The Real Tragedy of the Commons
is the privatization of public resources.
We’re led to believe that shared use of resources will result in selfish people consuming all the resources themselves, leaving nothing for anybody else.
This myth is commonly known as “The Tragedy of the Commons” — and it is unfortunately mistaken for fact by most economists today.
The privatization of public resources hasn’t improved our quality of life. It’s done the exact opposite. We no longer have free access to parks to admire the beauty of nature. We can’t meet with friends in public spaces without buying something to earn the right to sit down. Privatization stripped us of personal freedoms.
But Chevron is free to pollute our air and rivers. Nestle can claim ownership of our water. Amazon can destroy our roads. And all of these companies can dodge taxes to avoid footing the repair bill.
That’s tragic.
Our commons destroyed — not by the overuse of its community members, but by the exploitation of corporations. We live in shambolic infrastructure while private companies make billions of dollars from resources they didn’t create, they merely claimed ownership of.
The Tragedy of the Commons myth created the reality it sought to avoid.
