What was the Scutage?

Scutage was a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee (his fiefdom) under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Under feudalism the king, through his vassals, provided land to knights for their support. The knights owed the king military service in return. The knights were allowed to "buy out" of the military service by paying scutage (a term derived from Latin scutum, "shield").

As time passed the kings began to impose a scutage on holders of knight's fees, whether or not the holder was actually a knight.

I call it the Rose Theory. I thought about the rose. The rose grows thorns to protect itself. Even a rose, a plant, has its own defense. Just looking at nature, nature itself, is enough for self-defense. Don't we have the right to self-defense even as much as a rose? Self-defense is sacred... I mentioned that every group, everyone, especially women, should defend themselves. I said that they should develop their own self-defense. Everyone should know how to protect themselves with their consciousness and will. Interestingly, I am also the one who has to defend.

– Abdullah Ocalan

What do you think of this building's geometric chequerboard design? 🏁

This block of flats is part of a late 1920s estate in Westminster, London, designed by world-famous architect Edwin Lutyens.

Built for the Duke of Westminster as "dwellings for the working classes...and no other purpose." The sixth Duke became the unlikely saviour of affordable social housing when Westminster City Council tried to sell them off in 1990:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_City_Council_v_Duke_of_Westminster#:~:text=Westminster%20City%20Council%20v%20Duke%20of%20Westminster%20was%20a%20case,Regency%20Street%2C%20Pimlico%2C%20London.

'National-Anarchism attenuates to, and supports, the individuality genetically inherent in man and fights to unfetter him from the bonds of debt-slavery and state-worship forced upon him at birth by the Establishment. National-Anarchism rejects all forms of totalitarianism and goes a step further in recognizing multiculturalism as yet another transfigured form of it, and rejecting it as an anti-nature despotism. National-Anarchism consequently lives and breathes by the immortal words of Bakunin in that man obeys natural laws because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been externally imposed upon him by any extrinsic will whatever, divine or human, collective or individual. It only follows, then, that National-Anarchism supports and defends the right of all races to preserve their blood, the very essence of that which defines them.'

- Joshua Bates, National-Anarchism in a Nutshell

Read the full article here

Taxation is theft. Ground rent however is a legitimate way to raise funds for community services and mutual aid.

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"𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙤-𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝. 𝙒𝙚’𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙡𝙙-𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧."
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- 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘺 (𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 | 2023)

Is currency backed by infrastructure building a thing?

AI: Yes, the concept of currency being backed by infrastructure is a relatively recent idea within modern economic discussions. Traditionally, currencies were backed by physical assets, such as gold or silver. While most currencies today are fiat (not backed by a physical commodity), some economists and policymakers have proposed backing a currency with tangible assets or infrastructure projects.

The rationale behind this concept is that tying currency to infrastructure could provide a more stable foundation for its value, as infrastructure represents a long-term investment that can generate economic returns. This could potentially lead to increased public confidence in the currency and encourage investment.

Some proposals in this area include:

1. Infrastructure Banks: Some countries have explored creating infrastructure banks that could issue bonds or currencies specifically linked to funding public projects.

2. Digital Currencies: With the rise of cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), there are discussions about how these might be linked to national infrastructure investments to enhance credibility and stability.

3. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): In some cases, currencies could be indirectly linked to infrastructure if governments partner with private entities to develop projects, potentially strengthening the economy and the currency.

While the idea is intriguing and could offer potential benefits, it also presents challenges, such as valuing infrastructure investments accurately and managing the liquidity and flexibility of the currency. As of now, this is still largely a theoretical framework rather than a widely implemented system.

Leasing public space to private companies refers to the practice of a government entity, like a local council, renting out publicly owned land or spaces to private businesses for their commercial use, which can include things like operating a cafe, retail store, or even hosting events, but raises concerns about public access and potential restrictions on how the space can be used by the community.

Key points about leasing public space:

Potential benefits:

Revenue generation: Leasing public space can provide a source of income for the government, which can be used to fund public services.

Improved amenities: Private companies may invest in improving the quality of public spaces by adding facilities or landscaping.

Economic development: Leasing space to businesses can encourage economic activity in a particular area.

Geoism includes a moral philosophy regarding property. Human beings properly own their own bodies and lives. Henry George therefore stated that it is morally wrong to tax wages and the products of labor. He may have been the first to say that such taxation is theft. But self-ownership does not extend to land. Geoists recognize that markets function well when the owners control the use of property, and so geoism includes individual rights to possess land.

– Fred Foldvary, Geoanarchism