It was inserted in part
because the social ownership and sharing of land and other
natural resources has been one of the basic demands of the
Socialist--Communist--Anarchist movements from their inception.
Monopoly capitalism depends primarily on the private ownership of the
means of production, including natural resources. Capitalist opposition
to socialism is not only a matter of theory. In practice the private
ownership of natural resources enables the owner to charge rent to any
and all users. Natural resources are sharply limited and usually
localized. As population grows, demand for living space is intensified
and rents rise. It is not an accident that the stretches of "black
earth", of copper, iron, petroleum, the precious metals, and the land
occupied by Mexico City, London, New York and other population centers,
poured a stream of wealth into the treasuries and augmented the power of
their owners.
Effects of the insertion into the Mexican Constitution of the provision
making natural resources "the property of the Mexican people" have been
far-reaching. One socialist country after another has written into its
constitution a provision that its natural wealth is the inalienable
heritage of its people. This provision has two important results: it
establishes natural resources as part of the public sector of the
national economy; it also limits the possibility of handing out
concessions to foreign exploiters, private or public.
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