{"article":{"id":248711,"heading":"The Struggle for the Commons","author":"Jay Walljasper","created":"2011-10-16 11:22:13","modified":"2013-11-11 01:06:46","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 08:06:46","article":"

\"Tragically, this wealth is being stolen in the name of economic efficiency and global competitiveness. As the disparity between the world’s richest individuals and everyone else grows, a massive takeover of the commons is occurring. Through privatization schemes, land grabs, excessive copyright and patenting claims, no-new-taxes policies, neocolonial globalization and the gutting of government services, we are losing what is rightfully ours. These radical policies inflict economic pain but also diminish the natural world, our sense of community and the ability to participate in decisions affecting our future.

Of course, this is nothing new. It has been happening ever since feudal lords in Europe enclosed forests and grazing lands (the original meaning of the word “commons”), which helped set the stage for the brutality of the Industrial Revolution and colonial invasions. The assault on the commons has intensified over the past thirty years, however, because of the rise of market ideology as the overpowering force in international politics.

But all is not lost. We still depend on and take advantage of the commons every minute of the day, from the tap water we use to brush our teeth in the morning to the fairy tales we tell our kids at bedtime. We have no choice but to redouble efforts to save the commons in its many forms, from essential public services in our communities to net neutrality to a spirit of cooperation in our everyday lives. As awareness of what belongs to all of us grows among progressives, the commons is gradually emerging as both a critique and a strategy to challenge the dominance of market-based values at every level of our society.

The work of the commons points us toward a brighter future where the out-of-control individualism of modern society is balanced with a new appreciation of what we can accomplish together—a welcome shift from “me” to “we.” This can range from community gardens and budget-cut protests at the grassroots level to open-source initiatives in professional fields to economic justice and environmental campaigns in the political world.\"

to read Jay Walljasper's article \"The Struggle for the Commons\" published in the October 17, 2011 issue of The Nation, click on

http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/163670\/struggle-commons?rel=emailNation<\/a>

www.onthecommons.oirg

www.buzzflash.com

http:\/\/kickitover.org<\/a>

www.adbusters.org<\/p>\n","contact":"mbatko@yahoo.com","link":"http:\/\/www.buzzflash.com","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":""The commons is an old value that?s resurfacing as a fresh approach to twenty-first-century crises such as escalating economic inequality, looming ecological disruption and worsening social alienation."\r\n","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2011\/10\/248711.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":248715,"heading":"Video: "Super Amigos" (2007) and "I'm Your Man" (2006)","article":"Enjoy these two free videos from hulu.com!\r\n\r\nSuper Amigos\r\n\t\r\nPlay video\r\n01:10:47\r\nOriginally aired on 8\/01\/07\r\n\t\r\nVideo: Super Amigos (2007), 1 hr 10 min\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.hulu.com\/watch\/225582\/super-amigos?c=News-and-Information\/Documentary-and-Biography\r\n\r\nSuper Amigos\r\nTitle \tSuper Amigos (2007)\r\nRuntime \t1 hr. 10 min.\r\nStudio \tSnagFilms\r\nGenres \tNews and Information | Sports\r\nDescription \tIn Mexico City, five real-life "social wrestlers" have capitalized on the popularity of Mexico's larger than life Lucha Libre wrestlers to fight for social justice rather than trophies.\r\n\r\n\r\nVideo: Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man (2006), 1 hr 47 min\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.hulu.com\/watch\/251576\/leonard-cohen-im-your-man?c=News-and-Information\/Documentary-and-Biography\r\n\r\nLeonard Cohen: I'm Your Man\r\nTitle \tLeonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2006)\r\nRuntime \t1 hr. 43 min.\r\nStudio \tLionsgate\r\nGenres \tMusic | News and Information\r\nDescription \tIn 2005, music producer Hal Wilner staged an all-star tribute concert in Australia in which a handful of major artists offered their interpretations of Cohen's songs, including Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Rufus Wainwright, Beth Orton, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and many more. This documentary offers an intimate look at the songs, poetry and life of the influential troubadour, Leonard Cohen.\r\n\r\n","author":"marc","parent_id":248711,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2011-10-16 21:52:37","modified":"2011-10-16 21:52:37","fileurl":""}]}