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Reclaiming the Commons

Posted by michael on from the inch-by-inch dept.

NeuroManson writes "What do fresh air, medicine, culture, copyright, and government have in common? Perhaps not exactly what you think. Up until recently, I considered the term "commons" as an archaic term from Victorian or Elizabethan times. However, apparently it still exists both as a concept and a philosophy. Despite its almost ancient connotations, it's an eye opener regarding how concepts centuries old hold true even today, but much like freedom, require eternal vigilance to protect, and covers everything from the air you breath through the GNU, HDTV, and copyright issues. Read on." Bollier's article and the responses are superb intellectual reading. If you don't have time today, bookmark it, come back later.

3 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. "Superb intellectual reading"??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    My God man, there are SOME things that just have NO place here on Slashdot!

  2. What they have in common. by bobgoatcheese · · Score: 4, Funny

    "What do fresh air, medicine, culture, copyright, and government have in common?"
    I don't know, but I bet it leads to Kevin Bacon.

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  3. How capitalism can indeed serve social interests by Monkey+Angst · · Score: 4, Funny
    As Ayn Rand and her followers put forward clearly, the world's needs (what the author considers the commons) can indeed be served by private interests, since doing so would be profitable to them. I have staged a skit to illustrate this:

    CITIZEN #1: Please, Mr. Capitalist, for a profit of $1, will you feed, clothe, and care for this child?
    CAPITALIST: Of course! I will do this for a mere profit of one dollar, for private enterprise is happy to take on these public burdens if there is even the slightest profit!
    CITIZEN #1: Thank you, Mr. Capitalist. I knew we could come to some sort of an arrangement.

    So you see, private enterprise can be trusted to... oh. Wait... here comes another citizen...

    CITIZEN #2: Here, Mr. Capitalist, for a profit of $2, will you kill, cook, and serve this child?
    CAPITALIST: Hot damn! TWO dollars! Where's the salt?

    Uh... oops. Nevermind.

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