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Reclaiming the Commons

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
Reclaiming the Commons (article in the Boston Review)

Excerpt:

The idea that human beings share a moral and civic inheritance that cannot be alienated, commodified, or sold is part of an American tradition that has its roots in the Declaration of Independence. Americans have a long tradition of creating innovative vehicles to ensure a fair return to the public on resources they collectively own. This tradition has galvanized conservationists, land reformers, and advocates of municipal ownership of transport, water, and energy systems. It motivated the architects of urban planning, the TVA, garden cities, and the land-grant colleges that produced world-class universities in Ithaca, Urbana, Madison, Minneapolis, and Berkeley. It inspired the health, safety, and environmental programs of the 1960s and 1970s, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund, and the public rollout of the Internet.

It is time to revive this tradition of innovation in the stewardship of public resources and to recognize its appropriate role in the economy and civil society of the twenty-first century. The silent theft of our shared assets and civic inheritance need not continue. But first we must recognize the commons as such, name it, and understand the rich possibilities for reclaiming our common wealth.
Personally, I find myself agreeing with much of what this author (Bollier) writes. Perhaps my self-professed libertarian views, which have already been hedged by my personal stance that health care and environmental protection also are within the realm of government's duties, are eroding even more. :eek: At this rate, I'll be voting Green next election. Wait, I already did... :D