Review Ed Dodson's updated presentation on the nature of the businesss cycle and the stresses being the world's economies closer and closer to a severe economic downturn.

My prayer:

"Dear Lord, please send a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder to remind anyone not again to use the terms "state interference" or "intervention" as though these were novelties in U.S. history. Remind them that all land titles hark back to state interference. Remind them of the Puritan and Quaker and Mormon theocracies, Jefferson's purchase of Louisiana, Jackson's distribution of Federal surpluses to the states, The Emancipation Proclamation and ensuing Amendments, the railroad land grants and other tendentious corrupted land laws, many watershed decisions of the USSC, etc. Call it 'Divine Intervention to preclude the inappropriate locution of intervention'. Amen." [Mason Gaffney]

Author Fred Harrison continues his critical analysis of societal organization, this time in a new book titled Ricardo's Law. Harrison traces the origins of entrenched privilege and describes in considerable detail the failed attempts to mitigate the worst consequences of monopolistic privilege. This is a story of failed policies and flawed principles. SCI Director Ed Dodson provides a review of this important addition to Fred Harrison's series of penetrating books on the human condition.
... Reviews of Harrison's earlier books, Boom Bust: House Prices, Banking and the Depression of 2010, and Wheels of Fortune (published by The Institute of Economic Affairs in London) are also available.

ORDER Ricardo's Law and Boom Bust in the United Kingdom from Shepheard-Walwyn -- in the United States from Independent Publishers Group -- and in Australia from John Reed Books.

A new biography on Thomas Paine, written by Craig Nelson, has been published. Read Ed Dodson's review of this addition to the recent volumes on our founding philosopher of cooperative individualism.
... Thomas Paine and the Promise of America, by Professor Harvey Kaye, Director of the Center for History and Social Change, University of Wisconsin. If you have not already done so, you might want to read this review as well:

Thomas Paine and the Promise of America

Volumes I and II of The Discovery of First Principles, published by iUniverse are available for purchase from the publisher, iUniverse and other retail book sellers. The INTRODUCTION to the first volume has long been available to visitors of the School of Cooperative Individualism.
... NOW, the third volume of this book is being made available on-line at no cost. The volume's six chapters are each divided into four separate sections that can be read on-line or printed for later reading. Begin reading now. CHAPTER ONE.

At the end of 2004, SCI's director, Ed Dodson, retired after twenty years with the U.S. GSE (Government Sponsored Entity) Fannie Mae, where he worked as a business manger in the Housing & Community Development division. During the last few years before his retirement, Ed was instrumental in gaining support from key members of his company's management team to educate stakeholder groups about the problems associated with how revenue is raised by the taxation of real estate. To facilitate these discussions, Ed prepared a Powerpoint presentation on the subject recently given the new title: SAVING COMMUNITIES. You are invited to review this presentation and encouraged to use it to help you make the case for a shift to a land-only property tax base for your community.