system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What did Adam Smith mean when he said: "As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce" (Chapter VI, p. 60)?

What did Adam Smith mean when he said: "As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce" (Chapter VI, p. 60)?

I am very new to economics and have seen this quote brought up frequently on the internet and it results in confusion for me. Was Smith opposed to landlords?
gpt
It means people want money for what they’ve got if you want it, and that property owners are in a great position because they have an inexhaustible resource.

If someone wants your labour they pay for it, you don’t receive the fruits of your labour, they do and you get paid. If someone wants the fruits of your labour they pay for it, they get it, you have money.

The unimproved value of land is special because the owner didn’t make it but he still wants payment for it. That’s a thing with property generally but most property is improved out of recognition from the natural state, whether it’s crop land that “should” be a swamp or a jet engine that is ultimately made out of highly processed and refined dirt.

I wouldn’t say Smith was opposed to landlords. He was just describing what they do.