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Rather
6th April 2009, 11:23
Hi, I'm wondering if I could have some help from the people on this board about the concept of "property as theft", as coined by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.
On an important note, I am already opposed to private property (for the reasons that it eliminates greed, promotes altruism, and is required for the destruction of class distinctions).

Thanks.

Sean
6th April 2009, 11:33
In what way would you like help? Its a pretty straightforward concept but which area would you like expansion on?

mikelepore
6th April 2009, 12:01
As for land, there is no original ownership. Even if you buy it, someone among the previous sequence of owners confiscated it from someone else by force. At some point every society takes a snapshot of who claims to own the land at that moment and records all the deeds in an office, and that is taken as the arbitrary reference point for all future transactions to say that the land was purchased from the "real" owner.

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Proudhon was probably more concerned with capital.

When the capitalist owns the means of production, the capitalist owns the means of LIFE.

Every capitalist says to the worker, in effect:

"I'll give you a job if you will say that you agree to my terms. The condition is that the wealth that your labor produces belongs entirely to me. Then I will pay you back one-sixth of what your labor produces, which I estimate is enough for you to survive. I will keep the other five-sixths of what you produce, as my reward for being the person who had the idea of starting the company. There shall be no negotiation. Do you freely agree to these terms, or would you prefer that your family be homeless? Choose quickly -- I've got one job opening, and hundreds of people who have applied for it. "

The armed robbery that is taking place there is rather clear.