highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
Neil":vdb8hqc9 said:
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
A ‘home’ is a commodity now more than ever before. The status of a dwelling as a family home, to be “passed through the generations”, has massively diminished over the past few decades.
Capitalism determined this trend, and dictates it must continue.
The level of property related indebtedness in Britain resulted from propaganda and the organised abuse of the credit system.
That cannot be a good thing for this society, yet it is continuing, with those who govern complicit in that.
The erosion of communities has accelerated in tandem with home ownership over these past few decades. No co-incidence.
I can see how the over-encouragement of house buying and market economy for council and community housing may have had a negative impact - but I'm far from sure I buy all of this, has it's root cause in the desire to own property. After all, we are largely hard-wired towards that.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
The relatively enormous resources people are putting into property could often be better directed at developing small businesses.
Bogus - not everyone can or should be involved in business.
However, property - as a medium-to-long-term investment, is reasonably sound. Sometimes there's bubbles, sometimes there's some boom and bust, but for most that want a home, and something to show a ways down the line, home-ownership is not the pariah that many - including you - are making it out to be.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
The tunnel vision imposed by the prima facie profitability of property ownership stifles other avenues of entrepreneurship.
It's a crock to assume that most would be better served by small business or speculation.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
Have you bought and sold property?
Yes - merely one at a time.
You didn't answer my question - do you
own property?
Fair play would suggest it is fine to disagree about this, but if you want to suggest I am talking a 'crock' or whatever, at least do me the basic and attend to what I have actually said.
I did - and you implied that - ok being generous - more people would be served by being entrepeneurs than simply something that's a fairly stable investment for them, long term, home ownership.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
I don't recall having said some of what you suggest.
You're heavily implying that for most of society that home ownership, or the drive to it, has a) been imposed on society b) is largely bad for society c) would be better served by many speculating.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
My statements include "could often be" and "stifles other avenues of entrepreneurship".
And it's that sentiment I've addressed.
For the masses, I strongly disagree - for the masses, the practically enforced saving and collateral that home ownership has provided, I believe is a better alternative that what you appear to be advocating.
That in recent times, financial instituitions and many in the public have in some examples over-stretched themselves, is hardly limited to home ownership and is more about unfettered profiteering than the desire by many to own their own home.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
There is no suggestion that "everyone can or should be involved in business" in what I have said, nor that "most would be better served by small business or speculation" in my words.
So exactly what
are you saying in relation to busines or speculation in relation to many in society having a desire to own their home?
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
I have clearly suggested the intense focus on owning property at any cost is negative, and as this is something I feel has been imposed on most in society, by those with nothing good in mind and by foul means, I am certainly of the opinion it is a bad thing.
I'm not sure I buy it's been imposed.
That many want to and have for some time - perhaps has been
more exploited - but that's hardly been limited to home ownership.
It just seems the pariah that many love to hate, and the new bandwagon.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
The important thing is not the owning of property, it is how one came into it, and how significant the journey was.
For some - whatever.
For others, hardly.
highlandsflyer":vdb8hqc9 said:
In my own lifetime I have seen the transition from generations owning the same farm/croft/townhouse/hotel/business to the constant swapping 'up' and moving on the lust for a crust entails.
Something very beautiful has been destroyed by this.
There's nothing new under the sun, here.
That financial instituitions and the public have run a bit unfettered with levels of personal debt, is no reason to see the desire for home ownership as the pariah - it isn't - it's merely a symptom in these scenarios.
edit: and you've STILL ducked the question: do you own property?