But the question is whether people should be allowed to own property and get income from it.

Most people with an orchard EMPLOY others to do the harvesting. Do they deserve a profit?

And that’s of course what Dan is talking about, the willingness to take RISKS.

It all comes down to each individual’s opinion of what others DESERVE.

Most people, and almost all who’ve been subjected to those fees agree that banks do NOT deserve $40 for a $1 overdraft or a payment one minute late.

Few have the slightest clue about credit scores and Dan is the exception.

I recently had the opportunity to tell the credit bureau lawyers under oath at my deposition what I thought of them. I’ve determined that the lawyers are the root of all evil, NOT unearned income.

The lawyers legitimize wars, torture and any vile practice one can imagine. Anything the banks do, the bailouts, atrocious fees, whatever — some “genius” has an idea and the lawyers make it happen, write the contracts and defend the most unconscionable practices in court.

And that’s how it is in all “democracies” with constitutions.

Lawyers are corrupt people. Lawyers are not banks, corporations or countries – they are people like me and you and they are EVERYWHERE.

So what this really means is that the problem is the PEOPLE. Too many are corrupt and are willing to do anything for a buck.

Today I contemplated what I could do for the people in the California camps who are losing their children, pets, vehicles, dignity, freedom and humanity.

I’d have room for several RVs on my property and 20 or 30 years ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated.

Now I evaluate the risk. Little to gain and everything to lose.

How many of you opened your homes to the homeless?

What do you think of people?

There are plenty of other perfectly reasonable ideas that don’t find much popularity on the Internet, which makes me wonder about the actual function and powers of “Google”. Hmmm…

Meanwhile, I watched the video, “Money as Debt”, William. It was excellent. Thank you. Others can do the same at the following URL:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E7EA7BFA2A625324

I highly recommend this to everyone, and you’ll be hearing more from me about it, William.

Whether it’s fair or not, we must realize that even common good banks will succeed or fail based on decisions “made by those who have money to invest.” The goal then, must be to persuade those who have money that it is a good idea to use it to benefit the community–that benefits to the community are ultimately in their own benefit as well. And this is helped by the realization that real wealth should not be measured in currency or material acquisitions, but in things like productivity, innovation, education, health, intellectual pursuit, knowledge, freedom, and happiness.

Ah! This question of whether income that rewards risk is earned or unearned is a tricky one. Partly this is due to variations in what we mean by “income” and “earned”, depending on whether the activity benefits others, whether the activity makes a productive contribution to the wealth of the world, whether the activity requires an effort proportional to the reward, and whether the reward is monetary or direct.

In any case, under our current dysfunctional economic system, decisions about what society should invest in are made by those who have money to invest. Those who have the most have the most say. Whether or not we call it “unearned” income, it ain’t fair.

Common Good Bank will change the game so that everyone has an equal say and communities as a whole take on the risks of failure and the rewards of success.

Certainly, production of products that do more damage than good is not just unproductive — it is counter-productive.

Seems pretty unproductive to me…

By no means did I intend to suggest that YOU are the root cause of poverty. What type of payment you except has no bearing. An individual contributes to poverty if and (normally) only if that individual consumes more goods and services than he or she produces. From what I know of your work, I think it safe to say that you produce much more than you consume.
In general, owning land is not a productive activity, but gathering nuts and making them available to people IS. So whatever income you get from that mixture is partly earned and maybe partly unearned (depending on how much you charge).

I own a house and rent it out. Is that unearned income?

How about selling walnuts from the many acres I own. Is that unearned income?

And maybe I don’t take accept money, but gold, does make it better?

Or bread?