Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Date: |
Thu Nov 16 11:53:18 2006 |
In-Reply-To: |
|
Message-ID: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I am fascinated by John C. Medaille's allegation that "MacArthur was a
Georgist", and that his "demands" helped promote reform in Taiwan. I do not
deny or confirm it; I'd like to learn more about it.
Mac was a complex person. One thing clear is he wanted to be President, and
to that end when running Japan he sought to offset his prior reputation that
stemmed in part from his brutal repression of the bonus marchers in
Washington, D.C., 1931 or 1932. To reform the tax system he brought in Carl
Shoup from Columbia, and Shoup brought along Bill Vickrey. They created a
model income tax system, which is better than the one we have at home, but
still not quite a Georgist ideal. They or others in Mac's entourage beefed
up local governments' power to tax property, but I am not aware that they
exempted improvements, as a Georgist would.
Japan, of course, had a history of heavy land taxation, dating from the
Meiji Restoration, so what Mac did was not a heavy cultural shock.
My big question about Mac as a Georgist is about the Philippines, where he
exerted strong influence over long periods, and where I believe he owned
considerable lands. There was no land or tax reform there.
Enlightenment gratefully received.
Mason Gaffney
|
|
|