Website © 2014 Ben Collins
political economic theory hopism
Hopism is political theory written by an ordinary person with ordinary aspirations for life. Hopism recognises and accepts human nature’s weaknesses and strengths and tries to build a realistic framework to create a society of low tax, high social service and low waste.
This is Hopism-Beta-Edition, republished again after a four year break due to background issues. It is still edition 1 and could do with some editing, better english, slicker graphics, some videos and many more diagrams. That will get done sometime during rainy dark November 2014, together with a discussion forum, where this rough idea can be beaten into shape and better written by contributors.
The end result is more useful work done, a happier society and more free time to enjoy your life - whilst knowing that social obligations are met.
Status
Hopism is short and sweet
Hopism is under development, there will be bits you like and bits you dont, maybe there could be different splinter variants. The theory itself is simple and should take less than an afternoon to understand. There are around twenty texts on the webring, each less than a thousand words.
ENEMIES
FUNDAMENTAL
| loanism | non-jobs | nonetarism | corruptation | crimecancer | mortgageslavery |
CONCEPTS
MOVEMENT
casamunde
you are here
It is a basic rule for a happy society that homes must be affordable for everybody who is working. Keeping housing costs down creates wealth through higher disposable income which circulates locally in the economy.
The solution to the problems of mortgage slavery is to build more homes in mass quantities until supply outstrips demand so that everyone who needs an affordable home, bought or rented is satisfied and there remains spare capacity.
Secondly, unrestricted availability of social housing slashes social costs (and taxation) for those requiring social housing such as the; unemployed, unemployable, disabled etc. Placing social welfare people in expensive private rental accommodation is a fiscal disaster for the taxpayer.
Such a mass home building program was applied in Sweden by Olof Palme in the Seventies, that produced one million new affordable homes in a country of seven million people. Everybody could then afford a home, which left scope for high disposable income and social taxation. This made people both wealthy and happy and kept social problems under control. Salary was not spent predominantly on their home repayment loan interest, but on holidays and local enjoyment. Time was found for tennis lessons etc.
Expensive housing is a sign of a low disposable income society. Low disposable income is modern poverty and leads to unemployment due to weakness in the service sector.
High productivity of homes in unrestricted supply is the only way to keep prices affordable.
There should not be any restrictions on house building quantities, though of course planning control must still apply so the right homes are built in the right way in the right places. A modest new house costs €50,000 per unit when built en masse. Lets give a land price of €30,000 to pay into local amenities and infrastructure (link roads, schools etc). That gives a price of €80,000. Second hand homes should cost less than that say €50,000. This is a REAL house value.
There must always be an excess of property in order to establish property values according to genuine value – not artificial values due to shortages. Accessible property ownership through working is a basic right, if there is more population through birthrate or immigration, then there must be more houses built. If there is a demand for 30 million houses then there must be a supply of 31 million houses.
€50k-€80k is what ordinary people should pay for a home with a small garden. This will still provide a profit margin for the construction company. A nice home that is compact and well insulated, cool in the summer and easy enough to be heated in the winter with a patch of garden to allow people to stretch their legs and grow herbs, flowers and vegetables if they so wish. There must nearby playgrounds and parks to play ball games and fly kites.
Every town and village must have a village green and duck pond.
This will not cost much and is a necessary for a happy populace.