"The Clash of Markets and Commons -- and How It
Affects Science, Economic Performance and
Democracy"
Remarks by David Bollier
Conscience and Science Forum
Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria
and The Innovation and Science Council of British
Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia
April 29, 2004
This is an excerpt, for full version Open-Access
here:
http://www.bollier.org/pdf/Vancouverspeech.pdf
Excerpt:
"They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal the goose from off the common.
But let the greater villain loose
That steals the common from the goose."
-Folk poem, circa 1764, England
"Why Talk About the Commons?
Why talk about the commons? Because it gives us a
coherent vocabulary
for talking about vital interests that are
otherwise vague or ignored. It
articulates a neglected value proposition.
Politicians and economists have long assumed that
there are really only
two sectors for governing things – markets and
the state. Markets are supposed
to be the vehicle for economic progress while
government is supposed to take
care of everything else. Increasingly, however,
it is becoming clear that there is
another sector – the commons – that is at least
as important to our well-being.
The commons is a generic term that refers to a
wide array of creations of
nature and society that we inherit freely, share
and hold in trust for future
generations. Nature is comprised of countless
physical commons -- the
atmosphere, the human genome, agricultural seeds,
fresh water supplies, wildlife
and ecosystems. Some commons are social
creations, like libraries, national
parks and public spaces. Other commons are
intangible, like information and
creative works.
A commons is “owned” by a defined community. It
is managed over the
long term for the good of all. Because a resource
in a commons is not
necessarily commodified, the members of a commons
are not divided into
“producers” and “consumers”; everyone shares
rights and responsibilities, and
everyone both uses and conserves. In a
well-ordered commons, social equity
matters. Over-exploitation generally does not
occur."
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For full text Open Access:
http://www.bollier.org/pdf/Vancouverspeech.pdf
Regards,
Zapopan Muela
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"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file,
has already earned my contempt. He has been given
a large brain by mistake, since for him the
spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace
to civilization should be done away with at once.
Heroism at command, how violently I hate all
this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would
rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so
base an action. It is my conviction that killing
under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of
murder."
-- Albert Einstein
=====
"no necesito hacer hincapie en que la libertad de enseñanza y la libertad de opinion en la literatura y en la prensa son las bases para el desarrollo natural de cualquier individuo" -- Albert Einstein. Sobre el humanismo. Escritos sobre política, sociedad y ciencia. Barcelona: Ediciones Paidos, 1995, p. 68..
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