Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
Traditionally natural resources like rivers, air, fisheries, etc are held to be shared as the commons. Tragedy of the commons problems like you two are discussing are sometimes worked out by people, in the free market simply by recognizing the need to cooperate as much as compete, and sometimes not worked out, and government can be a cause of such problems.
My favorite example is the levy system for a town in a flood plain. A free market likely wouldn't protect the entire town. Just the really important parts of that. Which is OK, if you are part of that important part.