[manholio]

It's depressing how the housing bubble and the consistent failure of western cities to properly control their expansion - and create adequate supply of housing and urban transit - has induced people into extreme versions of 19th century utopian socialism, such as de-facto nationalization of all land.

Instead of a working state with minimal powers that affords us the liberty to thrive, we are dreaming that a mythical and benevolent Leviathan will come and make order. Well, guess what, that benevolent Leviathan does not exist in practice, the state is made up and run by private individuals who are profit maximizing just like the grubby property owners gouging their tenants.

We know private property works, and that it has created a society where people enjoy political and economic freedoms unprecedented in the history of mankind. Yes, land is different, and while it's essentially unlimited (from a housing perspective), due to it's 2D structure there are strong externalities related to its use. There is a whole discipline related to solving those problems - urban planning. We can go even a step higher and force cities, using national/state law, to create the necessary housing supply and transport systems - if they are willing to for whatever reasons, say the illusive property appreciation induced by scarcity.

This is all much more tenable than a "100% tax".