Chief Seattle and the Tragedy of the Commons:

Ownership vs. Stewardship

As capitalists first and Americans second, we believe strongly in the concept of ownership. We own and use the Earth and the material goods Earth's raw materials help us produce, and feel a proprietary command over them. When Communism developed as an alternative to the concept of unadulterated ownership, we responded with the fear and anger of one whose child had been taken.

Ownership of the land, its materials and its spoils are more integral to American society and thought than any other characteristics or facets. However, this concept is subject to the limitations and inevitable truth of the tragedy of the commons, and we will eventually be dupes to this incontrovertible logic.

The Tragedy of the Commons

The "commons" is any kind of resource which is divided up and shared by a group of people. Such things as...
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