Friday, June 03, 2005

The Argument Against the Commons

Of course, what is actually happening is that the idea of a commons is under attack. Garret Hardin's 1968 paper The Tragedy of the Commons argued that, when common spaces are entrusted to common peoples, they get trashed. It was one article, almost three decades ago. But, Google it. You would be amazed at how many people hold up the paper as the gospel truth.

The reason they do this is simple- in the last decade or so, the idea has caught on (amongst commercial interests) that all common spaces should be privatized. In Toronto, you actually see this. Public squares that were built around the turn of the century to allow for public meeting spaces are now money-making ventures. Claire and I walked through a "fair" about a month ago that was essentially the Scotiabank Fair. Everything was an advert for Scotiabank. I joked that you'd get arrested if you tried to juggle there. But, it's actually true. The space is now only available to companies that can afford to rent it. And, as it's become "commercial space" the rules of the mall apply. Have you ever tried to engage shoppers in conversation in a mall? The security kicks you out.

And, even weirder, the square in particular that no longer allows for "non-commercial" expression? It's the square in front of City Hall.

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