The tragedy of the commons applies everywhere

‘The tragedy of the commons is a dilemma arising from the situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource, even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen.’

All resources are limited... the whole world is common so the tragedy of the commons applies everywhere.

If individual people are greedy and take too much this will always be to the detriment of the group. Whilst it cannot be consumed or depleted... land is a shared limited resource which must be used (claimed) with reservation and with deference to the group. Just because a resource is not given freely (common) and instead is owned privately doesn’t mean the tragedy of the commons doesn’t apply. The tragedy exists for all assets. We must be considerate of our neighbours both in the private market and the public market.

The tragedy of the commons applies not only to the commons.

Imposing a tax on buildings makes no sense

The mansion tax is a tax on an asset rather than labour so in that respect it is similar to a land tax. However the important difference is that land ownership is equally inconvenient to us whether or not there is a house on it. We are penalising something which has no negative impact on other people.

A land value tax on the other hand makes more sense because we are indifferent to whether there is a house on the land... in either case we have no right of access. Land ownership is a cost to everyone but the property owner. For this reason it makes sense to impose a tax on land not on buildings.

The land value ceiling: an explanation of how it works

The land value ceiling is a limit imposed by the government on personal land ownership. Under this rule no individual is able to own an amount of land in excess of the land value ceiling. Anyone violating this rule by owning an excess of land will be asked to either give it away or to sell the land. If they do not do so measures will be taken to bring them into line including the possibility of the land being confiscated.

It is a quantity of land measured in market value not the physical area of the land.

There is nothing wrong with a land value ceiling

There is nothing wrong with a land value ceiling because land is finite.

Geolibertarianism is like communism except that we do not share the food we share the land

If we own too much land we are violating the land rights of other people

Definition of land rights: We have a right not to be in the presence of those who violate the Lockean proviso. We have a right not to be in the presence of hyper land-wealthy people. Excessive land wealth is a violation of the land rights of others.

A land value ceiling would improve land inequality

The political right can have no reasonable objection to the imposition of a land value ceiling or limit... because land is finite.