Very interesting Tadit,<br><br>would you have any bibliography on these merchant network nations?<br><br>see also <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/were-the-medieval-maghrebi-traders-p2p-pioneers/2009/08/02">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/were-the-medieval-maghrebi-traders-p2p-pioneers/2009/08/02</a><br>
<br>Michel<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 6:55 PM, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ideasinc@ee.net">ideasinc@ee.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Regarding non-dominium, I mentioned once before the early establishment of<br>
various network nations at least in the early history of the Mediterranean<br>
et al. The same dynamic appears to have existed in the Indian Ocean region<br>
at least through the European Dark/medieval Ages and probably earlier. The<br>
Phoceans and the Phoenicians were both merchant network nations who<br>
established both home ports usually on islands. This pattern has been<br>
covered over by the framing of the development of the immediate region and<br>
beyond as "Greater Greece." There has been a severe distortion of the<br>
history confusing the later concept of territorial sovereignty with the<br>
process as it seemed to occur. Both Phoceans and the Phoenicians seemed to<br>
have originated our the Black Sea area as goddess or god/goddess cultures,<br>
What became identified as the Greek alphabet, was more likely the product<br>
of the needs of their mercantile basis for communication and record<br>
keeping.<br>
<br>
The nominal Grecian/Persian wars was caused by the clashes between the<br>
Mycenaean Greek/palatial economy which operated in a gift/tribute economy<br>
and was based upon land ownership and slavery. This sort of gift economy<br>
was less than benign, and was essentially oligarchic/feudal. The response<br>
of that culture to the merchant networks cast the merchants as thieves<br>
diverting wealth from its accumulative patterns. The Persian empire of<br>
Cyrus and thereafter seems to have been more about controlling and<br>
protecting the Silk Road against bandits, for which the merchants were<br>
quite willing to pay taxes. The navies of Samos and Lesbos were<br>
extraordinarily large for small island city states except that they most<br>
likely operated as escorts to the merchant traffic and may well have been<br>
more directly offshoots of the merchant network nations. the attack by<br>
Persia upon the Mycenaean/Palatial Greeks was punitive and based upon the<br>
economics. The wide variety of allies involved in that punitive attack<br>
speak to its representation of a wide field of interests, see Herodotus's<br>
narrative. The Macedons were allies to the Persian Empire to such a degree<br>
that as the Persian Empire faded, Alexander and the Macedons were prepared<br>
to takeover and conduct that "empire" on a very similar basis. Describing<br>
Alexander as "Greek" seems to be another conflation by the Mycenaean<br>
Greeks, and their Eurocentric acolytes thereafter.<br>
<br>
The Persian Empire was the primary stimulus to the cultural ascendancy of<br>
the Greater "Greek" and Ionian "Greek" cultures. Merchants after all and<br>
particularly in these examples brought ideas as well as goods to the<br>
scattered populations.<br>
<br>
The Dhow cultures of the Indian Ocean represent another open<br>
seas/non-dominium sort of process. China's recent economic development<br>
seems to embrace this dynamic in part through recognition of the legacy of<br>
the mercantile history of the Han Dynasty. At this point PR China seems to<br>
be less about sovereign territory and projecting the threat of direct<br>
occupation, and more about setting up the infrastructure to facilitate<br>
global trade. The current domination of the commons by imperial militarism<br>
seems to repeat this conflict. The imperial cultures seem to have great<br>
difficulty operating outside of the bounds of threat and control. The<br>
creole-ization by language and by trade in this region has a long history.<br>
<br>
simplistic labeling tends to distort the details of history. I am not<br>
quite to the point of putting together a more formal article on all of<br>
this. The Hanseatic league is similar example in its origin, though it<br>
seemed to redefine itself as a military force in response to operating<br>
against territorial. The effect of the Papal declaration of terra nullius<br>
was little more than another piece of cultural narcissism.<br>
<br>
The virtual organization seems to be a more modern application of the same<br>
sort of dynamic.<br>
<br>
for now, Tadit<br>
<div class="im"><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:28:26 -0400, Michel Bauwens<br>
<<a href="mailto:michel@p2pfoundation.net">michel@p2pfoundation.net</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> thanks Chris, I really need you to write something on stewardship ... or<br>
> point me to some good article on this by someone else?<br>
><br>
> Michel<br>
><br>
> On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 12:21 AM, Chris Cook<br>
> <<a href="mailto:cjenscook@googlemail.com">cjenscook@googlemail.com</a>>wrote:<br>
><br>
>> Hi Michel<br>
>><br>
>> I hope your travels are productive.<br>
>><br>
>> You'll find this concept - Nondominium - relevant in respect of the<br>
>> Commons<br>
>><br>
>> <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MI24Dj01.html" target="_blank">http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MI24Dj01.html</a><br>
>><br>
>> You'll see, once again, my view that custody/stewardship is<br>
>> preferential to<br>
>> Trusts, which I reckon were probably invented BY lawyers FOR lawyers ;-)<br>
>><br>
>> Best Regards<br>
>><br>
>> Chris<br>
>><br>
><br>
><br>
<br>
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