Aspects of Intentional Communities

Confession: I am a young 20 year old 'kid' living in Texas, and i have to admit i have had a very sheltered life. And i have been completely and wrongfully ignorant of the rest of the world and its issues until recently.

With that said, I lately (past couple years) have been watching a lot of CNN and listening to NPR. And i have been having a type of 'awakening' - i would say. And i am realizing the real life problems coming from the decaying and manipulation of our economy. I came up with an idea, or at least thought it was an original idea to create my own community that would provide people with the necessities that the nation is beginning to not provide to the mass public due to government and politic issues such as the recent gov't shutdown and constant and LITERALLY "non productive" political arguing. My idea was not an original idea, it was an "Intentional Community".

What i wanted to ask were some of the aspects of an intentional community compared to the nat'l economy.

1) What effect do intentional communities have on the nat'l economy?
2) Is it legal to have a anarchistic collective approach to the intentional community? Such as not having the gov't involved as much as possible, not really working against the government.
3) Some intentional communities have individual incomes, and some have a majority income; what are the pros/cons of both?
4) Private homeschooling sounds good, but what effect does it have on the children; and more so the rest of the economy if used everywhere?
5) Natural Medicine, again sounds great; but is it legal? Problems with using homeopathy?
6) Legal issues with setting up these intentional communities or turning people away due to convictions or disabilities and such?

I know this is a lot, I'm sorry if some people get upset with this thread or if its inappropriate. If anyone can answer any of these questions, or anything at all. It would be a great help. Or if anyone has knowledge on any aspects that i didn't cover, also very helpful.

Andrew welcome to permies! Great questions for any young person to be asking in my view! I might just slip the site guildlines myself answering them

1) I would say (speaking personally) That anytime people can share a resource and cut down on the amount of money/taxed goods trading hands to instead really on trading and engaging their friends and community that they are scoring a point against 'the man'. This creates LOCAL ECONOMY which is as much if not more important an indicator of health than NATIONAL ECONOMY. In a world where half as much oil was used oil companies would have half as much power. If one where living in a suburban garden community working more at home and with ones neighbors one would use less gas. GDP and GDT (gross domestic tension) would likely go down GDS (gross domestic soil) and GDH (gross domestic happiness) would likely go up


2) You mean like squatting? Living without insurance electricity and running water? Not filing with the IRS?

3) Someone with more experience living in one might have a better answer to this. My feeling is pretty generally that each person should get a share proportional to his or her burden of the work - and people should like each other enough to 'share and share alike' when it comes to resources (cars, laptops, that sort of thing)

4) Internet is so much better than public school. You can get the best teacher to lecture. You can have the kids take a standardized test. Have community centers where schools used to be. Keep the science halls and laboratories and libraries and gyms and ball courts and the teachers who are worth a damn and schedual regular events both for set age groups and internationally. People will find they're own click given time. School buses can become more local bus lines. Maybe the high school chemistry teacher only works 3 days a week - but all the people who are interested are free to select which labs and lectures they attend.

5) Regarding medicine. My feeling is that we should have a national healthcare system. A Public national healthcare system - for sprains, cuts, concussions, broken limbs, necessary surgeries, and dental. There can be private medical practices working in hyper specialized fields via a public/private partnership.

I think that individuals (in stark contrast to corporations) should be allowed to produce and consume anything they themselves have put in the effort into producing in its entirety. For instance, in my philosophical mindset I would be OK with the opium user who grew a half acre of food and a half acre of opium poppy from to sustain his or her wants/needs (actually having the will to due the work is their problem). People wanting to go about telling others what to take should be subject to some sort of standard education and licensing comparable to a 2 year degree. Likewise people wishing to grow medicinal (regulatable) crops such as opium poppies for the market should be subject to some minor paperwork similar to Organic certification and tracking/verification seed to sale to make sure its not all going to a bunch of 15 year olds or grown on a toxic waste dump. Personally I would like to see more emphasis put on integrating anatomy and physiological understanding into medicine with more emphasis on diet, stretching, and massage.

6) If for whatever reason I can't relate to and enjoy someones company I do not associate with them. If that person is actually causing problems for or exacting undue burdens on people who don't wish to deal with it then that becomes an issue that should be dealt with.

Naturally individuals are free to work together in consensual communities under common understandings.

I am for that.

I dont think i made myself clear, not really in a perspective of a town; but more like a small community like people who live on a large plot of land. I say this, because i notice that most of these answers are relating to a situation of a town.

Landon Sunrich wrote:Andrew welcome to permies! Great questions for any young person to be asking in my view! I might just slip the site guildlines myself answering them

1) I would say (speaking personally) That anytime people can share a resource and cut down on the amount of money/taxed goods trading hands to instead really on trading and engaging their friends and community that they are scoring a point against 'the man'. This creates LOCAL ECONOMY which is as much if not more important an indicator of health than NATIONAL ECONOMY. In a world where half as much oil was used oil companies would have half as much power. If one where living in a suburban garden community working more at home and with ones neighbors one would use less gas. GDP and GDT (gross domestic tension) would likely go down GDS (gross domestic soil) and GDH (gross domestic happiness) would likely go up


2) You mean like squatting? Living without insurance electricity and running water? Not filing with the IRS?

No i mean like living off grid, growing your own food, living completely self sustainable and not having to comply with the government as much as possible.

4) Internet is so much better than public school. You can get the best teacher to lecture. You can have the kids take a standardized test. Have community centers where schools used to be. Keep the science halls and laboratories and libraries and gyms and ball courts and the teachers who are worth a damn and schedule regular events both for set age groups and internationally. People will find they're own click given time. School buses can become more local bus lines. Maybe the high school chemistry teacher only works 3 days a week - but all the people who are interested are free to select which labs and lectures they attend.

This i understand and i realize the ability to be more focused and central learning system. This make sense. Thank you for the info.

5) Regarding medicine. My feeling is that we should have a national healthcare system. A Public national healthcare system - for sprains, cuts, concussions, broken limbs, necessary surgeries, and dental. There can be private medical practices working in hyper specialized fields via a public/private partnership.

I think that individuals (in stark contrast to corporations) should be allowed to produce and consume anything they themselves have put in the effort into producing in its entirety. For instance, in my philosophical mindset I would be OK with the opium user who grew a half acre of food and a half acre of opium poppy from to sustain his or her wants/needs (actually having the will to due the work is their problem). People wanting to go about telling others what to take should be subject to some sort of standard education and licensing comparable to a 2 year degree. Likewise people wishing to grow medicinal (regulatable) crops such as opium poppies for the market should be subject to some minor paperwork similar to Organic certification and tracking/verification seed to sale to make sure its not all going to a bunch of 15 year olds or grown on a toxic waste dump. Personally I would like to see more emphasis put on integrating anatomy and physiological understanding into medicine with more emphasis on diet, stretching, and massage.

i meant more like living in a property with several small houses and a central house for like clinical and medical issues. And having someone who is experienced being the communities doctor.

6) If for whatever reason I can't relate to and enjoy someones company I do not associate with them. If that person is actually causing problems for or exacting undue burdens on people who don't wish to deal with it then that becomes an issue that should be dealt with.

Naturally individuals are free to work together in consensual communities under common understandings.

I am for that.

i agree but cant people sue you for discrimination for turning them away for certain things?

Andrew,

I think we should be thinking about this issue from every possible angle. Working within the already devolved settlements (ie suburbs) makes sense for a number of reason but

You can be completely off grid, self sufficient, and not comply with government in any community it just takes some planning, work, and consensus

#1 Those are some of the areas that needs it most. Most housing tracks have had their land leveled, eroded, and forcefully kept from recovering. They are the most plausible and would have some of the highest positive impact (if we are speaking about the impact of individuals on their surroundings)

One can squat a clearcut as well as an old brick building. You'll just have trust me.

Personally I'd prefer to not go back to the days of living with a back country barber to knock out my teeth and deal with the gaping hole I just put through my foot with that pick axe I'm just learning to use. while chewing on 'bitter root' Ya follow?

andrew cadena wrote:

i agree but cant people sue you for discrimination for turning them away for certain things?

If I'd sued every time I had a chance society would have come to a grinding halt years and years ago. People are too damn litigious now days and I'll discriminate against anyone says different!

Andrew your idea sounds alot like the way the Amish communities are structured.

Hello Andrew ~

You're asking some great questions, I'd like to try to reply, and hopefully stay within the forum guidelines. . .

What i wanted to ask were some of the aspects of an intentional community compared to the nat'l economy.

1) What effect do intentional communities have on the nat'l economy?
2) Is it legal to have a anarchistic collective approach to the intentional community? Such as not having the gov't involved as much as possible, not really working against the government.
3) Some intentional communities have individual incomes, and some have a majority income; what are the pros/cons of both?
4) Private homeschooling sounds good, but what effect does it have on the children; and more so the rest of the economy if used everywhere?
5) Natural Medicine, again sounds great; but is it legal? Problems with using homeopathy?
6) Legal issues with setting up these intentional communities or turning people away due to convictions or disabilities and such?

As you've noticed the "national economy" isn't all that healthy, and it would be wise to seek alternatives to relying on it *cough*

Something to bear in mind is that "nation states" define their boundaries, and set up rules for existing within those boundaries. And those rules are subject to change, and DO change, whenever the "representatives" like. It's good to pay attention to the shifting "rules" so as to minimize aggro in your life.

This applies to "is it legal" type questions. Nations have their rules, and so do the individual states, counties, towns, ect. There are many layers of "rules" seeking your compliance, and to apply penalties - usually financial - for breaking the rules. Penalties (fines) and local taxes, licensing, etc. are all a part of "the economy" you're beginning to sense.

So, people who do research to find areas in the world that have fewer rules & penalties might also seek others of a like mind to settle into "intentional communities" so as to live as freely as they can. But it must be acknowledged, every nation state, and their smaller equivalents like states & counties, etc. still has laws that they pay folks to enforce. That's the business of Nations.

Your other questions are really preference based, as in what do some people prefer to have in their lives. Not everyone will agree on which options are "best" - as you realise, people vary widely! Sounds like you've some research and thinking to do, to see exactly what attracts and repels you, and then notice who you feel most comfortable around / with, talk with them about "communities" etc.

An interesting place to look into is ic.org - Intentional Communities website, global, with huge variance in the types of folks setting up living spaces, from religious to anarchist, and then some. You might want to narrow it down to a few, get in touch, sample some, see what you might be "idealising" and what works in practice.

One thing I'll add: there are creative folks in the world, and they've applied creative ways to live around/with very many rules & laws applying to their chosen living spaces. I'm not talking about "breaking" laws, merely existing amongst them. One can do prior research for areas that are less likely to pass long lists of rules - within the US, I know Tennessee & Idaho have some counties folks are drawn to, for their lack of strict building codes and land occupancy rules. Things are dynamic, and laws change all the time, look for places that are similar in mind-set to your own.

Enjoy your search!