What would America look like if it was truly the Land of the Free?

[Hastur]

I find myself agreeing with Thomas Jefferson's view of urbanization, cities, and commerce etc. the more I look into it.

Sound a lot like the thoughts of the german Völkisch movement. We had a lot of that in Sweden as well during the era of Romantic Nationalism.
Echoes of the same thought pattern can be found in Mao and the Khmer Rouge as well. Perhaps it's a cycle of sorts.

Funny how those Communist ideals keep circling around inside right-wing heads, ain't it? Can you have a Communist revolution with people who say they hate Communism?

I don't see it as Communist ideals. It's more of a mythical idea connected to nostalgia. It's part of the "make my country great again" narrative. You find it in the ideals of the Romans as well. The lowest class was the Capite censi, the head count. They owned no land and were counted by the head rather than by their property. The highest ideal in Rome was the pure man working his land. Not the corrupt city dweller.

Every Roman populist rose to fame by promising land reform. To help the oppressed get their lost land back and thereby restoring their value as citizens.

The same trick is used all over the world. In Africa (Hello Mugabe), and all over Latin America. If people just got a piece of land everything will be good again.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Sound a lot like the thoughts of the german Völkisch movement. We had a lot of that in Sweden as well during the era of Romantic Nationalism.
Echoes of the same thought pattern can be found in Mao and the Khmer Rouge as well. Perhaps it's a cycle of sorts.

Funny how those Communist ideals keep circling around inside right-wing heads, ain't it? Can you have a Communist revolution with people who say they hate Communism?

I don't see it as Communist ideals. It's more of a mythical idea connected to nostalgia. It's part of the "make my country great again" narrative. You find it in the ideals of the Romans as well. The lowest class was the Capite censi, the head count. They owned no land and were counted by the head rather than by their property. The highest ideal in Rome was the pure man working his land. Not the corrupt city dweller.

Every Roman populist rose to fame by promising land reform. To help the oppressed get their lost land back and thereby restoring their value as citizens.

The same trick is used all over the world. In Africa (Hello Mugabe), and all over Latin America. If people just got a piece of land everything will be good again.

Solid point. We need a name for that.

[Hastur]

Funny how those Communist ideals keep circling around inside right-wing heads, ain't it? Can you have a Communist revolution with people who say they hate Communism?

I don't see it as Communist ideals. It's more of a mythical idea connected to nostalgia. It's part of the "make my country great again" narrative. You find it in the ideals of the Romans as well. The lowest class was the Capite censi, the head count. They owned no land and were counted by the head rather than by their property. The highest ideal in Rome was the pure man working his land. Not the corrupt city dweller.

Every Roman populist rose to fame by promising land reform. To help the oppressed get their lost land back and thereby restoring their value as citizens.

The same trick is used all over the world. In Africa (Hello Mugabe), and all over Latin America. If people just got a piece of land everything will be good again.

Solid point. We need a name for that.

It's one of the founding myths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)

[SuburbanFarmer]

I don't see it as Communist ideals. It's more of a mythical idea connected to nostalgia. It's part of the "make my country great again" narrative. You find it in the ideals of the Romans as well. The lowest class was the Capite censi, the head count. They owned no land and were counted by the head rather than by their property. The highest ideal in Rome was the pure man working his land. Not the corrupt city dweller.

Every Roman populist rose to fame by promising land reform. To help the oppressed get their lost land back and thereby restoring their value as citizens.

The same trick is used all over the world. In Africa (Hello Mugabe), and all over Latin America. If people just got a piece of land everything will be good again.

Solid point. We need a name for that.

It's one of the founding myths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)

I mean that we need a name for the "ism" of promising individuals land, in return for their freedom. Feudalism doesn't work.

[Hastur]

Solid point. We need a name for that.

It's one of the founding myths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)

I mean that we need a name for the "ism" of promising individuals land, in return for their freedom. Feudalism doesn't work.

Land, in return for freedom, is serfdom. A serf belongs to the land, not to himself.

[The Conservative]

It's one of the founding myths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)

I mean that we need a name for the "ism" of promising individuals land, in return for their freedom. Feudalism doesn't work.

Land, in return for freedom, is serfdom. A serf belongs to the land, not to himself.

Except today, where you rent the land, even though you "own it" in theory...

[brewster]

The same trick is used all over the world. In Africa (Hello Mugabe), and all over Latin America. If people just got a piece of land everything will be good again.

Solid point. We need a name for that.

Google translate yields it in tasty German: Landversprechenliegen (land promise lie)

[Ex-California]

It's one of the founding myths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(utopia)

I mean that we need a name for the "ism" of promising individuals land, in return for their freedom. Feudalism doesn't work.

Land, in return for freedom, is serfdom. A serf belongs to the land, not to himself.

Today we're just serfs through debt

[SuburbanFarmer]

Solid point. We need a name for that.

Google translate yields it in tasty German: Landversprechenliegen (land promise lie)

I love German. Reminds me of these:

[brewster]

Today we're just serfs through debt

If you mean a home loan I disagree, most of us could not plunk cash, and buying property using leverage is the most powerful financial tool available to mere mortals not banksters. The GI bill loan financing is noted as one of the greatest wealth creation tools ever. If you're talking about consumer debt or student loans, sure.