Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site rabbit.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!rabbit!ark From: ark@rabbit.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Reply to Mike Ward Message-ID: <3251@rabbit.UUCP> Date: Sat, 20-Oct-84 14:09:15 EDT Article-I.D.: rabbit.3251 Posted: Sat Oct 20 14:09:15 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 21-Oct-84 14:49:43 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 18 Mike Ward asks what is the basis of the right of people to own land, which was not created by any human. The simplest answer I have seen comes from Ayn Rand, who wrote: Any material element or resource which, in order to become of use or value to men, requires the application of human knowledge and effort, should be private property -- by the right of those who apply the knowledge and effort. [Objectivist Newsletter, Vol. 3 No. 4, April 1964] The quote is from an article called "The Property Status of Airwaves," but since the article compares that status with the property status of land, I can fairly say that the principle applies to land ownership as well.