along and seize the dwelling, or some sore loser resentful of having been displaced from the house might decide to practice a little arson in the middle of the night to gain vengeance against those who had taken from him.

Even whatever meager possessions one could manage to carry on one’s daily rounds would be vulnerable to plunder by a stronger individual. Perhaps many people in this hellish scenario would carry weapons with which to try to defend themselves, but even then, one lapse of alertness or simply being outnumbered and/or out-armed could see those precious things taken away.

Life is far different where property rights are established and respected by a large majority of a populace. Individuals gain dignity. Civilization often flourishes.

Economically, property rights confer security on property owners. Indeed, the primary right of life is only secure if there are laws protecting the possessions that sustain and bring enjoyment to one’s life. A human being is less than free to the degree that his or her property rights are abridged. Wealth can accumulate where private property is secure; it’s dissipated where property is insecure.

More at URL above.

A slightly longer, but uniformly excellent essay by Mr. Hendrickson.