Where to now?

There's talk of bracing for economic collapse thanks to crashing stock markets, low oil prices and failing banks. Stock markets and banks mostly deal in made up numbers.

So given that we will still have needs and the infrastructure to feed these needs, how can we move past the reliance on the made up numbers? One argument would be that if a bank collapsed then people would be laid off...if the economy is based on a house of cards and borrowed money just being cycled through then isn't it time for a correction? Does everyone really need to be in the workforce? I see machines and tech taking over and killing many jobs within the next 5 years so I think we should consider how to move forward beyond that.

Think it might be time to form mini villages, grow what we can and trade what we can on a barter system? Like do you really need a Gucci handbag? Most expensive items have a high perceived value but in actuality the things we actually need can be cheaply produced to a high quality so that they don't need replacing often. Surely we need to think of a new way forward beyond the clutches of the numbers. There is enough to go around we just need to figure out how to manage and distribute it properly 'uhh who will fund this endeavour'...numbers are made up, let's just make some more up or kick them to the curb altogether. Get 200 acres, start a non Kool Aid commune for lack of a better word. We outnumber them and in the spirit of true democracy we can also dictate how our governments operate. I think it'd be wise to act now because later we'll all be too worried about where the food for our table will come from given most of us get our food from a supermarket and it doesn't take much to knock a supply chain out of whack.

Low oil prices means we can produce more things for cheaper, perhaps sustainable things that will last longer and can be beneficial to us in the long term. Do enough people have foresight beyond the doom, gloom, worry and entertainment and 'news'?

I guess I'd like to use this thread to see what your thoughts are on how we can move forward, say in groups of 100 and how we'd solve the trade issue and how we can transition to this better way or even if it is at all possible given there are so many people on Earth, 1/7th of them might have to go. Guess they will automatically if they're living in cities if and when there's a 3 day disruption.

At a large scale system, I don't think your concept would work. However, on a smaller scale system, absolutely.

Communal living can work extremely well, so long as the community has solid citizens and has a sustainable system within it.

The current system isn't sustainable, obviously.

We should all consider stepping out of the realm of total reliance on our cities for food and power and begin migrating to a more self reliant system, where such threats like economic collapse have a much smaller impact.

Again, it would only work on an individualistic scale or a small communal scale, however.

Society is always reluctant and slow to change.

a reply to: ragsntatters

I think about this type of thing quite often, unfortunately I don't have the monetary funds currently to go purchase 200 odd acres of land or I'd be doing this right now! Though I do know of little communities already up and running that I have been looking into.

It's a good idea, and my personal feeling is that more people will be turning to this type of thinking in the future.

a reply to: ragsntatters

Intelligent input from a diverse array of sources will help us with this.

Ive got a good feeling that humanity and Earth will become a fairly stable and beneficial civilization in our part of the cosmos.

I live on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern US. Every now and then a storm comes through and knocks the heck out of us. When the utilities go down and emergency services are overwhelmed, it takes about two nights before civility is lost.
What I'm trying to say is that you might consider more immediate steps to keep you and yours safe and fed.
Not all situations are the same but I live in a house, in a populated area. We maintain the food, water, med. supplies, generator, etc. that we need to survive.
Building a new system is going to take you a couple years so plan accordingly.

a reply to: ragsntatters

I'm only really planning as far ahead as the weekend. (I do actually have longer term goals but they can either happen or blow by. No biggie, but it would be cool if they happened, I also really am constantly amazed by the chaotic and unpredictable was things unfold).

originally posted by: ragsntatters
There's talk of bracing for economic collapse thanks to crashing stock markets, low oil prices and failing banks. Stock markets and banks mostly deal in made up numbers.

So given that we will still have needs and the infrastructure to feed these needs, how can we move past the reliance on the made up numbers? One argument would be that if a bank collapsed then people would be laid off...if the economy is based on a house of cards and borrowed money just being cycled through then isn't it time for a correction? Does everyone really need to be in the workforce? I see machines and tech taking over and killing many jobs within the next 5 years so I think we should consider how to move forward beyond that.

Think it might be time to form mini villages, grow what we can and trade what we can on a barter system? Like do you really need a Gucci handbag? Most expensive items have a high perceived value but in actuality the things we actually need can be cheaply produced to a high quality so that they don't need replacing often. Surely we need to think of a new way forward beyond the clutches of the numbers. There is enough to go around we just need to figure out how to manage and distribute it properly 'uhh who will fund this endeavour'...numbers are made up, let's just make some more up or kick them to the curb altogether. Get 200 acres, start a non Kool Aid commune for lack of a better word. We outnumber them and in the spirit of true democracy we can also dictate how our governments operate. I think it'd be wise to act now because later we'll all be too worried about where the food for our table will come from given most of us get our food from a supermarket and it doesn't take much to knock a supply chain out of whack.

Low oil prices means we can produce more things for cheaper, perhaps sustainable things that will last longer and can be beneficial to us in the long term. Do enough people have foresight beyond the doom, gloom, worry and entertainment and 'news'?

I guess I'd like to use this thread to see what your thoughts are on how we can move forward, say in groups of 100 and how we'd solve the trade issue and how we can transition to this better way or even if it is at all possible given there are so many people on Earth, 1/7th of them might have to go. Guess they will automatically if they're living in cities if and when there's a 3 day disruption.

Your suggestions are laubable but as as the village or the commune concepts go, I'm a little suspect of them for these two main reasons.

It wont take long before some bloke decides he wants to be the main man and have special previllages such as not having to do any work in the garden, get the best accommodation, the of the salvaged beds and chairs etc. Pretty soon it would become 'his' commune or village and he will have the first choice of the women in it. In other words, another dictator.

For the village or the commune concept to work it has to be talked about before its needed. for example for a village to work there has to be consideration and widespread agreement of how the decision making process is to work and be managed. How are scarce resources to be divided up.

correct spread of demographics, ie ratio of males to females, ages of both genders. There has to sufficient young people to do the heavy lifting, middle age people to manage and organise things and there has to be some old people of both genders for wisdom, advice, insight and to keep cool when others are loosing it.

What about people with the right skills, mechanical, medical, electrical, cooking, growing, slaughtering, clothing skills etc? How many of each?

The problem is, is that the alternative of everyone trying to make it on their own wont work either.

Even the Australian aboriginals who past masters of living off the land in very harsh environments, knew that one man could not surivive on their own for any legnth of time because as soon they got injured or sick their calorie and water intake falls and they cannot make it up without spending more energy they can take in.

When they kicked a man out of their group for a major breach of the rules, it was a death sentence and they all knew it.

a reply to: Ghost147
Show me one commune that lasted more than 10yrs....you cant....they dont exist....egos ruin them in time

a reply to: odinsway

But... there are? Have you investigated this claim that "none exist"?
There are several in both Australia and New Zealand that have been up and running for decades.

A number of urban cooperative living communities have been established in Christchurch including Chippenham (and the related Mansfield community). Chippenham has been in existence for over 30 years.

my.christchurchcitylibraries.com...

Gondwana Sanctuary has been a thriving residential and wildlife sanctuary since 1987.

www.gondwanasanctuary.org...

Moora Moora has been around for over 30 years.
mooramoora.org.au...
www.theage.com.au...

Crystal Waters has been around for some time, I couldn't give you the exact date for that one though.
crystalwaters.org.au...