The Problem of the Commons

If there was land that anyone could use, would it be taken care of?

There are two clear sides to this debate. Some say people would take care of a common land. They would realize the sustainability problems and do what they needed to ensure the prosperity of the land for future use. Others would argue that this land would be destroyed. People would be lazy and only take care of what they own. Greed would lead people to use the land as much as they could, then move on to new lands.

In my opinion, other circumstances would be the deciding factors in whether or not the land would be taken care of. The desperation of the people, the economic situation, even people's religion would make a difference. As the situations change, so would the condition of the land.