Real dystopias: Over-commoning and elite capture in Austria

Abstract

This article introduces the concept of ‘over-commoning’, analyzing a process in which elites infiltrate and exploit collective resources for private gain. Based on ethnographic research in Austria, it analyses recent corruption cases and political scandals, focusing on the intersection of political power and economic interests. It argues that over-commoning involves a strategic mix of collective rhetoric and legal manoeuvring to capture state resources, a process different from accumulation by dispossession. The article contextualizes these practices within Austria’s political landscape, broadening the definition of commons to highlight the complex interplay between commoning and uncommoning processes. It explores legal avenues for challenging such forms of capture and provides insights into the cynical strategies employed by hegemonic circles in Austrian society. To contrast over-commoning practices with the idealistic perspective prevalent in most contemporary anthropologies of commoning, the article employs the term ‘real dystopias’ that proposes looking at the unfinished and patchy formations of conservative, neoliberal, and right-wing politics of commoning and uncommoning. This research contributes to ongoing debates about resource management, political corruption, and the evolving nature of commons in modern societies, offering a nuanced understanding of how collective resources can be subverted for private gain.