Thomas Paine

Proposal that Louisiana be purchased Thomas Paine

In 1802 Louisiana was administered by the French. Napoleon had denied access by the USA to New Orleans and there was a real risk that the two countries would go to war. On Christmas Day Tom Paine wrote a short letter to the president, Thomas Jefferson, suggesting that the USA should purchase Louisiana from the French. Within a year the deal had been done. When it comes to disputes about territory and natural resources, are we missing a trick? Could we make more use of financial solutions to settle disputes? In Agrarian Justice Tom Paine asserted the principle that a landowner 'owes to the community a ground-rent' (Land Value Tax) that should be distributed to all. If this distribution were to go beyond the national boundary this would dramatically reduce the incentive for one state to grab the territory of another. Buying, or even better renting, territory could be used more often when conflict threatens, and would constitute active peace-building.