Monday, June 24, 2013

#175 / Learn A New Word



I have moved on from What Then Must We Do?, a recent book by Gar Alperovitz that I have found quite inspiring. I am now reading his book America Beyond Capitalism, and I am learning a new word: 

Commonwealth
A traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."

Actually, of course, I knew the word, but Alperovitz' book does give me a new appreciation for the concept. If we are going to pursue the "common good," the wealth of our society needs to be appreciated as a "common asset," belonging to us all. The 1%, in other words, don't get to keep all the wealth, since our human world is commonly constructed. The Alperovitz books describe a number of techniques that might be used to get from here to there. 

It is a kind of step-by-step process. 

A-B-C: America Beyond Capitalism.

What a concept!

I think that America Beyond Capitalism is a book worth reading

As for the picture that heads up this column, that's the Commonwealth Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the time that the picture was taken, the Commonwealth was still under construction, but it is now flourishing, as you will see below. 

Our political counterpart is definitely in the "still under construction" stage. 


Image Credits: 
(1) http://vegas.eater.com/archives/2012/11/12/commonwealth-already-has-the-peacock-needs-a-bike-rack.php
(2) http://blog.vegas.com/las-vegas-nightlife/25694-las-vegas-commonwealth-bar-25694/ 

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