What We Demand is the End to Privilege |
[An address delivered at the International Single Tax
Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1926. Mr. Nordman was Commission of Markets of Wisconsin. Reprinted from Land and Freedom, July-August, 1926]
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We cannot much longer survive a condition that
divests wealth from its rightful owners, who are the producing masses, to the pocket of the privileged classes and
get away with it. The stability of industry, and therefore
of society demands that wealth be distributed on a service
basis, and if this is done the actual producers of wealth
will acquire the necessary purchasing and producing
power to keep industry going.
There can be no such equitable distribution so long as
the privileged few are permitted to absorb the vast sums
that are involved in the unearned increment. This mal-adjustment of the distribution system is confusing the
markets to such an extent that the producer never knows
where he is at. There will be no cure for this evil until
leaders at least, get the idea of its source, which is the absorption of the unearned increment by private
individuals.
But let us take courage in the fact that nature is on
our side in this great fight. Perhaps nature does not come
right out and tell us what the remedy is, and how to apply
it, but she does put obstacles in the way of trying to apply
wrong remedies and so it is simply a matter of pounding
away at the problem and sooner or later the world will
stumble onto the real remedy and try it out. When this
remedy is applied it will be found to work perfectly and
receive nature's approval.
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