permaculture

[Sean Maley <semaley@yahoo.com>]

I feel there are two concepts in play on this thread. 
The first relates to our cultural glasses and applying
values when it doesn't really matter.  Some find
Daniel Quinn's writings helpful to highlight where us
edumacated folks fall into this trap.  Mr. Quinn
advocates rediscovering tribalism as a way to escape
the pyramid; ironic that so many emerging agricultural
"civilizations" chose the pyramid for a monument to
themselves.

However, there is also the mechanism by which power
asserts itself in our culture.  Privilege is just a
pyramid scheme, but the privileges stem from having
access to the top of the pyramid (land holders) and
selling the rest on having some sort of unfulfilled
need that can only be resolved by depending on their
land.  If we could only set up shop on a piece of land
which allowed for total self-sufficiency, what could
we possibly need then?

Strangely, we would still "need" to pay taxes, which
locks us into the pyramid scheme.  By doing a minimal
amount of work to pay those taxes, we reduce our
ability to be self-sufficient, thus increasing our
"needs" from the pyramid.  Even further is the fact
that we are primarily taxed based upon our efforts to
meet these "needs" via wage taxes, sales taxes, luxury
taxes, food taxes, death taxes, ... diminishing our
ability to be self-sufficient.  We are led down the
path to the cities in search of "better" jobs to pay
for all that we get caught up in.

Here lies the real trap.  Land is cheaper away from
the city, but the wages are also less and with fewer
opportunities.  Others trying to escape the trap for
themselves, speculate on land that will be needed to
gain access to the jobs, further entrapping us by
driving up the cost to live there.  With speculated
land unaffordable for the late comers, common rent
chokes our independence even further; property rent
always exceeds mortgage payments, or the land lord
looses their place to the next speculator; being a
land lord is free and only requires up front hard work
to identify safe properties to speculate, which is
done by somebody else once your portfolio of
properties can support it.

This is why things like land, air, and water shouldn't
be allowed to be owned.  Air is the most important, as
you die rather quickly without it, allowing us to view
it as murder for withholding it from someone; i.e.
strangulation.  Water is also fundamental, but we are
merely outraged when the poor are left in cess pools;
somehow this isn't considered murder in our culture. 
Finally, our culture needs land ownership to
perpetuate.  Is it that far a stretch to call it
murder for preventing people from getting to the land
they need to thrive independent of the pyramid?

This is not equal opportunity for livelihood, as many
have been given a head start and that the whole system
wouldn't work if it were fair; it's a pyramid, so
somebody is always one up on you.  These are some
disquises for rent:  sales tax, wage tax, property
tax, food tax, death tax, ... wild plants are
dangerous (you have to buy it from the store for it to
be safe), food shortage, housing shortage, charity,
homeless, drugs, crime, jesus saves, dyslexics of the
world untie, ADHD, war, peace, hunger, social
services, insurance, ....  Everyone needs a gig to pay
the rent.

Rent is more than just the check you make out to the
landlord.  Please consider reading "Progress and
Poverty": http://www.henrygeorge.org/chp1.htm, try to
get past the Malthusian debunking if you can; in the
context of the 1800's sensibilities, it makes sense. 
Rent is an endless crescendo of needs perpetuating our
meaningless Socialist verses Capitalist ranting. 
There is no conspiracy here.  The "wealthy" are just
as trapped, albeit winning the mythological game that
ends with the demise of all humanity, including
themselves.

The proven action to take based upon Henry George's
writing would be to form a land trust in your
bioregion; the so called one tax idea is still rent,
albeit more fair and simple than all these hidden
taxes we otherwise pay.  Action to take based upon
Daniel Quinn's writing is to form tribes.  If the
tribes we form all pool their money towards a land
purchases, then self-sufficiency and interdependence
can be maximized by striving for collective
self-sufficiency, hence permaculture.  Get enough
people into the act and we can topple the pyramid. 
Progress is a myth and there is no reason to
perpetuate poverty any further.


-Sean.

--- Carrie Shepard <outlikeelijah@gbronline.com>
wrote:
> <<<The first step might be to abandon the mindsets
> that you have a role as an 'educator' or that the
> people you propose to interact with are
'ignorant'.>>>
>
> Isn't this the age-old 'snag' of applying one's
> values to the rest of the world?   I'm just now
> reading Out of Africa and Dennison gives a lot of
> stories of how differently the natives think about
> things than the english, and also how they respect
> her opinion on some things.
>
> I happen to be a follower of the way, and believe
> the poor will always be with us.  Progress as a
> value/goal for society is one of those humanistic
> lies I think, though I'd love for everyone to live
> comfortably and have enough food and clothing, there
> will always be those who have free will to NOT
> receive those basic promises.
>
> Blessings,
>
> Carrie



                
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