Their watchwords, at least from our side, seem to be “You won’t own anything but you will be happy.” It’s “DavosSpeak” from elites who believe that because of their global status and wealth that they can do with or to us whatever they wish.
We should be house and apartment renters forever! No buying cars but maybe a permanent lease. “Rent to own” will just be rent. Apartments for rent forever in Buffalo (as an example).
Even Apple is thinking about a “hardware subscription.” You’ll rent your phone and not own it. But you’ll be happy with all the new features – while writing checks forever. So, what does that mean?
You will always be beholden to someone or something other than yourself.
Property rights mean self-interested monitors. No owned creatures are in danger of extinction. No owned forests are in danger of being leveled. No one kills the goose that lays the golden eggs when it is his goose.
-Prof Thomas Sowell (Knowledge and Decisions)
In effect, you will be “owned” by everyone that is renting you stuff, and note that I didn’t say sell you something. Selling means permanent ownership to do with as you please for as long as you want. In renting, you lose ownership and possible wealth building – how do you build equity with things you don’t have?
For Americans, the most common way to wealth building is to own your own home. What is going on now, with home prices soaring, is for equity firms and other companies buying them up as an “extension” of the AirBnB phenomenon except it’s permanent.
There are already complaints that people are getting priced out of a lot of markets by companies with pockets deeper than the vast majority of individuals,
Now take that to everything else.
Freedom is built on the Pillar of the Right to Private Property. It’s also clear that when you own something (in most cases), you take care of it because it is YOURS. While he is talking about Government, it can be done otherwise.
We already see what Big Companies, mostly Leftist led, are doing to Free Speech and actual Government actions with Disney threatening to “take action” against Florida Gov Ron DeSantis just for signing a bill that prevents the sexualization of little kids from Kindergarten through Third Grade. Most Parents are thankful – they want to preserve the innocence of their children for as long as possible. But Government workers (e.g., teachers and staff) believe THEY “own” your children – to do with as they want.
But are starting to kill those “gooses” and take no responsibility when things go really sideways.
Yes, a mishmash of ideas here, but you get what I mean – Sowell’s observation doesn’t just apply to “real property” but to we humans as well if taken to the next couple of steps.
(H/T: Cafe Hayek)
