At the outset of the 1890s, Christian socialists, Fabians, and socialist atheists were able to get together to form labour parties and unions based on the ‘single tax’ ideas of Henry George.

This paralleled what was ocurring within liberal parties. In the western world significant social progress had been made. At this point, Karl Marx was rarely heard of. *

Things progressed swimmingly until Marx’s ideas of began to impact upon socialist thinking; and what about this Henry George promoting individual freedom in addition to the land tax? That doesn’t seem to be very revolutionary!

Maybe George was only half right?

Neoclassical economists were meanwhile fudging land in with capital, so liberals, too, began thinking maybe land wasn’t such a great big deal.

We’ve come to a sorry pass. We now consider there are only two options: what’s the better of failed capitalistm and failed communism?

The ‘divide and rule’ suits rent-seekers down to the ground, of course.

It’s quite a sorry story how socialists and the liberal left came to mislay the critical third alternative, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Land tax? What’s that? You want yet another tax?