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We should remember that the original tragedy of the commons didn't happen, the idea was based on false assumptions around how greedy people are.

We could start by looking at how people managed systems sustainably including the original commons.

https://aeon.co/essays/the-tragedy-of-the-commons-is-a-false...




Tragedy of the commons was a false-flag by british aristocracy which enabled them to seize Commonhomd land from Commoners in 1500's and drive them into poverty and endantured servitude.

In a single masterstroke they gained assets and labour.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclosure


Your article doesn't say what you're saying.

Your article says that the tragedy of the commons does not have to happen, but we don't really have the numbers. Those examples could be cherry picking, and everyone's personal experience kind of says that the opposite is more common (commons mismanagement). That's why the original article was so influential: it gave a name to something we've always seen.

It's great that we can assume tragedy of the commons is not as immutable as some law of physics, but it still looks like a powerful social force unless proven otherwise.

And I imagine, like any social study, it's going to be very hard to get actual numbers for the tragedy of the commons versus comedy of the commons scenarios.


I live in Britain where the original commons were located and have yet to see a tragic one. The idea may apply to things like overfishing.


Do you think the overfishing situation will get better/worse/same after Brexit?


That's a question that's nearly irrelevant to determining if overfishing is because of a tradgedy of the commons.

If post-brexit overfishing numbers increase, what evidence is there that the increase is due to individual greed and not a government policy?


No idea to be honest.


People act in their own self interest which is often at odds with the entire population’s interest. See: prisoner’s dilemma.

Tragedy of the commons is now defined in game theory and is a naturally occurring phenomenon when people have limited resources and the drive to survive.


Sure. But define “limited resources” and “survive”. When life is zero sum - i.e. either you die or I die, yes humans are often selfish. But in actual day to day life those situations are exceedingly rare. Our normal drive, in my experience, is to form communities around shared care of common resources - because that is often both in our personal self interest and in our communal interest.




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