Discuss: Building an Anti-Economy

This sounds about like Anarchism.
Also “under construction by freely cooperative and inventive people.”
Thats about the definition of Anarcho-capitalism.

Finally someone talking sense and giving the encouragement for a path that has to be taken.
Having co-produced a radio show in the 80s: ‘Eating Healthy and Karma Free’, I am happy to know that people in clusters are now just out there getting on with it. The capacity to greater networking is also a boon. However the challenge of ‘turning ’ ones’ local geography remains an immediate challenge. Thanks for the articulation and the work.

I find this ‘news’ about what’s happening in the States exciting.  I live in Amsterdam, where there is a bit of this going on, too.  It reminds of Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken’s research about this kind of activity happening all over the world.  It also prompts me to mention John Michael Greer’s Archdruid Report blog.  JMG has been encouraging readers to foresee the decline of the current growth economy, and to begin to find the opportunities for alternative livelihoods that will meet the needs of local people as oil prices rise and employment opportunities in the global economy dry up.  See ‘The Retrofit Economy’ and ‘Post-Petroleum Job Ads’ at: http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2008/09/retrofit-economy.html#links

My husband, our 2 year old daughter and I are looking for a town to move and call home. We have been gypsies for the last 6 years bringing dialogue to the people through our non-profit group. And we feel lost now that our daughter is getting into an age where she needs more stability. Could anyone suggest a few towns where the anti-economy movement is getting stong? Thanks

I have already recognized that the corporate capitalist system has gone about as far as it can, and now we need to create a system that includes social justice for all people and for the earthly processes that are responsible for conditions in which human life can exist. Expecting corporate power and the free market to solve all of human problems and provide for all people has proven to be a failure, and has failed in spectacular fashion, and now we are experiencing the beginning of the new paradigm which will develop around contemporary ideas of social justice and taking care of the whole human family of 6.5 billion members. I do believe we are evolving in spite of our ridiculous resistance and obstinance to becoming beings that are capable of vibration at a higher rate and with loving spirit. It’s a slow process, but that’s how nature changes. It’s not the economy that can grow indefinitely, but the spiritual beings that are having a human experience.

“Expecting corporate power and the free market to solve all of human problems and provide for all people has proven to be a failure”

Your kidding right? The free market has in the last 50 years provided more for humanity than every system in the last 1000years combined. Practically every advance in medicine, genetic ,modification of plants (how do you think we can feed so many people?) Computer, The fucking internet. Every thing you love in society has come from capitalism.

What you are referring to as the Anti-Economy is in fact capitalism in its most pure form, free of government interference.

Why do you think so many little countries in Africa are so poverty stricken? Is it because they allowed people to start business and run them how they saw fit? No. Its because the have a horrible warlord government that prevents anyone from doing any thing productive.
What do you think has allowed what used to be third world countries like china to rise from starving dirt farmers to a first world country with people that can now feed them selves and their children? The companies that came from America and chose to “exploit”  the cheap labor and help drag these people out of poverty. There is a reason they choose to work at Nike and not farm. They can make much more money working in the factory.

I could go on, but its late and I’m going to bed.

Mr. Carlsson,

Have you been to Burning Man?  Although it is mostly isolated,
the “gift economy” there is inspiring.

Love,
Rockmaster

it’s strange.  all these words, and no one yet acknowledging the current economic meltdown and the potential opportunity it represents.

no one is yet talking about the skills and positions they have that could be leveraged to tip existing weaknesses to help change what clearly has no long-term sustainability and to tweak and shore up strengths in what’s already here to tip everything towards healthier outcomes.

instead of wondering how each of your perspectives might best contribute towards a more workable whole, there’s new versions in agreement, warm fuzzies, and opposition, with some very welcome sharing, i’ll admit.

what if every one of your perspectives were right but your ideas of how to go about things range from unimaginative to completely inadequate?  an awful lot can be accomplished when intelligent caring people like you learn where their common interests are and how to work in concert towards shared objectives.

i wish i were still young and strong enough to work quietly from the inside in concert with others who are working more noisily on the outside, a small project here, a couple of paragraphs there, brief tangential words and ideas passed mosquito-like through pricks that have an after-effect.  Observations of practices, beliefs, insights—again brief and tangential—that leave a glow of hope that just grows better without my interference.

others did this too. what happened to productive sneakiness, to stealthy diplomacy, to constructive subversion?  how did our descendants become so dependent on wordiness, on agreement, on in-your-face childishness, on the techniques of those who are so bereft of power, well-being and choice that imprisonment and death are reasonable alternatives?