Stop Being a Slave

[The] choice [lies] between property on the one hand and slavery, public or private, on the other. -Hiiaire Belloc This is an interesting concept, especially in our modern world, because we have been so conditioned to see the world as either capitalistic or socialistic.   Note that Belloc considers both of these to be "slavery."   Capitalism is what he calls "private" slavery, while socialism is what he calls "public" slavery.   This is a hard concept for many moderns to grasp.   But the big question about this quote is, "What does Belloc mean by 'property'?"   This is the goal, he says, but what does he mean?   In socialism, the government owns all property and indeed all the people.   In capitalism, the bank owns most of the property and in fact most of the people are so indebted to the banks that they could be said to be enslaved to their mortgage holder.   This is what Belloc means.   The choice, he teaches, is to build a society where people actually own their own land--where it is passed down generation to generation without debt or entanglements--so that they are free to choose on their own.   If not land, in this view, then one should have ownership of the family business or trade.   This is free enterprise.   This was the basis of America's freedom, growth, strength and eventual power in the world.  To summarize, let's repeat Belloc's quote translated into our current dialect: The choice lies between owning our own land or business on the one hand (free enterprise) and slavery, to government that is too big or to the banks through personal debt, on the other. Explore Oliver's Daily Email Archives Here