Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The Commons (4:00m video)

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Commons (4:00m video)

from The Nation website. All the earth and the economy we have constructed on it should be a part of the commons. This amusing, but thoughtful video sees our wealth in its various forms as a legacy to be shared by all.

In a perfect world, wealth--be it money, ideas or access to natural resources--belongs to all of us. But in our decidedly unjust and imperfect world, wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few. There is be a better way. The notion of The Commons--shared land, resources, or the knowledge passed down through generations--is a common-sense way to allocate our natural, cultural and intellectual riches.