Georgism (Henry George Economics)

The foundational economic philosophy behind Floyd’s work — from investing (PSE/18.6-year cycle) to policy advocacy (CommonWealth/LVT/UBI). Henry George’s insight: land value is community-created wealth that should be taxed and returned to all.

Core Thesis

Henry George (1839-1897), in “Progress and Poverty” (1879), identified the paradox of his era: why does poverty persist and even grow alongside economic progress? His answer: land speculation captures the gains from economic growth, distributing them to landowners rather than workers.

Key insight: “Since nobody produces land, it’s the one thing you can tax without getting less of it.” [Source: Readwise, Lars Doucet, “Is Land a Big Deal?“]

The LVT Solution

George’s proposed solution: a single tax on the annual rental value of land, replacing all other taxes. This:

1. Eliminates speculation (land becomes too expensive to hold idle)
2. Captures community-created value (location value = social value, not individual effort)
3. Eliminates taxes on productive activity (income, capital, labor)
4. Automatically redistributes growth gains

“Land is a subject which cannot be removed; whereas stock easily may.” — Adam Smith (noted by Georgists as early land tax advocate) [Source: Readwise, Adam Smith highlights, book_id=29781055]

From Floyd’s Readwise Highlights

• “Georgism doesn’t mean people have the right to barge into your house in the middle of the night even though land is ‘held in common.’ Your house is still private property, but the value of the land it sits on is common property.” [Source: Readwise, Lars Doucet]
• “What’s bad for the environment is sprawl, which the current system encourages and which the land tax would directly attack. If you want dense, walkable cities, you should eliminate land speculation.” [Source: Readwise, book_id=25810923]
• “Through the platform of the New Physiocratic League, the tax burden falls on land and the work of nature.” [Source: Readwise, book_id=29781064]

Floyd’s Synthesis

Floyd uses Georgism at two levels:

1. Investment: The 18.6-year cycle (via PSE) is the market mechanism BY WHICH land speculation drives economic cycles. Understanding Georgism predicts the cycle.
2. Policy: CommonWealth/UBI Works advocates for LVT + Citizens Dividend = the Georgist policy solution implemented in Canada.

Phil Anderson’s “Your Citizen’s Dividend” is the bridge: “here’s how to PROFIT from the cycle; here’s how we REFORM the system to end it.”

Key Georgist Thinkers in Floyd’s Network

• phil-anderson — PSE; applies Georgist land cycle to investment
• Fred Harrison — British Georgist land cycle historian
• cameron-murray — academic economist with Georgist sympathies
• Lars Doucet — “Is Land a Big Deal?” + “The Land Trap” reviewer (in Floyd’s Readwise)

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Timeline

• 1879 | Henry George publishes “Progress and Poverty” — foundational text
• 2024-2026 | Floyd advocates LVT weekly in UBI Works standups [Source: Google Calendar]
• 2024 | Victoria LVT Meet-Up with Dr. Francis Peddle [Source: Google Calendar]