Commons Magazine
A new DVD highlights the movement to reclaim what belongs to us all
January 21, 2011 | by Matthew Rothschild
I went to the library the other day to return an overdue book of poems by W. S. Merwin, our current poet laureate.
I felt guilty because I’d been depriving other people of his wisdom and his art.
I felt guilty because I was hoarding a public good, part of the commons.
But the very idea of “the commons” is under assault these days from Republicans who want to privatize everything, and from the likes of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who denies that the commons even exists.
We need to reassert our claims to the commons, and we need to restore the concept of the public good.
And one excellent way to start is to get hold of an insightful new DVD called “This Land Is Our Land: The Fight to Reclaim the Commons.”
It’s narrated by David Bollier, a brilliant longtime activist and writer, and it’s produced by the Media Education Foundation in Northampton.
Bollier traces the historical roots of the commons, and its American roots, as well. He quotes former Interior Secretary Walter Hickel, “If you steal $10 from a man’s wallet, you’re likely to get into a fight. But if you steal billions from the commons, co-owned by him and his descendants, he may not even notice.”
Too many of us haven’t been noticing.
Bollier shows how the mineral and oil companies have ripped off the public lands, how the media companies have exploited the airwaves, how the bottling companies have seized our water, and how knowledge itself is being privatized.
In a telling segment of the film, he juxtaposes Dr. Jonas Salk saying that “the people” own the patent to his polio vaccine with the drug companies telling the South African government that it can’t make generic drugs to fight HIV/AIDS.
Bollier argues that “extreme privatization” and “market fundamentalism” took off with Reagan and Thatcher, and was then helped along by Bill Clinton. In reality, he says, it’s “crony capitalism,” as well-connected businesspeople make off with “piecemeal theft of the commons.”
He shows contemporary rightwing ideologues ranting against the idea of communal rights. And he has a clip of Glenn Beck deriding advocates of social justice, as Beck holds a swastika in one hand and a hammer and sickle in the other.
But Bollier also talks, inspiringly, about the new movement to reclaim the commons, both here and around the world—and how you can join.
“This Land Is Our Land” is an urgent little film. Please check it out.
Excerpted with permission from The Progressive . Matthew Rothschild is the editor of the Progressive and the host of the Progressive Radio Show, which is syndicated through the Progressive Radio Network
Grow the
commons movement.
Commons Magazine
About On the Commons |
Commons Work
 onthecommons.org by On the Commons is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. |
2104 Stevens Avenue South |
|
“We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” —Aldo Leopold, From A Sand County Almanac |
||
|
||
Simply wonderful what you did
Simply wonderful what you did here. It is fun to watch you express from the heart and your clarity on this meaningful content can be easily viewed. Post remarkable and we look forward to your next update.Writing An Essay UK||UK Essay Help||UK University Essays||Write My Essay For Me
the hard work going on with
the hard work going on with this. There is so much that goes into this. You are so right about this. This is our land and we deserve it
5 htp reviews
I am glad to see all the hard
I am glad to see all the hard work going on with this. There is so much that goes into this. You are so right about this. This is our land and we deserve it. Toronto Acne Clinic
Oh yeah, I have done my
Oh yeah, I have done my graduation and right now I am doing a career oriented job well all of my friends got reputable status jobs and business. Its the era of IT and I think it better to have business and IT education for a flourishing career and for a successful dreamed business. MCPD | comptia security+ | sscp | ccna security | PMI Certification | ccvp | Vmware Certification | SCWCD |
love to all of mankind is the
love to all of mankind is the basic necessity of the present circumstances.we worked from early morning to late night to gathering of money ,control or purchasing of land ,making high phi mighty houses but all these things are in vain.The real enjoyable life(working and sharing the problems of sourrounding personalities like mother ,father , brother,sister,etc.) is that which is balanced.Otherwise man can be mentally died before death.
11g free dumps\\ 156-215.70 braindump\\ 156-215.71 dumps\\ free 156-315.71 dumps\\ braindumps 199-01\\ 1y0-a05 dumps\\ 1y0-a08 dumps\\ 1y0-a15 dumps\\
I don’t think Ive seen all
I don’t think Ive seen all the angles of this subject the way youve pointed them out. You’re a true star a rock star man. Youve got so much to say and know so much about the subject that I think you should just teach a class about it!
Clubmz Reviews
He shows contemporary
He shows contemporary rightwing ideologues ranting against the idea of communal rights. And he has a clip of Glenn Beck deriding advocates of social justice, as Beck holds a swastika in one hand and a hammer and sickle in the other.news software
Thanks for taking the time to
Thanks for taking the time to discuss and share this with us, I for one feel strongly about it and really enjoyed learning more about this topic. I can see that you possess a degree of expertise on this subject, I would very a lot like to hear much more from you on this matter
PW0-104 \ F50-532 \ BH0-006 \ 199-01 \ 70-663 \ 70-433 \ 1z0-052 \ 70-643
The post is pretty
The post is pretty interesting. I really never thought I could have a good read by this time until I found out this site.I am grateful for the information given.Thank you for being so generous enough to have shared your knowledge with us.. Free Cell Phone Spy Software
But the very idea of 646-230
But the very idea of 646-230 “the commons” is under assault these days from Republicans who want to privatize everything, 117-101 and from the likes of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, 1z0-050
who denies that the commons even exists.
And one excellent way to
And one excellent way to start is to get hold of an insightful new DVD called “This Land Is Our Land: The Fight to Reclaim the Commons.write my thesis
I am glad to see the great
I am glad to see the great work going on with this. There is definitely so much work that needs to be done. I see so much coming from this if we work on it.
Travel Nursing Jobs
This article truly impressed
This article truly impressed me. The post is written in very good and excellently and it contains much useful information for me. I am appreciating it very much! Looking forward to another great blog. Thanks! Cell Spyware
Bollier shows how the mineral
Bollier shows how the mineral and oil companies have ripped off the public lands, how the media companies have exploited the airwaves, how the bottling companies have seized our water, and how knowledge itself is being privatized.wireless ruckus
oak flooring – The Uk’s
oak flooring – The Uk’s leading supplier of flooring products
The highflying is tarradiddle
The highflying is tarradiddle in garment a breaking 33rd and it entails idiosyncratic perdurable sizeable for me. I am determining to wee your towering way of connector the playacting. Now you danger it macerate for me to micturate and get the theory. Add you for the airman.wishes
Thank you to share with me
Thank you to share with me for something very much.642-384// 650-367// 350-029// JN0-332// 642-188// 650-297// 642-279// 000-106// HP0-S30//
Others challenge the notion
Others challenge the notion that rich people create wealth all on their own, with no help from the commons. “Rich people are not the cause of a robust economy, they are the result of a robust economy,” notes another Patriotic Millionaire. catering equipment
delete
delete
I originally posted a comment
I originally posted a comment asking for a link to buy this DVD. .. then I went to the Media Education website for the people who put out the DVD. It costs $250. I can’t afford that. I understand why it is expensive: there will be a small market for it. And a nonprofit an buy it for only $150.
Is there some way for me to see the movie? I can’t afford to buy it, not even if I get friends in a nonprofit to buy it.
Excellent post and wonderful
Excellent post and wonderful blog, I really like this type of interesting articles keep it u. I am really loving the theme/design of your web site.
divorce forms
I felt guilty because I’d
I felt guilty because I’d been depriving other people of his wisdom and his art.
buying gold bullion
Same here, that really kind
Same here, that really kind of an expensive price. That’s worth 3 weeks of my salary.. I really want to see it though. be yourself quotes
I felt guilty because I’d
I felt guilty because I’d been depriving other people of his wisdom and his art.
offshore company formation
I saw that it was still $250
I saw that it was still $250 on the market. Did you get a copy of it? – Eric R. – Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar – Reviewer
I module assure that I marker
I module assure that I marker your blog and instrument proceed play in the foreseeable futurity. I need to encourage that you prolong your eager job, score a nice weekend. term papers