| Garret Hardin. It primarily referred to resource depletion, and secondarily to pollution. It was not a study, but an analytical model. It was, though, questionable, since those that feed from the commons still need to preserve it for future use, and those that dump on it finally foul their own nest. Whatever point there is to it ultimately has a somewhat libertarian message: that private ownership is preferable to common ownership, because no one has responsibility for maintaining the commons, and the tendency is to shirk and leave it to others. On the other hand, corporations are owned in common, by shareholders. Yet, systems of accountability are maintained: the board is responsible to shareholders, and the officers are responsible to the board, and thus responsibility is delegated for the actual property held in common by stockholders........ |
