Conservatives don't care how close the commons gets so long as it doesn't get too high; Liberals don't care how close the commons gets so long as it doesn't get too close.
Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology Clark University http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ -----Original Message----- From: Friam [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Smith Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 12:34 AM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Extended sense of The Commons On 1/13/14 1:42 PM, Marcus G. Daniels wrote: > On 1/13/14, 10:49 AM, Steve Smith wrote: >> Once a month (I forget the schedule .. Nth something of the month I >> think) neighbors would gather to maintain the park... trim, dig, >> plant, prune, etc. Nobody was in charge, but there were a few >> leftovers from the original design/creation. It was very >> self-organizing. > [..] >> It was the most self-organized, ad-hoc, functional neighborhood I've >> ever imagined. Far from perfect, breakins now and then, mostly cars. > [..] >> it gave me hope for the viability of a commons. >> > I have plenty of work to do and other interests. As did I, and continue to. > If there is a place to take my dog for a run, that's great. What I > want is to do is pay into a pool, with everyone else. The rest of the "commons" *was* managed by taxes... this was a tiny oasis within it. It had a quality that could not be bought with taxes or any other mode. Too bad if you have never experienced something like that. > It is obviously the sensible thing to do, and because makes many more > big things possible. I want professionals to do the job. I don't > want to be sneered at when I accidentally sit on a `community' swing > or picnic table or whatever because I don't show up for the weekend > love-in. (I'm not going to show up.) If you read what I wrote you might recognize that roughly half the population in the neighborhood did *not* show up for the love in. The homeless who slept there and hung out mid-day did not show up... or the teens.. and nobody ran any of them off, nor sneered at them. They were all relatively welcome, and they did their part by NOT abusing the situation... fading out when it was time to fade perhaps? > Then I do what I'm relatively good at, and the the landscaping people, > etc. do what they are good at. Landscaping people aren't good at investing themselves in their own neighborhood. They are good at (if you are lucky) doing what they are paid to do better than those who pay them. > I'm a tax and spend liberal because I don't have the time or patience > for all this. Ok... you have convinced me... no sense in having any hope for the commons. It clearly requires patience... and showing up... and what else? Other sensibilities that are either hard to come by or in some way perceived as inappropriate (love-in?)... > Marcus Carry on, - Steve ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
