[MD] socialism

[John Carl]

greetings Platt,

Short time for lunch today:


> I'm with you in spirit if not in practice as I cannot imagine anything
> worse
> than living in a hippie commune where everyone strives mightily to be one
> big
> happy family while tilling the community soil. Rather give me my little
> patch,
> you yours and the person over there hers and let us each strive to respond
> to
> DQ, keep the results of our work, trade freely and pursue happiness.
>
>

I understand completely Platt.  And the experience of the idealistic hippy
commune is definitely one to avoid.  I agree.

Especially as composed of individual drop outs from society - usually due to
a lack of discipline or ability.

That's why I think more along the lines of the classic English Lord in
charge of the land, directing traffic, weeding out the inefficient - would
be a more apt model for social change.  Neofeudalism, as I call it,
combining small amounts of self-sustaining gardening, with micro-corporate
endeavors requiring knowledge workers - with commute times eliminated and
child care issues mitigated and efficiencies of collaborative infrastructure
for work and home combined, I see it as a solution which frees people's time
to pursue artistic and intellectual goals through higher efficiency,
combined with a more naturalistic "tribal" lifestyle.

Its actually very similar to my new job at the chicken farm.  Half of our
team manages chickens, but the other half manages Alan's paperwork - he's a
consultant on DUI cases and part of our farm is keeping this particular
goose laying the golden eggs!  When we keep him efficiently producing and
handle his busy work for him, he brings in a six figures income to the
farm.

Way better than wool or hogs, and he eats less.




> As for individualism being a creation of liberalism, you're right if you're
> referring to the original meaning of "liberalism" -- a political and social
> philosophy advocating individual freedom and protection of civil liberties,
> free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, etc. Since it's
> beginning the word has come to mean "progressivism," i.e.,
> socialism/communism.
>
>
>
I'm also refering to the functional effects of individualism upon an
industrialized society.  If individuals are the ultimate source of value -
then of course we have to pump them up with dollars and food stamps and
health care and viola - your individualism produces socialism.  Obviously!
Just look around!

Whereas communalism, the bigger picture required when we ask what WE can do
for our community, actually takes us to a place of individual excellence!

Think about it.  If my thoughts are upon how I may best serve my community,
then I'll think about my own individual worth, what I'm especially good at,
what my peculiar (and in my case, I must emphasize "peculiar") strengths may
be and thus my emphasis of community creates more individualism in me.

Just as your emphasis on individualism creates more collectivism.



> One of the best of Pirsig's metaphors is the "Giant" who represents the
> "system" that treats individuals like fodder for its own purposes. No need
> to
> elaborate here since the nature of the Giant is fully described in Lila.
> But,
> it's out-of-anyone's-control presence stands as a constant threat to all
> who
> value individual liberty. On that, I think we agree.
>
> Platt
>
>

On that, yes.  But how best to resist, which is really the important point,
we are still in debate over.

Take Care,

John





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