Brilliant. A sufficiency-based monetary system that mobilizes human effort exactly when it is needed and which is not dependent on the prior availability of debt-created scarcity based commodity currencies.
Book of the Day: Local Dollars, Local Sense
* Book: Michael Shuman. Local Dollars, Local Sense. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012. This book is a valuable addition to the literature about local investing and community empowerment. Introduction by the author Michael Schuman: “Americans’ long-term savings in stocks, bonds, pension, life insurance, and mutual funds total about $30 trillion. But not even 1 percent of… Continue reading
Selected citations on peer property
Original sources are listed here: “The commons breaks with the individualistic vision as conceived by the capitalist tradition, a vision that has progressively transferred the idea of rights to individual people. The commons take inclusion and everyone’s equal right to access as its starting point, while property and the idea of the state that upholds… Continue reading
Publicly created money instead of debt-created money
A very long but interesting lecture by the author of a classic book on monetary history, which will be our book of the day in 2-3 days: * Speech: THE LOST SCIENCE OF MONEY & MONETARY JUSTICE USING PUBLICLY CREATED MONEY TO FUND PUBLIC PROJECTS TALK AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS; London May 4, 2004… Continue reading
Amelia Andersdotter’s open letter to EU Commision President Barroso on the need for copyright reform
Via Amelia Andersdotter, written on December 4: Dear President Barroso, In light of the need to complete Europe’s digital single market and as we continue to wait for proposals to be made by the European Commission, we would like to call to your attention the urgent need for copyright reform in the European Union. People… Continue reading
The Rise of the Sharing Communities
Source: Cat Johnson for Shareable.net As the sharing economy picks up momentum, its reach has become global. In cities and towns around the world, people are creating ways to share everything from baby clothes to boats, hardware to vacation homes. There are also groups emerging that consciously identify with the big-picture sharing movement. These groups… Continue reading
Essay of the Day: The Relational State
* The Relational State. How recognizing the importance of human relationships could revolutionize the role of the state. Edited by Graeme Cook and Rick Muir. Institute for Public Policy Research, UK, 2012. A Summary of this important essay: “The purpose of this essay is not to summarise the contributions that follow but to provide a… Continue reading
Book of the Day: The Interface Effect
* Book: The Interface Effect. By: Alexander R. Galloway. Polity Press, 2012 A summary: “Interfaces are back, or perhaps they never left. The familiar Socratic conceit from the Phaedrus, of communication as the process of writing directly on the soul of the other, has returned to center stage in today’s discussions of culture and media…. Continue reading
David Bollier and Silke Helfrich talking the commons in Berlin
David Bollier, with the support of Silke Helfrich, both of them my colleagues in the Commons Strategies Group, gave a lecture before the American Academy in Berlin. David is a polished writer who pays a lot of attention to preparing great lectures. He starts speaking at 18 minutes. Watch the first part here: americanacademy on… Continue reading
BitTorrent is looking for webcasters to test P2P live streaming
Source: Janko Roettgers BitTorrent isn’t quite ready yet to take on Ustream and Co. with its P2P live streaming technology, but it is getting closer: This week, the company reached out to webcasters, asking them to join the ongoing field tests of the live streaming protocol. BitTorrent Inc. is reaching out to broadcasters and webcasters,… Continue reading