The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible - Bastiat Institute

14 Chapter 3 • A Commons Tragedy
The tragedy of the
commons is like
children with their
straws in a communal
fi zzy-drink bowl
– each sucking “fi t to
bust”!
Unknown
One had better be a
poor fi sherman than
meddle with the art of
governing men.
Danton
Brainstorming
• How do people take care of things that
belong to everyone?
• Who really owns the lake and the fi sh?
• Would the fi sherman dump rubbish in the
lake if he owned it?
• How would people’s behaviour change if the
fi sherman owned the lake?
• Who benefi ts by common ownership?
• Examples?
• What ethical issues are involved?
Commentary
This chapter is in reference to the concept of the
“tragedy of the commons”.
Common ownership refers to anything owned
by authorities or the state for the supposed
purpose of the common “benefi t” for everyone.
The fi rst part of the tragedy is that everyone is
supposed to benefi t from, and feel responsible for,
this common ownership. Frequently, however,
no one benefi ts because each person has the
desire to grab as much as he or she can before
others do. This means that resources are taken
before they have matured. The second part of the
tragedy is that no one feels responsible for the
consequences.
Governments the world over have contributed
to environmental damage by owning and
controlling vast stretches of land, immense
bodies of water, and extensive coastal areas.
State ownership really means ownership by no
one, so no one has the personal motivation to
protect the resources.
Instead, those with special interests who gain
the favour of politicians, exploit the supposedly
common resources for personal gain.