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Forum Post: New Sustainable Communities: Another Way to Fight the System

Posted 12 years ago on Aug. 25, 2012, 8:22 p.m. EST by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

New Sustainable Communities. In order to fight they system, Opt Out, and Establish New Sustainable Communities based on agriculture, alternative energy (OWS) apparel, and production of green transportation. put "profit" back to community.

Follow the lead of the Native American.

If enough people leave, maybe then the politicians will listen.

Where: former inhabited ghost town, or rural South Dakota. Mexico too has inexpensive agricultural land. whatever. I like Mexico myself.

If in USA establish "mother earth" religion (care for earth and each other, or choose a native-religion, if you need tax deductions) - sustainable non-capitalistic, based on not owning wealth or possessions. (maybe?) "your" house is owned by "community" and they help build, you occupy and tend, and can use, as long as you give back in kind help to community, for 10 years. May be able to save on taxes this way. We should ask Mitt.

If you don't own anything, and have no income but communal work, all your work goes to community. there may be a corporate tax of the land. maybe get farm write-off.

There could be a couple pathways to enter the NSC.

MEXICO Examples

  1. Like Rural Life: 3 people and I buy a 150 by 250 meter parcel at $40,000 (10,000 each)

We build about 8 cabins and a swimming pool. Cabins rent to tourists. They come because their are local artists crafts available, but mostly for the scenic beauty: cobblestone road, pristine lake, in crater of huge, long extinct volcano. We can have horses for tourists, areas trails to ride, guide/ rent sailboats, raise local crops and have organic restaurant.

  1. Prefer "City Life": In mexico build a city from scratch. Most would put up say, a $25,000 stake. ($5,000.00 for lot, 15,000 home, $5000. communal lands/ economy)

You work 10 years at 20 hours week, then you can cut back to 10 hours a week. HaHa Just kidding? It is not work if you design it and own it. It will be what you are good at doing. If you have any retirement income, you will be very set.

Money for medical could be generated through eco-tourism. (medical is not expensive in Mexico).

Here art and culture is valued as well.

This would be a sustainable, communal, project. Owning of additional private property would be allowed, but also public sharing of trasnportationl encouraged.

As married to a mexican numerous years, i've seen some lovely land, beautiful scenery and people, who value peace and economic justice

this is one idea inspired by, and many others here. http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-are-fignting-the-wrong-enemy/ (actually I haven't read the whole thread because it looks pessimistic)

18 Comments

18 Comments


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[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23814) 12 years ago

This reminds me of early environmental activist and futurist Buckminster Fuller's theory of 'ephemeralization' or 'doing more with less'. From wikipedia: "Fuller was concerned about sustainability and about human survival under the existing socio-economic system."

[-] 1 points by dreamingforward (394) from Gothenburg, NE 11 years ago

Consider also Jacque Fresco and the Venus Project.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23814) 11 years ago

Thanks. I'll check it out.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

well sort of like it, without a dome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller

you don't need to heat your home in this area of country.

adequate rain and water available.

you don't need a mansion. locals live in wood cabins 15 by 15 feet for a family.

build some low-tech solar to heat the community pool.

you don't need much to live there. lots of fresh farmers-mercados food available. but you could raise your own too.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

yes. the people here have lived with the land for hundreds of years. they are humble people. mom and pop shops. tradespeople. You'd have to drive over an hour to find a Walmart, or corp.

Actually, the fruit packing plant, which employed 300 recently closed. A cooperative to open up would be favored in the community. Would need to purchase and donate to the people.

[-] 1 points by Coyote88 (-24) 11 years ago

Follow the lead of the native American? Torture, massacre , short life span?

[-] 1 points by ogoj11 (263) 12 years ago

Let me tell you something about your Amish. Because their large families and farming operations require ever larger land resources, the Amish have moved into dog breeding big time, including sale of dogs to biomedical research. (Big Pharm). Dog breeding has the advantage that it requires less land than traditional agriculture.

The USDA regulates dog breeding but the Amish don't acknowledge the right of government to interfere in their lives. Dogs to the Amish, like all livestock, are merely commodities to be used to maximize profit. The Amish hide behind the misplaced respect received from people like you.

Good luck with your project. It sounds beautiful, although I wonder how you can operate in a society where elementary respect for the law is dissolving. http://forum.occupyraleigh.net/index.php

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

I had no clue about all that.

Sounds like they have been assimilated by capitalism. Unfortunate!!

That is terrible for the dogs too.

Society is crazy now. That is why we have to make smaller connected societies, like the natives, if you have no possessions, and shame the ones who violate community norms, maybe even banish.

In the traditional Mexican village, there was little crime.

Just spoke briefly to cuban-mexican brother in law. Unfortunately, he would agree with a pessimistic view of the current landscape there. Previous, you could walk with little fear of crime. Not now.

[-] 1 points by Stormcrow1 (-25) 12 years ago

Can't do that because you would be encouraging slave labor to make it happen. That's not what the OWS are about.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

Stormcrow1, would need more than 3 points to be accepted into the project.

these are just possible ideas. actually, i know of a beautiful piece of land within walking distance and views of a pristine lake, temperate climate and rainfall, Mexico panoramic scenery, cobblestone road, pristine nature scape.

40,000 dollars to buy the land. 150 by 250 meters. 3 other persons, we split evenly. You would have to agree or sign to "care for the land and local customs". It would be anti-slave labor. Whatever you design. Land very fertile, grows corn. agricultural.

The above was just an idea. design it however you like.

I envision possibly some cabins for rent to ecotourists, and others of which we occupym within a large enclosed perimeter, a little economical camping sanctuary.

actually, for 10,000 each 4 way split, build a small sustainable ranch. forget all the other ideas above. build a little cabin.

[-] -2 points by brudlo (-454) 12 years ago

"sustainable communites", another UN one world govt scam.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

We need to sustain our families, localities, environment, and value people.

This is a personal lifestyle and life plan, personally designed, bypassing wall street, where we can live of our own designs and purpose. It will be family based.

[-] 2 points by jbgramps (159) 12 years ago

Being self sustaining is not all that difficult. It was pretty common in rural areas up to about 1930. I’m a retired farmer. I have the skills and knowledge to live off the grid and survive by hunting, fishing and farming for survival. It would be difficult giving up the creature comforts and convenience of modern life. Things like not having air conditioning, refrigeration or gasoline would be a hardship, be you can survive without it.

The problem most people today in modern society do not have the knowledge and abilities to opt out. Opting out (self sustaining) means intentionally giving up most current comforts people take for granted, like flushing a toilet or taking a hot shower or eating whatever you want at anytime. Very few people are willing to go that far.

[-] -1 points by brudlo (-454) 12 years ago

wrong !! one world govt ( agenda 21 ) is UN based you, your family, your freedom are of no importance to them. its all about controlling you and taking away your choices.

[-] -1 points by 1971 (154) 12 years ago

Good point. Life without Walmart, Applebee's, GM, B of A, The FED and Wall St. is impossible. Besides if it was possible, it would have been done before.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

In Mexico people fought to keep Walmart and American corps out. They lost.

They knew it would f up their traditional mom and pop, local owned, interdependent ways of life.

Now their economy is more f'd up than ever. Money gets sucked away, like here, but worse.

So the corps came in, the drug warriors prospered, politicos prospered, people suffered.

[-] 1 points by 1971 (154) 12 years ago

Well whether we desire sustainable communities or not is irrelevant. Eventually we will have no choice. We are consuming unsustainable resources that are unhealthy to us and our planet. As each decade passes, human labor is displaced by technology. Eventually machines will perform most jobs better,faster and cheaper than humans. Therefore our present day economic system is only functional in a bygone era. The beginning of that epoch in human history has been breached. That's one of the reasons today's world is falling apart.

Future communities will need to be engineered and scientifically designed as cost effective and advanced. With the objective to avoid as many cost burdens and shortcomings of today's institutionalized society. Communities will need to bond together to help each other build simple, but scientifically designed advanced private structures. Think futuristic, not Amish.

Contribute time to grow and maintain high quality wholesome food production.

  • Gardens, Greenhouses, live stock, fish farms, bread production, canning, etc.
  • A community free of mortgage payments,most food costs, most energy costs, most debt.

These communities will have to be progressive to interest people enough to adopt such a different lifestyle. I think if we can use technology to benefit humans instead of competiing with them, advanced self sustained communities can become popular.

[-] 1 points by gsw (3420) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 12 years ago

That will work too.