>>Thomas:
>>
>>"I believe I have shown in "The Tragedy of the Commons" (Hardin
>> 1968) that the promiscuous sharing of matter and energy leads
>> to universal ruin."
>
>Reading this latest book by Capra, The Web of Life has given me a slightly
>different perspective. Dealing with ideas, could be restated as "looking
>for patterns" and patterns have no "matter and energy" or in Capra terms,
Well, of course patterns require energy. No energy -- nothing
moves -- no pattern. For those who haven't read TOC lately, here
is a recap.
The commons is destroyed by behavior -- not thought. It is
impossible to "think" water tables lower. Thus, it doesn't
make any difference how we rationalize our destructive behavior
("our experience is ascending" <G>), what destroys the commons
IS OUR DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR.
There are only two solutions to the Tragedy of the Commons (TOC):
#1. Mutual coercion mutually agreed upon (laws).
#2. Die off.
Unfortunately for your grandchildren, we have selected the
second solution because we simply can not come to grips with
our animal natures.
---------------------------------------------------------------
CAPITALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN THE COMMONS
Consider capitalism as an organized process to ingest natural,
living systems (including people) in one end, and excrete
unnatural, dead garbage and waste (including wasted people) out
the other. From a thermodynamic view, capitalism may be seen as
the conversion of low-entropy matter into high-entropy waste and
garbage. From an economic view, capitalism may be seen as the
high-speed depletion of natural capital.
Politics (self-organization) among human animals is product of
evolution. As soon as two or more people organize, the
inevitable struggle for power ensues. This power struggle
follows genetic patterns of exploitation, lying, and
self-deception.
The triumph of capitalism and democracy could have been predicted
by evolutionary theory. Capitalism extends the human genetic
propensity to exploit (make the best use of something: profit)
and lie (meant to give a wrong impression: advertise). Democracy
is simply the freedom to exploit and lie. Self-deception keeps
us from knowing what we are really up to.
In his 1968 classic, "Tragedy of the Commons",[34] Garrett Hardin
illustrates why communities everywhere are headed for tragedy --
it's because freedom in the commons[35] brings ruin to all.
Visualize a pasture as a system that is open to everyone. The
carrying capacity of this pasture is 10 animals. Ten herdsmen are
each grazing an animal to fatten up, and the 10 animals are now
consuming all the grass that the pasture can produce.
Harry (one of the herdsmen) will add one more animal to the
pasture if he can make a profit. Adding one more animal will
mean less food for each of the present animals, but since Harry
only has only 1/10 of the herd, he has to pay only 1/10 of the
cost. Harry decides to exploit the commons, and the other
herdsmen, so he adds an animal and takes a profit.
Shrinking profit margins force the other herdsmen either to go
out of business or continue the exploitation by adding more
animals. This process of mutual exploitation continues until
overgrazing and erosion destroy the pasture system, and all the
herdsmen are driven out of business.
Most importantly, Hardin illustrates the critical flaw of freedom
in the commons: all participants must agree to conserve the
commons, but any one can force its destruction. Although Hardin
is describing exploitation by humans in an unregulated public
pasture, his principle fits our entire society.
Private property is inextricably part of our commons because it
is part of our life support and social systems. Owners affect us
all when they alter the emergent properties of our life support
and social systems (alter their land) to "make a profit" -- cover
land with corn or with concrete.
Neighborhoods, cities and states are commons in the sense that
no one is denied entry. Anyone may enter and lay claim to the
common resources. One can compare profits to Hardin's "grass"
when any corporation -- from anywhere in the world -- can drive
down profits by competing with local businesses for customers.
One can see wages as "grass" when any number of workers -- from
anywhere in the world -- can enter our community and drive down
wages by competing with local workers for jobs. Everywhere
one looks, one sees the Tragedy of the Commons. There is no
technological solution, but governments can act to limit access
to the commons, at which time they are no longer commons.
In the private-money-based political system we have in America,
everything (including people) becomes the commons because money
is political power, and all political decisions are reduced to
economic ones. In other words, we have no true political system,
only an economic system -- everything is for sale. Thus, America
is one large commons that will be exploited until it is
destroyed.
[ This is from my latest newsletter. For more -- including
references -- see www.dieoff.org ]
Jay
