State of the Commons June 20, 2004 11:06 AMSubscribe
Reviving the Commons. The commons are the range of resources that the American public collectively owns, but which are often mismanaged by government or privatized ("enclosed") by corporations. An excellent report on "The State of the Commons 2003/04" (PDF) was prepared for the Friends of the Commons by the Tomales Bay Institute. The principle of the commons in Western common law was first codified in the Magna Carta, and was previously discussed on MeFi here. [Via I-Merge.] posted by homunculus (3 comments total)
Commons principles are badly misunderstood by popularizers and activitists.
The Commons per se were never a business-free or profit-free zone. Much the opposite is true: commons were by their nature commercial -- a place provided by the government where everyone could advance their private pecuniary interests by personal use of publicly-owned resources.
The inherent difficulty in regulating this kind of use, or preventing the destruction of the commons by overuse in this fashion (i.e., the "Tragedy of the Commons"), was a basic challenge facing policy makers who confronted a modernizing economy. posted by MattD at 1:01 PM on June 20, 2004
Commons principles are badly misunderstood by popularizers and activitists.
I wonder if they misunderstand them or if they're more reinterpreting them to suit their agenda. Either way, I think the possibility of the destruction of the commons are more serious, and challenge of regulating them more complex, then they ever before, so I'm sympathetic to that agenda. posted by homunculus at 11:33 PM on June 20, 2004
Soon they will be called the Un-Commons.
Commons, community, enlightened self-interest, whatever you call it, Che Gueverra said it: "community must take precedence over man", I believe it, that settles it.
[knock-knock]
nofundy- "Who's there?"
MIB- "DOJ, Asscroft wants you down at Gitmo."
nofundy- "But why?"
MIB- "You're a damn troublemaking commmie pinko terraist." posted by nofundy at 4:56 AM on June 21, 2004
¡°Why?¡± asked Larry, in his practical way. "Sergeant," admonished the Lieutenant, "you mustn't use such language to your men." "Yes," accorded Shorty; "we'll git some rations from camp by this evenin'. Cap will look out for that. Meanwhile, I'll take out two or three o' the boys on a scout into the country, to see if we can't pick up something to eat." Marvor, however, didn't seem satisfied. "The masters always speak truth," he said. "Is this what you tell me?" MRS. B.: Why are they let, then? My song is short. I am near the dead. So Albert's letter remained unanswered¡ªCaro felt that Reuben was unjust. She had grown very critical of him lately, and a smarting dislike coloured her [Pg 337]judgments. After all, it was he who had driven everybody to whatever it was that had disgraced him. He was to blame for Robert's theft, for Albert's treachery, for Richard's base dependence on the Bardons, for George's death, for Benjamin's disappearance, for Tilly's marriage, for Rose's elopement¡ªit was a heavy load, but Caro put the whole of it on Reuben's shoulders, and added, moreover, the tragedy of her own warped life. He was a tyrant, who sucked his children's blood, and cursed them when they succeeded in breaking free. "Tell my lord," said Calverley, "I will attend him instantly." HoME²Ô¾®¿Õ·¬ºÅѸÀ×Á´½Ó
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The Commons per se were never a business-free or profit-free zone. Much the opposite is true: commons were by their nature commercial -- a place provided by the government where everyone could advance their private pecuniary interests by personal use of publicly-owned resources.
The inherent difficulty in regulating this kind of use, or preventing the destruction of the commons by overuse in this fashion (i.e., the "Tragedy of the Commons"), was a basic challenge facing policy makers who confronted a modernizing economy.
posted by MattD at 1:01 PM on June 20, 2004