James Ahiakpor writes:
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 3:13 PM
Subject: HES: Re: DISC--The George Discussion
(snip)
I thank Mason Gaffney for his elaboration of Henry George's background
and activities after publishing his Progress and Poverty. Mason writes:
"Remember, also, that George evolved over time. After 1886 he split
with his socialist allies - at least the more doctrinaire, intolerant
ones he knew in New York City. Folks at the von Mises Inst. find little
to fault in George's Protection or Free Trade, written to support Grover
Cleveland (although it was a bit overboard for the cautious Grover).
After the bust of 1893 George rediscovered some of his earlier
radicalism and lined up first with the Populists, and then with Bryan,
Altgeld, Tom Johnson, and other radicalized Democrats. He stayed in
tune with the temper of the times, for he was always a political
activist. You may praise him or fault him for "weathervaning", but that
was George. Many of his political associates expressed irritation at
his constancy, as he never lost view of his basic goal of reforming
taxation."
But whiles Mason interprets George as being flexible in his thinking as
against those "perhaps trapped in a one-dimensional paradigm, Left vs.
Right," I interpret George differently. He was consistent in his
thinking and pursuit of socialism, as he himself says, by uniting "the
truth ... of Adam Smith and David Ricardo" with that of "Proudhon and
Lassalle." Smith is well-known for his prescription of free trade and
Ricardo for pointing out how free trade in corn would delay for a long
time the arrival of the stationary state. Thus, George's difference
with the "intolerant" socialists would be only on their method -- an
all-out war on private property. George, instead, had his problems
mainly with private land-ownership.
(snip)
Proudhon was not a Marxist; Marx attacked him "with viggah" for proposing
land taxation, in part along George's later lines.
(I have not studied Lassalle, but Archie Bunker liked his car.)
Dave Ellerman refers to Marx as capitalism's "dancing bear", and makes a
good point. Marx was useful, to frighten the Babbittry into opposing
workable reforms. As to methodology, please note the close parallel between
Clark's weird concept of capital, and Marx's. Ask yourself, why do more
Marxists than Austrians survive in our richly endowed academies?
Mason Gaffney
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