0 thoughts on “SAY NO To ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement)”
Privatization is the Real Tragedy of the Commons
snip
The real tragedy of the commons began with the enclosure of lands farmed in common by English peasants beginning in the 18th century in order to clear the way for industry and sever the populace from their own means of self-sufficiency in order to free up a new workforce. These same enclosures denuded the forests of Scotland—yes, Scotland once had forests—to provide wood as fuel for these factories and materials for urban slums to house the newly created workers.
The privatization of the commons is the real tragedy. Beginning with the land and forests, one by one, water, air, ocean and even our genetic code are being threatened by new enclosures. These new enclosures promise vast wealth to those that seek to exploit and own more and more of the commons while leaving the human community to shoulder the burden of their rapid depletion.
Over the past few decades we have come to learn the fatal flaw in Hardin’s hypothesis that “under a system of private property, the men who own property recognize their responsibility to care for it.” As we know from our global economic system, ownership no longer assumes geographic limitations. Once a privatized commons is exhausted and the costs passed onto the local and increasingly global communities, new commons to exploit are sought elsewhere ad infinitum. The crisis only ensued once the privateers began to run out of commons to be exhausted.
snip
The continuing enclosure of the commons is the real tragedy that threatens the very survival of humanity. Many traditional and indigenous communities hold shared values, beliefs and purpose which have allowed them to live in balance with the natural world upon which they have relied for their very survival for millenia.
The difference between the Moi rainforest people of West Papua, the Iroquois, and Mayan descendents of Mexico and our modern global consumer culture is significant. In traditional cultures even if a few people hunted in the community forest for selfish reasons, the community had ways to punish violators and influence a change in behavior. One person may take a few extra rabbits for their family but with a few exceptions were unable to alter the very ecosystem of the forest.
This no longer the case. The one person violating community rules has mutated into a handful of powerful multinational corporations with wealth exceeding many countries and the power and influence to veto, rewrite or make the rules in their own image. Corporations have been instrumental in creating their own global bill of “rights” protected and enforced by a host of treaties and institutions like the WTO. Together, they ensure the continued raiding and pillaging of the commons to the detriment of the rest of the global village.
Monopolies without borders created to use citizens as hire and fire economic cogs.
Institutions to ensure their freedom to monopolise ever more.
Governments with capabilities to monitor their citizens in a more covert and efficient way than the KGB could with agents following perhaps hundreds of “dissidents” around and tapping their phones.
Supreme Soviets by another name, perhaps Super Supreme Soviets fits.
The things which are happening that our citizens remain oblivious.
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Colonel Gadaffi din’ have a chance
Blatant Capitalism will kill us all. Your only chance is first become a capitalist yourself and then only be a consumer of need. The Devil will take the hind most …
Come on my BU family/Bajans wake up to what is happening and taking place around you other than our local Bajan politics. If ACTA is pass our beloved BU will be in trouble and face being shutdown.
World government at its best, that is, unscrupulous and predictably acting in its own self interest, not that of the free press. The internet revolution has given us unheralded speech and freedom. Now they are looking to kill the goose that lay the golden egg, or rather, kill the egg so it wouldn’t lay another goose. (or soemthing like that). We in the south have so little say in international policy matters. We follow like sheep. This people is globalisation. What ever happened to the level playing field for all?
Privatization is the Real Tragedy of the Commons
snip
The real tragedy of the commons began with the enclosure of lands farmed in common by English peasants beginning in the 18th century in order to clear the way for industry and sever the populace from their own means of self-sufficiency in order to free up a new workforce. These same enclosures denuded the forests of Scotland—yes, Scotland once had forests—to provide wood as fuel for these factories and materials for urban slums to house the newly created workers.
The privatization of the commons is the real tragedy. Beginning with the land and forests, one by one, water, air, ocean and even our genetic code are being threatened by new enclosures. These new enclosures promise vast wealth to those that seek to exploit and own more and more of the commons while leaving the human community to shoulder the burden of their rapid depletion.
Over the past few decades we have come to learn the fatal flaw in Hardin’s hypothesis that “under a system of private property, the men who own property recognize their responsibility to care for it.” As we know from our global economic system, ownership no longer assumes geographic limitations. Once a privatized commons is exhausted and the costs passed onto the local and increasingly global communities, new commons to exploit are sought elsewhere ad infinitum. The crisis only ensued once the privateers began to run out of commons to be exhausted.
snip
The continuing enclosure of the commons is the real tragedy that threatens the very survival of humanity. Many traditional and indigenous communities hold shared values, beliefs and purpose which have allowed them to live in balance with the natural world upon which they have relied for their very survival for millenia.
The difference between the Moi rainforest people of West Papua, the Iroquois, and Mayan descendents of Mexico and our modern global consumer culture is significant. In traditional cultures even if a few people hunted in the community forest for selfish reasons, the community had ways to punish violators and influence a change in behavior. One person may take a few extra rabbits for their family but with a few exceptions were unable to alter the very ecosystem of the forest.
This no longer the case. The one person violating community rules has mutated into a handful of powerful multinational corporations with wealth exceeding many countries and the power and influence to veto, rewrite or make the rules in their own image. Corporations have been instrumental in creating their own global bill of “rights” protected and enforced by a host of treaties and institutions like the WTO. Together, they ensure the continued raiding and pillaging of the commons to the detriment of the rest of the global village.
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/9010
Monopolies without borders created to use citizens as hire and fire economic cogs.
Institutions to ensure their freedom to monopolise ever more.
Governments with capabilities to monitor their citizens in a more covert and efficient way than the KGB could with agents following perhaps hundreds of “dissidents” around and tapping their phones.
Supreme Soviets by another name, perhaps Super Supreme Soviets fits.
The things which are happening that our citizens remain oblivious.
Colonel Gadaffi din’ have a chance
Blatant Capitalism will kill us all. Your only chance is first become a capitalist yourself and then only be a consumer of need. The Devil will take the hind most …
Come on my BU family/Bajans wake up to what is happening and taking place around you other than our local Bajan politics. If ACTA is pass our beloved BU will be in trouble and face being shutdown.
@just letting you know
The voice of the people is the voice of God – vox populi.
World government at its best, that is, unscrupulous and predictably acting in its own self interest, not that of the free press. The internet revolution has given us unheralded speech and freedom. Now they are looking to kill the goose that lay the golden egg, or rather, kill the egg so it wouldn’t lay another goose. (or soemthing like that). We in the south have so little say in international policy matters. We follow like sheep. This people is globalisation. What ever happened to the level playing field for all?