EARLIER THIS YEAR, several Western states considered legislation that would ban or restrict foreign ownership of land, particularly agricultural parcels. While some proposed bills, including California’s, involved blanket restrictions, most sought to curtail ownership by foreign “adversaries,” mainly China, but also Iran, Venezuela and North Korea — even Saudi Arabia.
The reasoning behind this varies. Some lawmakers claim to be concerned about food security, while others are more candid about their fear of “foreigners” — especially
