A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

sovereignty over natural resources, support for family agriculture, popular
control over the principal means of production, food sovereignty,
effective recognition of indigenous cultures and identities, regionalization
of the economies, etc. In this case, transition takes on another
meaning.
It is obvious that Venezuela cannot be expected to close its oil wells immediately,
even though this activity contributes to more greenhouse
gases. Neither can Indonesia be expected to destroy all its oil-palm plantations
tomorrow, nor Bolivia to close its mines. And can Ecuador, in the
belief that by developing its mines, offset the rapid diminution of oil production
as a source of income for social policies?
However it is necessary to demand the definition of a transition, including
an economy based on use value rather than exchange value, radical
measures to protect nature, such as the banning of extractive activities
in certain regions (the philosophy underlying Yasuni, a national park of
high bio-diversity) is a step in that direction), respect for the rights of
local communities, particularly the indigenous peoples and a constructive
dialogue with them. The complement of such policies would be accelerating
continental regionalization so as to constitute stronger alliances
to confront the multinationals, now linked in a system that is increasingly
integrated. They have no respect for national legislation, never fulfil their
agreements and impose their logic on governments that are incapable
of taking appropriate action.
The experience of the Philippines over the last ten years, is conclusive:
in spite of a law on mining, ecological destruction has been horrific, entire
communities have been expelled from their land, the number of jobs
promised has not materialized and in the first eight years the State received
only 11 per cent of the royalties due to it during the decade. 184
184 A Legacy of Disasters – the Mining Situation in the Philippines, Alyansa Tigil Mina,
2011
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