Is Gov’t Coming for Your Property?
“Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist” – John Adams
Private property rights are a foundational tenet of a free society. Not only do private property rights promote the creation of wealth and prosperity in a free market economy, but other individual freedoms, such as freedom of speech, would be meaningless without them.
Long before the United States of America was even an idea, private property rights helped shape the future of our great nation at the colony of Jamestown.
For much of its founding, the first permanent English settlement in North America struggled with famine despite a land rich with resources and opportunity. Many of the settlers were indentured servants who worked for the common good of the group and did not benefit from any of their own hard work. Only upon the introduction of private property and the opportunity to cultivate one’s own resources did the colony thrive, and in turn, safeguard the future of the world’s most prosperous and generous nation.
The standard of living for millions of people has increased exponentially since the introduction of private property on this continent, which is why it is concerning to read that the global elite wants to take it away from you.
If you ask most Americans, they will confide that the government would never take away our private property rights. Maybe so. But they do not have to take it from you if you willingly give it to them.
Based on what we have witnessed over the past year and a half, the government has had relatively no problem convincing citizens to willingly give up their rights for the sake of others. Private property may have a similar fate if we are not careful. The only way to stop this from happening is to know what to look for.
How Gov’t Could Take Your Property
Market Crash
There are a few different ways the government could convince you to legally give it to them without forcefully taking your property. The first way would be to buy your property from you after a market crash.
If we see another housing market crash as we did in 2008-09, the wealth of millions of Americans would seemingly disappear as the price of their largest asset falls. Rather than waiting for a market recovery, which could take years, or default on your debts, what if you were offered a premium price for your home that you would have received before the collapse?
This is exactly how the government could convince you to willingly give up your property. Outbid the market with printed dollars.
We are already seeing this in the private sector, without a crash in housing prices, as pension funds, money managers, and crowd-funding platforms are competing against individual homebuyers in the residential real estate sector with huge piles of capital.
If large financial firms can purchase above-market with today’s real estate prices, imagine how much the government would be able to pay for properties after a crash with an unlimited budget.
Unrealized Gains
Earlier this year, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen proposed a tax on unrealized capital gains.
This would mean that rather than paying a tax on the increase in value of an asset at the time of sale, investors and owners would pay a tax for the increase in value while still owning the asset.
Apart from creating panic in many financial markets, this could be detrimental to many homeowners who have spent years building up equity in their homes. When the government comes knocking for tax collection on decades of equity homeowners have built up, many people will be unable to pay the large sums they are liable for.
Just as the case would be for a market crash, this would be a perfect opportunity for the government to step in and purchase your home from you so that you do not have to pay the tax.
When the decision comes down to defaulting on your debt and tax liabilities or selling your home for a nice price, homeowners will only have one option.
Climate Change
Finally, with all the hysteria centered around climate change and how we must take drastic measures to save the planet, it would be fitting that somehow this narrative could be used to absolve citizens of their private property rights.
In an ideal future, the global elite wants all homes to be “low carbon, sustainable and energy-efficient,” according to one CNBC article. This would mean installing solar panels, monitoring systems, low-energy lighting, and energy storage technology for homeowners.
Rest assured, the high upfront cost will be offset through the long-term savings they will bring!
But what if homeowners cannot afford these expensive renovations? Once again, you will have the opportunity to sell your property to the government for a nice price and rent it back for a very affordable rate.
This may be the most probable way you will find yourself parting with your property as combatting climate change is the main objective of many of the world’s elite, including those at the World Economic Forum.
In this scenario, the government will take control of your property without raising taxes, and without housing prices going down. Scary stuff.
Will People Say Yes?
While none of these scenarios are guaranteed to happen, we must understand the possibilities if there is going to be any stopping the dissolution of private property rights.
None of these scenarios require force, so what if people simply say “no”. Based on what has occurred in the past year and a half, the government may have already been psychologically setting up society to say “yes”.
In psychology, it is called the “Foot in the Door Technique”. Its premise states that agreeing to a small request first increases the probability of later agreeing to a larger request. Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have complied when the government told them to isolate themselves in their homes, wear face masks, and social distance from others without asking any questions.
The stage has been set for compliance with a larger request from the government and it may be your private property rights next.
Since English settlers first introduced these principles to this continent hundreds of years ago, private property rights have drastically improved the lives of millions of people fortunate enough to participate in its gifts. Why some individuals are consumed with the desire to control others will forever be a mystery. But with all the good they have achieved, and all the people in the world who have yet to benefit from the freedom private property rights afford, it would be a shame to see them willingly disappear.
Comments are closed.