Tragedy of the Commons

I failed to mention that yesterday's piece in the Post, "Clinton, Obama and the Narcissist's Tale," is as much about the challenge of the "Tragedy of the Commons" as it is about narcissistic politicians. From the article:

Schlager said the only way to prevent tragedies of the commons is to set up structures in advance that reward long-term thinking and punish short-term selfishness. This happens mostly among competitors who share long-term interests and have social relationships of trust: If you and I are Maine lobstermen, we are likely to agree to set up limits on the overall catch each year because we see our future, and our children's future, inextricably linked. In the absence of trust and long-term relationships, the only way to prevent these tragedies is to have an outside regulatory agency step in to establish -- and enforce -- limits.

This is relevant to historic preservation and the creation of historic districts, automobility and transportation policy, employment assistance and training programs, fear of government retribution (vis-a-vis crime), welfare assistance and familial development, land use planning generally...

I could go on and on.

This basic point, about the use of the commons, or the role of the publicly spirited citizen vs. the private citizen is the heart of the matter in terms of what I call the tyranny of neighborhood parochialism.