Excerpt from "Commons, #Libraries & #Degrowth" by Andrewism

"How has the potent alternative present in the commons been so wiped from our collective memory?

"It goes back to the feudal concept of land ownership, the age of European #colonialism, and of course, the rise of #IndustrialCapitalism. The king of England, for example, owned all the land in feudal England but bestowed titles for pledges of loyalty to powerful members of the nobility that allowed them to rule over large estates. These lords leased the land they were given to aristocrats, who also leased parts of their land as payment, for military aid, or for rent. This rigidly hierarchical system of obligation between landed lords and their tenants or vassals reinforced the monarchy’s ability to stake a claim on the land in their kingdom. However, at the bottom of this system were the peasants, who did all the actual work on the common land on the lord’s estate. Many were generationally serfs; legally prohibited from leaving the land they cultivated without their lord’s permission. Lords may have come and gone, but their bondage to the land was basically forever.

"After the #MagnaCarta, the #BlackDeath, the #Crusades, and all the other dramas that brought #feudalism into decline, the nobility initiated a process of #privatisation that laid the groundwork for early #capitalism through acquisitions, settlement, and enclosure of the commons. But even though revolutions and reforms came and went and most of us have gotten rid of our inbred kings and queens and their right to rule, the concept of sovereignty over private parcels of land and the feudal relationship of landlord and tenant has endured to this day, exported globally through #EuropeanColonialism.

"Despite this violent and antisocial theft of our access to even the means of subsistence, some commons have survived and thrived, though they operate within the constraints of the State and the #GlobalCapitalist status quo. Still, there is a lot we can learn from them when it comes to how to manage the commons.

"Why have they succeeded where others have failed in maintaining their commons? All efforts to organise collective action, including the commons, must address a common set of problems: how to supply new institutions, how to solve commitment issues, and how to maintain stability. It’s not easy. And yet some individuals have created institutions, committed themselves to following the rules they’ve come up with together, and assessed their own and others’ conformance to the rules in order to maintain the stability of their shared commons. Again, why have they succeeded where others have failed? External factors seem to play a significant role. Some have more autonomy than others to change their own institutions while others have change happen too rapidly for them to respond and adjust. Regardless, people try their best to solve the problems they face, despite their limitations. What factors help or hinder them in these efforts is a matter of careful study if we wish to succeed in organising and running our own commons.

"But first, we need to clarify some definitions.

"The commons are based on a common-pool resource or CPR, which is a natural or man-made resource system that benefits a group of people, but provides diminished benefits to everyone if each individual pursues their own self-interest. We must draw a further distinction between the resource system and the resource units produced by the system. Resource systems include #forests, #groundwater basins, irrigation canals, #lakes, #fisheries, #pastures, and even #infrastructure like windmills and the internet, while resource units consist of whatever users appropriate from those resource systems, such as cubic metres of lumber harvested and water withdrawn, tons of fish harvested and fodder grazed, kilowatts generated and network bandwidth used. It’s also important to maintain the #renewability of a resource system by ensuring that the average rate of withdrawal does not exceed the average rate of #replenishment.

"The term ‘appropriators’ refers to those who withdraw resource units from a resource system, like a fisher or farmer. Appropriators may use the resource units they withdraw, like residents powering their homes or farmers watering their crops, or they may transfer the resource units for others to use, such as a logger sending lumber to a hardware store for sale. Those who arrange for the provision of a CPR through financing or design are providers, while producers are those who actually construct, repair, and sustain the resource system itself. Providers, producers, and appropriators are often all the same people.

"Appropriators who share a CPR are deeply intertwined in a tapestry of interdependence. Acting selfishly and independently will usually obtain less benefit than they could have had they collectively organised in some way. The process of organising enables us to coordinate and change our shared situations to obtain higher shared benefits and reduce shared harm.

"Some of the commons institutions that endure today are as old as over a thousand years, while others are a few hundred at most. They exist alongside the personal property of the appropriators involved, such as their crops and livestock, but have remained at the core of these communities’ economies for generations. They have survived #droughts, #floods, #wars, #pestilences, and many major economic and political changes. From the alpine meadows of Torbel, Switzerland to the 3 million hectares of Japanese forest to the irrigation systems of Spain and the Philippines, these projects have evolved over time in response to experience and circumstance. None of them are perfect demonstrations of anarchy or anything, nor are they necessarily the most ‘optimal’ by some metrics. But they are successful in establishing a level of #autonomy and #resilience in the people involved in them, and they’ve managed to carefully maintain the ecology of the regions they inhabit.

"These institutions exist in different settings and have different histories, yet they simultaneously share fundamental similarities. Unpredictable and complex environments combined with engineering and farming skills combined with a predictable population over an extended period of time. These fairly egalitarian communities have developed extensive norms that define proper behaviour, involving honesty and reliability, allowing them to live without excessive conflict in a deeply interdependent environment. The perseverance of these institutions is due to the seven, and in some cases eight, key principles that Elinor Ostrom outlines in Governing the Commons..."

Read more:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andrewism-commons-libraries-degrowth
#SolarPunkSunday #AnarchistLibrary #ClimateCrisis #Resiliency

#weekends #ajeeddastaan #strangestories

Outliving #2024 #hysterical #neurosis #traffic #cramps #lunaticautos #rash buses #roadrage #community #construction #culture #festivals #roadclosures #metrorail #loudnoises #waterlogging #electioneering #rains #storms #loudspeakers #DJ #chanting #politics #pandemics #endemics #wars #calamities #laws of #earth, laws of #death and laws of #chaos still rules Hyderabad.

#proud to be #Hyderabadi

We are Working towards noise free Hyderabad. Are You?

#SUPPORTING Article 21: Right to Freedom from Noise Pollution.

Noise has been receiving increasing recognition as one of our critical environmental pollution problems today. Like air and water pollution, noise pollution increases with population density especially in our Hyderabad urban areas, it is a serious threat to our quality of life according to Article 21 of our Constitution which guarantees us as Indian Citizen, a dignified life which includes Right to Freedom from Noise Pollution.

Today Noise pollution has also become the major problem in India, with some of the main sources of noise in residential areas including loud music which continues past midnight, early morning chanting in speakers, transportation, lawn care maintenance, construction, electrical generators, Elevated Metro Rail, wind turbines, crackers, explosions and people.

In addition, poor urban planning, poor governance, slumberous administration and the absence of a more rigorous law or law enforcement agency are contributing to noise pollution, as industrial and residential buildings are often located close to one another due to SMART CITY PLANNING since 2015 and the lack of a written mandate for implementation of NOISE CONTROL Polices. Courtesy Wikipedia.

NOISE LEVELS MEASURED DURING THE JUST CONCLUDED FESTIVITIES in Hyderabad, Secunderabad & Cyberabad has gone past 99.9dBA to 107dBA Leq-Lden-Ldn & CNEL during DAY and NIGHT TIMES. Which is making a mockery of the Environment (Protection) Act which was enacted in 1986 and The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

 #wakeupindia #wakeuphyderabad

Noise-induced hearing loss is a major health problem for millions of people employed in noisy environments. Besides actual hearing loss, humans are affected in many other ways by high levels of noise. Interference with speech, interruption of sleep, and other physiological and psychological effects.

We provide Resolves, Remedies & Redressals against noise @Ministry of Acoustics.

#redefining #Perfections for a #better Life Today and Tomorrow.

Call us on +919848083140 or email us at ministryofacoustics@mail.com

https://apocalypsesite.wordpress.com/2024/09/27/hyderabadnoise-stories/

#2024 #ajeeddastaan #calamities #chanting #chaos #construction #cramps #culture #death #DJ #Earth #electioneering #endemics #festivals #Hyderabadi #hysterical #laws #loudnoises #loudspeakers #lunaticautos #metrorail #neurosis #pandemics #perfections #politics #rains #rash #roadclosures #storms #strangestories #traffic #wakeuphyderabad #wars #waterlogging

SURVIVING NARCISSISM

But if your brother's(or any relation's) presence consistently:

- Undermines your self-esteem with belittlement, manipulation, or lies,
- Violates your boundaries and disregards your needs and feelings,
- Causes you stress through guilt trips, drama, or emotional abuse, and
- Endangers your physical safety through threats, violence, or neglect

HOW TO SURVIVE NARCISSISM:

1. Learn About Narcissistic Behavior to Better Understand Your Brother’s/Mother's Actions

Reading up on narcissistic personality disorder can be like cracking the code to their manipulation.
When I did this, I learned how my mom’s need for control, lack of empathy, and tendency to enable drama are textbook characteristics, not personal attacks.

It isn’t a free pass for her actions, but it shifted my perspective.

2. Keep Your Mindset Healthy and Strong

Throughout my own journey, I learned that a strong #mindset was the key to not only surviving but thriving.

It began with practicing self-compassion and self-worth, counteracting the negative beliefs instilled by my brother's/parent’s constant belittling.

3. Don’t Take His Actions Personally

Your brother’s behavior is a reflection of his own issues and insecurities, not a commentary on your worth or character.

Understand that his actions are driven by his narcissistic tendencies, and not a judgment of your value.

4. Don’t Bother Arguing With Him, Save Your Energy

Engaging in arguments with a narcissistic brother can be draining and counterproductive. They often thrive on conflict and manipulation.

Save your energy by refusing to get caught up in fruitless disputes. Instead, calmly assert your boundaries, disengage when necessary, and focus on maintaining your emotional well-being.

When you avoid unnecessary arguments, you retain your energy and avoid being manipulated into confrontations that are unlikely to lead to any resolution or understanding.

5. Don’t Let Them Put You Down, Tune Out the Toxic Noises

Dealing with a narcissistic family member means contending with their insatiable need for admiration and strong feelings of entitlement.

Recognize their attempts to put you down and choose not to dance to that toxic beat. Your worth isn’t defined by their distorted views.

Recognize that his behavior is a reflection of his issues, and your efforts are better spent on self-care and emotional well-being.

6. Is cutting ties with your narcissistic brother ever a recommended course of action?

Going no contact with a narcissistic brother can be a last resort if the relationship is severely toxic and detrimental to your mental health. It’s a highly personal decision and not one to be taken lightly.

But how do you know when enough is enough?

For me, the time came when the gaslighting became a constant, drowning out any semblance of #peace.

It was a pivotal moment, a realization that my well-being deserved more than the incessant toxicity.

Crafting my exit plan became not just a strategy but a lifeline. It was an empowering decision to break free from the emotional shackles and reclaim control over my narrative

7. Be Prepared for Negative Reactions From Your Father or Others

When I cut off my narcissistic mother, she threw tantrums and guilt trips and even tried to manipulate others to turn against me.

After all, they said, “Blood is thicker than water, right?” Well, sometimes, the chosen family is the strongest bond.

Family dynamics can be messy, and not everyone will understand your decision.

Prepare for some raised eyebrows, awkward conversations, and maybe a few flying feathers (metaphorically, of course).

But stay strong, remember your “why,” and surround yourself with people who celebrate your boundaries.

8. Cultivate Financial, Emotional, and Social Independence From Your Mother/Brother or any Toxic Relation

Breaking free from a narcissistic father/mother/brother etc often means severing the ties that bind you, not just emotionally but also in other aspects.

You don’t need his/her approval or admiration to feel worthy.

So, find ways to stop being dependent on your father/mother/toxic relation for anything, be it emotionally, financially, or socially.

He/she will just use these to manipulate you and control every aspect of your life.

9. When Should You Consider Cutting Ties From Your Narcissist Family?

Consider cutting ties with your narcissistic family when efforts to maintain a relationship prove consistently futile and the toll of narcissistic abuse jeopardizes your mental health.
Sometimes, their love is conditional and hinges on toxic dynamics. That’s when cutting ties becomes a valid choice for finding peace and prioritizing your well-being.

10. See a therapist and also learn from someone who has experienced & survived first-hand this sort of heinous torment so you can live aware and save yourself from trauma, suffering, physical violence, emotional health liquidation, mental health ruination, hypertension, strokes, destruction and even death!

#Trauma #Abuse #SelfAbsorption #SelfCentredness #Selfishness #Jealousy #Envy #Hate #Bigotry #Psychopathy #Narcissism #Narcissists #Sadism #Egoism #Selfishness #Spitefulness #Toxicity #Wars

#Empathy #Compassion #Kindness #Love #Peace
#GenuineConnection #Awareness #Freedom #Children #Parenting #Fatherhood #Motherhood #Family #Marriages #Growth #Change #Life #World

[Part 3 of 3]