Forum Post: Ask not what your country can do for you...

The political is personal. Our power comes from ability to raise ourselves up and to help others do the same. These ideas apply to everyone who is concerned for their wellbeing, their family's wellbeing, their community, and the future - given the mess that we are currently in. 1) Get to know your neighbors, you are going to be doing business with them, trading with them, and coordinating with them to protect each other and come together, whatever our differing points of view - we are moving in to a breaking point whereby if our currency doesn't collapse, our ability to buy food, travel, and provide ourselves with basic necessities is going to be severely curtailed. When gas prices are through the roof, our lifestyles will change, and we will be closer to home. Learn how to barter. As well - politics are by necessity going to go to a local scale. This is our future. 2) Grow your own food, as much as you can. Even if you live in a high-rise, you can grow tomatoes on your balcony. Have chickens - they provide you with protein you can control, are great gardeners, fertilizers, recyclers & composters, and they are highly entertaining. If you can, get bigger animals and farm on a larger scale. Even if you don't have any land of your own, grow at a community garden or form one in your area at a local school. There is a family in suburban L.A. that has turned their yard into an organic farm that makes enough to feed all of them and sell produce to local restaurants! Amazing video about this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W51JRTjoI1A&feature=related 3) Cut down on your expenses. Stop buying useless trinkets. Stop going to Walmart, if you can. Cook your own food, it's better for you and it will save you money. Stop giving useless presents for Christmas and create another tradition - maybe giving away food to people with less than you. Walk - you'll stay fit and reinforce #1 - getting to know your neighbors. Or, ride your bike.

In terms of natural resources and land, our country is virtually unmatched. America is a great nation, and we can rise out of the ashes, but the way to do it is - reclaim our own independence, ingenuity, creativity and community. We can complain about what the government is or or is not doing, and how we're being stolen from, lied to, how our leaders are corrupt, and so forth. But we're headed back to basics. Are you going to be able to feed yourselves and your family? Or are you relying on someone else? If you walked down your street, and every house had raised garden beds growing a plethora of food with chickens contributing to the people and the soil, would we be hungry? Would we have to rely on our just-in-time petroleum based agricultural system? Would we still be killing precious time mowing our lawns and burning up still more gas for worthless grass?