As I continue to brainstorm an initial job action, I come back to a few themes.
- You typically don’t need to strike if a) the adversary knows you will and b) the adversary knows you’ll win.
- I’m not asking anyone to do anything illegal.
- I want to find a way to use our capacity for productivity to the net benefit of the producers. It’s hard to ask people to scale back productivity at this early stage.
So here’s the first very non-focus-group-tested sort of idea: I’m imagining a strike preparation registry of some sort. Something to establish that each registrant could verify that they are prepared to be cut off from civilization for 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, etc.. Going back to my bullet points from my post a few days ago, systematically preparing for disaster like that would be valuable even out of the context of this site, would be right on message (“we need you less than you need us”), could certainly be fun, and would be easy for people to join in. And speaking to the bullet points above, it would show a willingness to win and a plan for victory, would be unambiguously legal, and would not require anyone to scale back their current worldly productivity, just to redirect a small portion of their consumption to longer-term investments.
I have to meditate on this a bit, but I like it! Getting a weapon or two, a water filter, some delicious canned meat 
, and setting up a registry where we can publicly show our preparedness… the idea has some promise. (I think the trick would be avoiding being cast as just a survivalist movement, something that defining the next activity, such as a commitment to slowdown/strike upon certain criteria being met, could help avoid.) Anyhow, just idle thoughts for the moment. Comments? Anyone out there?
Actually, I’ve already started planning for it. I’m stocking up on canned foods, dry bulk foods like pasta, beans and rice, water storage for drinking and flushing toilets (including water filters and rainwater collection barrels), toilet paper (a must-have), soap, cat food (for our four little ones), candles, cooking gas, a generator, clothes (including work clothes), and soil, seeds and paraphernalia for growing some vegetables indoors or indoor/outdoor. I’m also looking at rifles. It’s going to be difficult for me and my roommate, since we live in an apartment at the moment, but we’re working on securing a more sustainable location.
Horticulture is one of those things I have been considering for a while now. If we grow some or all of our own food, it will be very difficult (if not impossible) to get taxed for that. A savings of $2000 per person per year in food costs is not an unreasonable assumption, and that will be $600 less tax revenue collected per capita. (Bear in mind that purchasing food to hoard necessarily generates those revenues.)
I’ll post some more ideas later.
Nice! (Although I honestly hesitate to ask what your apartment must look like. No offense
.) See, this is what I was aiming at: something worth doing in its own right, but able to be used to make a point as well, especially if lots of folks sign on. Nice and legal too. Keep the ideas coming!
I honestly think that spending one’s earnings in this way shifts the personal balance of power to the good direction as well. My concern is always that each extra dollar I might earn is like $.65 for me to enjoy freedom, and $.35 for various government entities to restrict it. And I fear that their $.35 goes further than my $.65, because destroying is so much easier than creating. But if $.35 of my $.65 is being spent on what I’d broadly construe as self-defense, countering the $.35 being used against me, all of a sudden I can enjoy what’s left over! Now what can I buy with these thirty cents…
Hopefully, I’ll live long enough to see I time where I can spend most of my earnings on any old frivolity I choose, without fearing that I’m enabling my own destruction. Until then, I’m thinking some self-defensive spending is in order.
Preparedness is important for everyone, stike or no. The truth is that we may be facing total collapse of the economic system and with it the “Just-In-Time” lifestyle that most people enjoy. Few people have enough food and water to last two weeks. And few people could defend their supplies against looters. I started a Yahoo group “Sensible Precautions” for like-minded people. It’s not for hard core survivalists, but it is for those who realize that the coming years will likely bring energy and food shortages.
My idea is to focus on contacting other producers and making them aware of these ideas. PRODUCERS is the key word. Confident people with skills in fields like medical, enginnering, construction, farming, scientific, etc. Others who do not have any real skills can help, but the focus should be on those who are actually NEEDED in society. I have no intent to offend others ( as i may have ) I just see this as the best course of action. I am willing to goto business clubs, conventions, or any forum with possible producers and speak about these ideas. All I lack is the organization on which to send people to. ( have I found it ? )
I am not looking to pass the time wondering what things could be like if I were to act. I am ready to get started now. I am thinking about a group of people that could streach into the millions. I will be checking this site daily for responces.
Hey Jason, thanks for the comments (on this post and elsewhere)! While I’m not ready to get started now now, this site is all about getting the ball rolling in 2009. There’s no organization yet, but that’s why I’m here, and if anyone’s doing a better job than me, I’ll send folks there! The job needs to get done one way or another. I’ll drop you a line tomorrow. If you’re interested, we can start talking about the specifics of our respective visions.
Also, you’re probably safe checking the site more like twice a week; I promise you won’t miss anything crucial (yet!).
John – This next week I will be setting goals with benchmark dates for the first stages. This process will not be perfect. Mistakes will be made, and then corrected. Im looking to get things DONE. Ive spent the last 15 years of my life thinking and dreaming about this idea. Im done dreaming. I want to get out into the trenches and produce results.
I will be setting one day a week aside to help get this project started. By March 1 st I would like to have:
1. Basic list of real world goals.
2. Outline of ideas to pitch to other producers, ( in groups or individuals )
3. Communication network ideas + date of action that would allow people to talk one on one if desired.
4. Set date for first contact with producers that are not necessarily looking for help. ( show them our strong foundation, and then let them go )
* John – You may contact me directly with any questions, ideas, or concerns.