[p2p-research] [Commoning] Information sector: a qualitative different mode of production?

[Samuel Rose]

On Sun, Jan 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Martin,
>
> I think the commonality between land and digital commoners is an interesting
> path to argue for and pursue, though in a western context, I don't see much
> wiggle room for land commons, as I wonder which social forces would stand
> behind it in current circumstances ... I know of no farmers who would
> support the recommonalizing of land, and even workers in large
> agribusinesses have not expressed this demand for ages. Or is that a wrong
> perception? Of course in the south the situation is quite different. Of
> course, that there is a weak social basis for it, is no reason not to
> support it, just pointing the difficulty of going in the direction of its
> realization.
>


A phenomenon that could be related to this discussion centers around
the amount of foreclosures happening in industrial midwestern cities
in the US.

These foreclosed city properties are usually going either to banks or
local governments. In the cases where they are going to local
governments, there is an opportunity to invest in creating new land
commons by way of groups of people purchasing the land from local
government land banks, and placing the property in the ownership of
the group (such as a cooperative). It is in the interest of the local
governments to see people residing and working within the city, over
and above seeing banks or real estate investment companies simply
buying up the land, bulldozing the buildings, sitting on the land and
waiting for better real estate market times.


So, there is an opportunity in cities for co-operatives based around
food, energy, technological production, access, social welfare support
(alliances with not-for profit groups) etc.


There is a similar case in rural areas of the industrial midwest,
where people are joining community supported agriculture cooperatives.
The primary driver here is that their areas are othewise "food
deserts". As regional economies collapse, and fuel costs increase,
distribution to more sparsely populated rural areas dries up. Joining
one or more CSA's gets you access to the produce, meat and other items
that it might otherwise be nearly impossible to find.

-- 
--
Sam Rose
Future Forward Institute and Forward Foundation
Tel:+1(517) 639-1552
Cel: +1-(517)-974-6451
skype: samuelrose
email: samuel.rose at gmail.com
http://forwardfound.org
http://futureforwardinstitute.org
http://hollymeadcapital.com
http://p2pfoundation.net
http://socialmediaclassroom.com

"The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human
ambition." - Carl Sagan