COMMONS MAGAZINE
Why do you think the idea of the commons has so much resonance now?
All cultures must feel friction between the individual and the group, or between public and private. In the United States, the tension seems unusually marked. At the founding of this country, we had an emphasis on “commonwealth” and we valued “civic virtue,” a thing that citizens could earn by acting more for the group than for themselves.
In recent months, nonprofit organizations mobilized against the threat that Congress would limit tax deductions for charitable gifts. Because charitable deductions provide an incentive for giving, many nonprofit leaders fear that scaling them back will make it harder to raise money. Following the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, the charitable deduction remains more or less intact – at least for now.
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who takes things that are yours and mine.
The poor and wretched don’t escape
If they conspire the law to break;
This must be so but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law.
Greece knows a thing or two about democracy. And as an increasingly arid nation, good water management is fundamental to its future, both political and physical. The recent financial crisis hasn’t only tested Greek democracy, but its water as well.
Parks stand as the foremost symbol of the commons because they are literally common ground—a place where everyone can come and rub shoulders, interact, share an experience, get to know one another better. They are the foundation of community and democracy.
Some of the Stories the Disney Corporation Has Borrowed from the Public Domain Since 1937 (Which is Perfectly OK since They Belong to All of Us to Build Upon):
Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain
Aladdin from a folk tale in One Thousand and One Nights
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Atlantis from the legend of Atlantis
Beauty and the Beast by G-S Barbot de Villeneuve
Bug’s Life from Aesop’s Fables
Cinderella from the Charles Perrault folk tale
Chicken Little from the folk tale
Who should pay the costs of climate disasters? In light of the current debate in the United States about federal assistance to Hurricane Sandy victims and the recent debate at the recent Doha Climate Conference about international assistance for climate change victims, that has become an increasingly pressing question for humankind.
But before we can redesign society,
we must first learn to
see the world as a commons.
Thesis 01
Some people see the world as a battleground, while others see it as a commons.
Thesis 09
Those who see the world as a battleground strive to suppress surprise from others. “Loose cannons” are dangerous.
Thesis 10
Those who see the world as a battleground revel in what they’ve made impossible for others. Those who see the world as a commons revel in what they have made possible with others.
Thesis 14
Robert J. Shiller, Professor of Economics and Finance at Yale recently weighed in with his perspective on subsidizing charity with a New York Times column whose title clearly conveys his message: “Please Don’t Mess With the Charitable Deduction.”
There is a case to be made for charitable deductions. Regrettably, this isn’t it.
Shiller offers three arguments.
Are you concerned about our air, water, food, and the state of our communities?
These are our commons. They belong to us all and must be protected—not only for the health of our society, but also for each of us and future generations.
Lincoln is a magnificent movie. But as I left the theatre, to echo Paul Harvey, the late radio commentator, I wanted to know “the rest of the story”.
The movie begins in January 1865, exactly 2 years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves of the Confederate States “thenceforward and forever free. ”
In the wake of superstorm Sandy and a presidential election in which both candidates essentially ignored climate change, it’s time that our schools began to play their part in creating climate literate citizens.
For those of us who love cities in all their giddy gritty glory, the Motor City awaits. Although struggling in recent decades Detroit still offers experiences you expect from a world-class city: heartstopping architecture, a bustling waterfront, topnotch art, convivial nightlife, great food, picturesque city squares, a jam-packed public market, memorable strolls and a spirit of cooperation that’s bringing genuine change.
Living in a neighborhood—even the swankest one—with no grocery, coffeeshop or other businesses is like wearing a nice new suit of clothes without shoes. It looks great, but you’ve got no place to go. Local shops, preferably within walking distance, are the soul of any community, the commons where you bump into your neighbors and get that satisfying sense of belonging.
A glance at history turns up the names of many heroes—from Robin Hood to Chief Joseph to Gandhi—who stood up to protect the commons on behalf of future generations. One name from history not likely to be associated with the commons is Muhammad. Yet the holy prophet of the Islamic world sought to preserve special landscapes for everyone. Today, Muslim environmentalists are trying to reinvigorate this tradition.
There is something insidiously ironic about being American Indian during the fall of the 21st century. It all starts with Columbus Day to mark our “discovery,” then moves right into the “it’s totally not racist to dress up as a hypersexualized Indian” for Halloween parties, and goes out with a bang on Thanksgiving when we celebrate the survival of the Pilgrims and that harmonious, mutually beneficial relationship forged between colonizers and Indigenous peoples everywhere!
What can the model of a commons offer an art institution?
Open Field offers us an unusual opportunity — to throw light on, and perhaps even to resolve for a time — the contentious and vexing relationship between what we think of as “art” and what we call “craft,” “social practice,” “maker culture” and yes, “political activity.”
Have you heard about The Commons? You own a piece of it; we all do.
The Commons is something society shares as a public trust, and includes valuable assets such as the Internet, the broadcast spectrum, public lands, the ability to create money, the atmospheric carbon sink, and more. In times of scarcity, access to the Commons can be very valuable. We can all share in that bounty, and this can form a source of actual income to Americans.
Here are a few ideas for creating a source of income for all people from the Commons with citizen’s dividends.
There are 70 of us assembled here at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for the opening of the first-ever Great Lakes Commons Gathering. In the opening circle we introduce ourselves and pour water brought from our homes around the Lakes into a large clear bowl. This confluence of the waters reflects the real and symbolic center of our meeting.
In the 2008 report How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin: Pipelines, Refineries and Emissions to Air and Water, journalist David Israelson reveals the network of pipelines and refinery expansions that would increase the amount of tar sands bitumen shipped to and processed in the Great Lakes Basin.