On Wed, 23 Mar 2005, snitsnat wrote:
> When I was doing the research years ago, there was a lot of government
> reports on the importance of home ownership to creating a stable (read:
> politically stable {read: docile]} citizenry. With something to invest in,
> something to want to protect, defend, whatever, people are less likely, they
> reasoned, to be politically rebellious.
Well, that cuts both ways: homeowners tend to be quite enthusiastic about government infrastructure and services that protect their property rights and values. In Portland OR, we've passed a county income tax twice in the past few years to maintain funding for the schools. Woj's pessimism notwithstanding, people in my neck of the woods quite clearly realize that public infrastructure is necessary (among other things) to maintain the value of their property. --In a sense, then, home ownership can inspire community and (even!) cooperative economic investment; it doesn't have to create mindless, docile repugs.
Miles