In 1903, a woman named Elizabeth Magie launched a board game designed to highlight the systemic causes of social inequality and to educate people about how they might be solved.
What an amazing essay!! I loved the thoughts you expressed here and wish many people would have this mindset of collaboration so that humanity can be redefined. It was a surely a great read...
Thank you so much Vidya. I'm so glad to hear that it resonated with you. If you know others who might enjoy it, please do share it and spread the ripples :-)
I think the mention of trees and fungi working together is a reference to the “Wood Wide Web.” Right? I’ve been going through a book recently called “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben and it’s fascinating read. For those who would prefer a quick explainer video, BBC News has probably the best one on the subject I’ve seen.
Hi Michael. Yeah the Wood Wide Web is such a great way of framing it in terms that we can relate to! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for the link to this great video.
Hi Edward, this is a great question. My understanding is that they were based upon Henry George's "Single Tax" theory in which all income and capital gains taxes would be eliminated and replaced with a single tax on land. His philosophy was that "land, along with all other natural resources, is the common inheritance of all. No persons or firms should own land; they should only be able to rent it. Furthermore, that rent should be paid to the public, as the rightful collective owner of all land." The theory being that if this single land tax was applied then it would distribute wealth more evenly in society and provide the funds necessary for public use.
On this link you can find an early set of rules, starting with the typical Monopoly style rules and then followed by two sections. Under the heading "The Monarch of the World" is instruction on how to modify these rules to prove that land ownership leads to the accumulation of wealth. This is then followed by the other set of rules under the heading "The Single Tax". https://landlordsgame.info/games/lg-1906/lg-1906_egc-rules.html
What an amazing essay!! I loved the thoughts you expressed here and wish many people would have this mindset of collaboration so that humanity can be redefined. It was a surely a great read...
Thank you so much Vidya. I'm so glad to hear that it resonated with you. If you know others who might enjoy it, please do share it and spread the ripples :-)
I think the mention of trees and fungi working together is a reference to the “Wood Wide Web.” Right? I’ve been going through a book recently called “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben and it’s fascinating read. For those who would prefer a quick explainer video, BBC News has probably the best one on the subject I’ve seen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWOqeyPIVRo
Yes, there is competition in the natural world, but also collaboration and symbiosis. I guess it depends on what one wants to emphasize and why.
Hi Michael. Yeah the Wood Wide Web is such a great way of framing it in terms that we can relate to! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for the link to this great video.
Hi Tom, thanks for writing. I've been a fan and reader for a while. Is there any way to recover those lost collaborative board game rules?
Also, your theme this time reminded me of this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55655431-the-long-win
Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll check that out!
Hi Edward, this is a great question. My understanding is that they were based upon Henry George's "Single Tax" theory in which all income and capital gains taxes would be eliminated and replaced with a single tax on land. His philosophy was that "land, along with all other natural resources, is the common inheritance of all. No persons or firms should own land; they should only be able to rent it. Furthermore, that rent should be paid to the public, as the rightful collective owner of all land." The theory being that if this single land tax was applied then it would distribute wealth more evenly in society and provide the funds necessary for public use.
On this link you can find an early set of rules, starting with the typical Monopoly style rules and then followed by two sections. Under the heading "The Monarch of the World" is instruction on how to modify these rules to prove that land ownership leads to the accumulation of wealth. This is then followed by the other set of rules under the heading "The Single Tax". https://landlordsgame.info/games/lg-1906/lg-1906_egc-rules.html