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Libertarian party at sea on land

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I can't recommend this book highly enough. I consider it a must-read, not just for all members of the Libertarian Party (LP), but for anyone who has an interest in libertarianism, but who finds his (or her) concern for the poor getting in the way.

Dr. Kyriazi makes a convincing case that, by embracing the idea that land can be treated as the unlimited property of a relative few, the LP has strayed from its classical liberal roots, and, in doing so, has alienated itself from the very people who have the most to gain from the reduction of big government -- the working poor.

By returning to those roots; by adopting a position on private land tenure that, unlike its current position, is logically consistent with the principle of self-ownership; by professing openly that land is that to which all individuals have an equal right of access; and by advocating as a means of upholding this right the community-collection of land rent, the LP will have finally ridded itself of the glaring logical fallacy in its otherwise consistent platform that has plagued it from its inception. Only then will the LP be able to unify "labor" and "capital," i.e., wage-earners and entrepreneurs -- groups that Georgists have long held to be natural allies, with land monopolists being their mutual adversary.

I was much impressed with the aptly titled book "Libertarian Party at Sea on Land" by Harold Kyriazi.  It is surely controversial, but presents the Georgist view with care and clarity.  The evaluations of other writers on the subject described in later pages is quite original and eminently fair.  If the author's purpose was to make the reader re-think the issues, it has surely been achieved.

This book arrives at a crucial time in the life or death of the Libertarian Party. The LP continues to do miserably at the polls in a country that refuses to accept the party platform as a whole. Indded, the party is often cast as a caricature of the extreme right by the mainstream media when it is not being ignored. Will the LP choose to broaden its appeal to the left and center or simply remain the Church of Ayn Rand, Reedemer. Kyriazi provides a well-written alternative to the standared libertarian fare, by espousing a form of libertarianism unfamiliar to most people--"Geo-libertarianism." He is able to build a bridge in political philosophy connecting the freedom fighters of the past with modern libertarians. He also creates a common ground on which the left may be able to converse with the right.

This books serves as an excellent primer on geolibertarian ideas. It's targeted towards other libertarians, so if you're not already libertarian this book probably won't change your mind, other than to convince you that not all libertarians would let the poor eat cake. I can't recommend it highly enough.
What's excellent about the book is its emphasis on classical liberal thinkers to show how the LP has strayed from its roots. Even Chodorov, author of "taxation is robbery" gets behind the land value tax. An easy, conversational style makes the book easy to read and understand. At the end of the book, there's a list of websites to check out and even the author's email address. I shot him an email and got an instant response, wherein he told me to look up www.savingcommunities.org.

Full disclosure is necessary before beginning this review: Harold Kyriazi is one of the people who got me active in Libertarian politics, and I've discussed the matters in this book with him previously. So this is not what you'd call an unbiased review (if one exists). That said, Kyriazi has written a book that is an excellent introduction to the issue of the land-value tax, or "LVT".

While taxation is generally shunned by the Libertarian Party and others generally freedom-oriented, the question of "Yes, but how would you fund government?" has resulted in a hodgepodge of answers, and no clear consensus. Kyriazi here makes the case that land tax, or "land rents" is both the pragmatic and moral answer to this question. In doing so he covers all angles, from logical foundations to real-world examples to quotes from other liberty-oriented thinkers; the long quote from Winston Churchill is especially relevant and well-chosen.

In doing so Kyriazi does hopskotch a bit. His defense of this principle tends to jump from one idea to another, and thus it is necessary to keep an eye on the overall picture that is developing. For that reason this isn't the best book for those who know about LVT, are against it, and are looking to be convinced otherwise. On the other hand, it does call upon a great many notable works, including religious references, so for those who want a more exhaustive approach to some part of the issue this book should provide enough pointers to them.

What then winds up emerging is the best introductory approach to geolibertarianism available today. In some circles this is a very hotly debated topic, and what is needed to accompany this debate is a book well-written enough to serve as a starting point to constructive conversation. Kyriazi's freshman effort has given us exactly that. A very good first effort all around.

I was much impressed with the aptly titled book "Libertarian Party at Sea on Land" by Harold Kyriazi.  It is surely controversial, but presents the Georgist view with care and clarity.  The evaluations of other writers on the subject described in later pages is quite original and eminently fair.  If the author's purpose was to make the reader re-think the issues, it has surely been achieved.

Looking over Kyriazi's book, I am even more impressed by it than I was when I read it in manuscript. It is clear, well-organized, stylistically lively, and as comprehensive as necessary. It fills a small but important and hitherto empty niche in the literature.