Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons

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Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons

by Peter Barnes

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 50 ratings · 7 reviews

From the cofounder of Working Assets comes a visionary plan to upgrade capitalism.

Hardcover, 195 pages

Published November 1st 2006 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers

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Nov 01, 2008 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: social-science

This is a book that I started reading last year sometime but never finished before it was due back at the library. I enjoyed what I read of it, though, and the concepts that the author introduced have been floating around in my head lately as we experience our current market meltdown and people (myself included) are asking where we should go from here. I'd like to look it up again and actually read the whole thing this time. His main suggestions have to do with creating public trusts in order to...more This is a book that I started reading last year sometime but never finished before it was due back at the library. I enjoyed what I read of it, though, and the concepts that the author introduced have been floating around in my head lately as we experience our current market meltdown and people (myself included) are asking where we should go from here. I'd like to look it up again and actually read the whole thing this time. His main suggestions have to do with creating public trusts in order to protect things like the environment, the arts, etc. (I can't remember all the examples) that have very little protection under current corporate law, but that are important to the common good of a society. (Warning: the following summary is based on what I can remember from reading part of the book more than a year and a half ago, and may be mingled with ideas that I've picked up other places.)

He argues that the capitalism that we live with today was born in an era when resources were scarce for everyone, largely due to a lack of technology. It worked then because resources were universally difficult enough to obtain (and to process into useful goods) that growth of capital was always a good thing. Today we have the technology to rape the earth, and are doing just that because the capitalism we live with still values growth of capital above all else. It's written into our very laws.

He tells a number of stories of corporations that have been sued, and lost in court, for putting other interests (being nice to the earth, being nice to people, etc.) above the bottom line. Corporate law says that corporations must be operated in such a way as to do their very best to increase the value of the company so that as much money as possible gets sent back to the shareholders. Any other consideration is secondary to that goal. Even corporations that write other goals and priorities into their charters may be sued for not growing the company enough, and even if that doesn't happen, they're usually bought out in the end by large multinationals that have no qualms about slave labor or dumping of toxins, as long as it's not in the CEO's neighborhood.

The author, therefore, advocates setting up some legal protections for the commons. He uses (interestingly enough) the Federal Reserve Board as an example of an institution set up in our country to advocate for a specific piece of our civilization that's important to the common good: the smooth running of our country's economy. Current financial crisis aside, this board is set up in such a way that experts in that field advocate for that particular thing, with no real opportunity to personally benefit from the policies they advocate or don't advocate. The author suggests forming similar bodies to advocate for other sectors.

My list of GoodReads friends runs the political gamut, and I'm interested to hear other people's takes on these ideas. Please comment if you have anything to say!(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 The Capital Institute rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, commons, financial-reform, capital-institute

Barnes writes that today’s capitalism is structurally flawed and these flaws are bringing down the modern economy. By describing and enumerating two previous “versions” of capitalism; 1.0 (past) and 2.0 (present), Barnes is able to demonstrate that a major flaw of contemporary capitalism is a failure to “adequately value and manage the commons.” These public goods, including the atmosphere, water, oceans and other such things that are essential to sustainable human well-being cannot be privatize...more

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Nov 04, 2009 Juan Pablo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: economia, ecologia

Barnes plantea una readaptación del capitalismo hacia un estilo más "humano", o tal vez debería decir "terrestre". Sobre las ventajas y desventajas de su solución, no puedo decir nada; sí sobre la excelente y rápida pintura que hace del capitalismo, sus fallas y su interacción con la democracia. Lo interesante es que su propuesta consiste mayormente en agregar jugadores a la economía, en lugar de tratar de modificar el sistema preexistente. En este sentido, es mucho menos utópico que otras propu...more

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Jun 07, 2008 Tram Nguyen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Short, pithy, bold - I recommend this. Not all the ideas are fleshed out completely, but that's not the point. It's a smart and creative attempt to think beyond capitalism in the age of ecological disaster.

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Aug 30, 2008 Tattered Cover Book Store added it

Shelves: rocky-mt-land-series

This book was recomended by author William deBuys as part of the Rocky Mountain Land Library's "A Reading List For the President Elect: A Western Primer for the Next Administration."

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Nov 05, 2009 Faye rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recommend this book to any one interested in trying to understand why our economic system is failing. The author relates capitalism to a computer operating system in need of repair!

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Sep 29, 2008 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sounds great to me! We just need to make it happen. By the way, you can find the book online as a free download.

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May 23, 2013 Michelle Mullin marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Nichole Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 05, 2013 Brian Elder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 15, 2013 Lieve Vereycken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: business-models

Apr 17, 2013 Stephen added it

Shelves: economics, futures

Apr 03, 2013 Betsy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, money, nonfiction

Mar 31, 2013 Ohyoon Kim marked it as to-read

Shelves: business-finance-economics, society-activism-politics, society-personal-culture

Mar 28, 2013 Carolyn Polhamus added it

Shelves: hunt-it-down-and-read-it

Mar 21, 2013 Mdavidenriquez marked it as to-read

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Mar 20, 2013 Peeter P. Mõtsküla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 05, 2013 Nadia rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Dec 01, 2012 Jonathan Prien rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on, common, non-fiction, economic, consumerism, globalization

Nov 30, 2012 Stephanie Rexroth marked it as to-read

Nov 09, 2012 Dani marked it as to-read

Oct 20, 2012 Không-biết Tên-gì rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Plays 1: The Ruling Class / Leonardo's Last Supper / Noonday Demons / The Bewitched / Laughter! / Barnes' People

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