"Government was funded in prior centuries by revenue from land and other natural resources, held by the state in trust for society. The term "commonwealth" literally meant public services were funded by the commons, value created by nature and society, not by individual effort. Taxes were special impositions in time of war, not ordinary burdens on citizens. This book describes how we have developed historical amnesia in the last two centuries and how modern economic problems could be solved by restoring key elements of capitalism originally envisioned by Adam Smith. The proposed change is radical in the sense of going to the roots of economic inequality and eliminating unfair privileges, and yet conservative in proposing to retrieve past wisdom. It is not on the political agenda today, neither with anti-tax conservatives, nor program-loving progressives. Non-tax revenue could solve many current problems, but only if we approach public issues with more imagination and a deeper appreciation of history"--