Someone writes:
My response:Property wins the social-evolution test as a stable and effective social system.
Property does not necessarily win the social-evolution test for stability. Inevitably power (i.e. property) becomes so concentrated that the threat of force required to maintain rights over that property becomes precarious to wield. Eventually the downtrodden rise up in anger and take from the wealthy what they cannot attain through other means. In other words, the risk versus reward of armed conflict to dissolve control over property outweighs the alternatives. This is a Socialist revolution and it naturally follows after a highly successful Capitalistic society forms. Later, that Socialist society will begin to see the benefit of property rights again and a new wealthy class will rise to take power.
These changes take hundreds of years. America had a Socialist uprising against oppressive property rights in the Revolutionary War. Remember the Inalienable Rights from the Declaration of Independence, "life, liberty, and happiness?" The term "happiness" replaced "property" from the Declaration of Colonial Rights. How could the Inalienable Rights suddenly change? They quickly reworded it to prevent non-White non-males from gaining power (i.e. property). American Revolutionists dissolved all previous property rights and granted said rights to everyone -- did I say everyone? I meant white males.
I predict that the fight over intellectual freedom is going to end in a Revolution. Those with vast amounts of intellectual property and power (e.g. RIAA, MPAA, Microsoft, etc.) will find it impossible to sustain through force. The mob will take what it can get in relative safety. I certainly do.
Which route will be taken toward Revolution? Government may be so large and corrupt that our bureaucratic system cannot handle it with the requisite haste. Property law infringement will become so pervasive (as it has with music) that enforcement will get astronomically expensive and the system will collapse upon itself, then restructure. Apple identified that the music industry was collapsing under a Socialist revolution and restructured the industry to work to their benefit.
Perhaps the fight over intellectual property will not be a bloody one, but we have a lot more to worry about. IP is just one slice of the cake of power.
