Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Homesteading as an Economic Basis

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Homesteading as an Economic Basis
  • Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:15:25 -0800 (PST)

Replies Within, beginning within asteriks
----------------------------------------------------------------------

--- On Wed, 12/10/08, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com <Clansgian AT wmconnect.com> wrote:


>

There are three things that are urgent in the lives of us all: food, a
place to live, and the means to stay warm in winter and cook our food.



***** When I was young , a Secretary of Agriculture (Earl Butz) lost his job
for one of those "three things" proclomations




If those three things are threatened, we are thereby, as we used to say,
grabbed by the short hairs. We are in distress immediately and we will
expend whatever reserves we have or agree to go into slavery ... eh ... I
mean debt ... to relieve us of that distress.


****** james, you know that I have been trying to understand this part of
your economic philosophy, which is shared by many in other communities. But,
I keep coming back to the idea, that if we live in an economy that it based
on debt; why would we should to participate in that economy without using
debt. Now, I've said before that I have remained debt-free for almost all of
my life. I have only used very short-term debt as leverage. But, just for
me; I would have been much better off had I used debt rather than equity in
my pursuits.

Now, it seems to me that you have chosen to 'abstain' from participation in
the larger economy. I like that, and at this stage in my life find it
worth-while to try and emulate, 'in my own way'. And, I do agree with your
'three things'. But, if I were an enthusiastic young man, making my way in
the world, and had not adopted an economic secularist type philosophy; how
would these concepts help?


people borrow money to do everything. Even my father borrowed monery when
he built his house (owner built) in the mide 1960's. Now, as you related he
was on a steadfast mission, afterwards, to pay off his house -- and did,
early. But, borrowing for tyhat house allowed him to free funds for other
ventures, just as borrowing for their houses, all of my brothers (all
owner-built) are in debt, but have owned their own homes since they were very
young. and now I do fear for them in this economic catastrphy.




> It would make you a financial superman.


****** Depending on where you live, property taxes can be quite burdersome,
regardless if mortgage is paid. Food is very expensive for my household.
Food is a very big part of my monthly costs.

>


> What happens in his state is ALL your money becomes discretionary. If you
> are skilled and clever, the vast majority of your time becomes
> discretionary as well.

****** T*xes on everything; Insurance on everything. Occasional legal and
other professional service-related bills; at least for me, they do add up
........
>




Going into the past or being a luddite or backwards has nothing to do
with it. It's money vs non-money. That's all.

***** It does appear that 'going into the past' seems to usually be the
'non-money' way?


You know the cow is going to die some day. You know the truck is mortal.
You know something is going to break in the house. Don't pretend that it
isn't going to happen and that it's just a matter of you being unlucky while
others are lucky if it does.


****** Emergeny fund is pre-requisite in all finanvial planning


If your entire push is for those of us who want an alternative to modern
society's economics, then everythiong you say is correct. But, it could not,
today, work for society in general, not that I can see. Most people 'must'
borrow to have a car to drive to work , or to have a shelter in which to
live. Even renting, you must put up your creidt worthiness and obligate
yourself to a specific time allotment of payments before you obtain that
shelter. They almost must borrow to send a child to college, which in-turn ,
will almost guarantee that child a much higher lifetime income, if that
child, as an adult, prefers to remain in the larger society and economy.

To get back to being a debt-free, savings society we would have needed to
allow the banks, insurance companies, and every other failing insitution to
fail. Our society 'could not' and 'would not' allow that to happen.

We , as a society, culture, & country, are borrowing monet to give to people
to make up for losses on other borrowed money. How do you 'not' use debt if
that is the society in which you were born and have decided to participate?









Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page