| First of all, you're arguing about what looks like a brief (i.e. legal interpretation, not a law) written in 1933. Just because it was printed as a Senate document doesn't mean it is the law of the land; and it especially doesn't mean it's the law of the land 75 years later.
Second of all, "all property owned by the state" is not, I repeat, not a communist doctrine. This doctrine is a common characteristic of most governments in human history, from kingdoms to modern day democratic republics; with varying degrees of capacity. All land in the British Empire was officially the property of His/Her Majesty's government, for example; and kingdoms are very far from being communist!
From first looks at the actual quote from the document:
"The ultimate ownership of all property is in the State; individual
so-called “ownership” is only by virtue of Government, i.e. law,
amounting to mere user; and use must be in accordance with law,
and subordinate to the necessities of the State."
Now I didn't read the entire document, but all it seems to be describing is a fundamental principle in any civilized country; that basically you cannot do whatever you like on your property. All it is saying is that you do not "own" your property to the effect that you are outside the laws of the United States. For example, you cannot engage in illegal activity (have slaves farming your property for example) and declare that it is "your property" and therefore you can do whatever you like on it. Likewise, (and I think this is more in the the context of the document) you cannot burn money as such documents are ultimately legal tender issued and owned by the state. That's all it's saying. It doesn't mean that King George can take everything you own willy-nilly, as perhaps the libertarians would have you believe.
__________________ Political Compass:
Economic Left/Right: -9.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.72
Last edited by Katczinsky; 04-08-2008 at 11:39 AM.
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