Commons Quote by Noam Chomsky
“In England, enclosure programs kind of destroyed the commons. In the United States, it happened later. But, ah, now it's happening in the world. The last remnant of the commons is the environment, which the indigenous people are still trying to preserve and we sophisticated rich people are trying to destroy.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Environmental discourse, 21st century
Historical enclosure of common resources mirrors modern exploitation of the environment by powerful interests, threatening indigenous stewardship.
In simple terms: Common resources are being taken over.
Key Takeaway
Protect shared resources and support indigenous guardianship.
Themes
environment
colonialism
justice
Mood
concerned
reflective
Type
analytical
activist
When to use this quote
- policy making
- land use planning
- community activism
- corporate lobbying
Key Concepts
commons depletion
indigenous rights
capitalist exploitation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance development with preservation?
- What role should indigenous knowledge play in environmental policy?
A Different Perspective
Economic growth arguments often ignore ecological costs.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
