NOTE Day & Time! Reading Course: Progress & Poverty, Books 6 & 7.

The usual summary of Henry George's Progress and Poverty is that it argues that the core cause of persistent poverty amidst increasing technological progress and wealth is the private appropriation of land rent. The remedy he proposes is to abolish all other taxes and institute a Single Tax on the unimproved value of land, which would return the community-created value of the land to the public and foster economic equality.

This Reading Course goes deeper than it's treatment as a policy prescription but a method of inquiry into the concurrent existence of wealth & want & a corrective measure if his time.

Book 6 of Henry George's Progress and Poverty examines and rejects various inadequate remedies proposed for poverty and industrial depressions, such as reduced government spending, better education, or increased government regulation, arguing they fail to address the fundamental problem. Book 7 then presents George's radical solution, the Single Tax on land value, arguing that since land value is created by the community and not individual effort, it is unjust for private owners to appropriate it, leading to the enslavement of laborers.