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What will you sacrifice to Shrug?

Posted by Technocracy 9 years, 2 months ago to Culture
166 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

We have had a few discussions and even some planning on creating one or more Gulches for ourselves.

The undiscussed side of this is a basic issue....Technology.
A high technology lifestyle requires a high technology infrastructure and technology base.

Most if not all of us would not be looking for subsistence living without all the conveniences we are used to, but we would sacrifice some of them.

What will you give up?

Modern plumbing?
Running Water?
24/7 unlimited electricity?
Modern communications?
Amazon?

Atlas shrugged was a novel projecting from the technology base of the 40s and early 50s.

What time period would you be willing to roll back to in your gulch?

Keeping in mind the infrastructure needed to support it


All Comments

  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    While I respect your optimistic opinion, I think it more likely that the state continues to accumulate big data on your association until they have enough to raid all of the "economic terrorists known as objectivists." The remaining members of the association go on being treated as serfs forever. That is no more a solution than this Gulch.
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  • Posted by handyman 9 years, 2 months ago
    A geographically defined Galt's Gulch seems overwhelmingly unrealistic in today's world. What is much more achievable is a GG-oriented association of individuals (dare I say society or community?) without regard to geographic boundaries. With this type of association, you steer your business and social relationships toward those who share your values. The extent of relationships and transactions that can take place in that paradigm are limited only by your creative thought process. The practicality, functionality and satisfaction of such an arrangement would seem to require a certain "critical mass." I'm not sure what that number is in a given locality, but likely would vary by location and characteristics of individuals involved.
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  • Posted by $ sjatkins 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    That is not technically so. It would be very difficult to nuke all tech. It is not that hard to guard tech caches against such.

    Personally, I doubt very much I would want to live in a world without today's technology. To have to do that would in fact mean billions of human fatalities quite quickly. I would prefer forward positive visioning and efforts rather than such dark visions much less thinking perhaps it is "needed".
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  • Posted by Owlsrayne 9 years, 2 months ago
    If there is a Midas Mulligan with a huge bankroll, I could be be the Purchasing Agent for the infrastructure components and deliver all the items aboard my Q-Ship to Pitcarin Isl. Then all is needed is the crew and some basic earthmoving equipment. Any Amazon orders could be done aboard ship via satelite out at away from the island. Then delivered to the island via stealth drone. If I say so myself, this is turning into a pretty good story.
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  • Posted by ewv 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Less than 1/2 of 1% of land in Alaska is privately owned. The land is split between the Federal government (including the National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service), the state, and the native corporations (Indian tribes).
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  • Posted by Matcha 9 years, 2 months ago
    You don't give up anything until you have to. Many of us have already left. You just find a better place to go. Maybe you want a place with no property taxes. One you can afford, with water and land that will grow enough food to feed you. Maybe it's not perfect but it's better. Don't wait. Have something planned. Maybe you can start a Gulch. The people in the Gulch were hiding and going back. It might be hard to do what's being discussed, like buying an island, maybe not. Just get a group to locate in the same area. That's what I did and it's great.
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  • Posted by fatkinson 9 years, 2 months ago
    I'd give up Amazon in a minute.
    But I wouldn't have to give up water because I am sure that among those brilliant people in the Gulch that there would be great minds that would be able to create a water system.
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  • Posted by borzoilady 9 years, 2 months ago
    I personally grew up in the fifties and although we had all the modern conveniences of that time I could easily give up all of it now. I live on a small farm and have a backup hand pump well and a woodstove with 5 acres of woods and although I like all the technology I could easily give it up immediately if it would possible to live in a world without altruism and politicians and lawyers! My only problem would be to find food for my animals without a "grain store" nearby.
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  • Posted by ssnyh 9 years, 2 months ago
    Now that the authorities have the internet, a great deal of technology will be sacrificed for us, whether it's intended or not. That's the nature of the consumption beast. Eventually, though, the only thing left for it to consume will be itself. I hope I'm in the right state of mind to consider how to live when money has no more value.
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  • Posted by Bowzerbird 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If we have an EMP All tech of today will be useless. It will be fried. No modern cars even Will function. I'll keep my 1986 Forerunner. Good luck.
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  • Posted by $ sjatkins 9 years, 2 months ago
    We don't do sacrifice. What is the matter with you? :)

    You don't roll back to less capable technology and times. That would be insane. The tech of today is what enables a high quality gulch to be remotely possible.
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  • Posted by term2 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Its harder than it seems to be independent like that on ones own. First of all, the whole farm thing requires not only growing things in a garden, but probably also having animals that you feed, take care of, and butcher. Defense against your neighbors would also be an issue- especially since there are so many socialist leaning people out there who would want your stuff to be available to share with the people in the local town who were in "need". I think the idea of hiding in plain sight is probably more practical. Trade with like minded people using technology to link them together. Using precious metal-backed medium of exchange to buy/sell from like minded people unknown to the government entities. People might call it a cult, but one would be quiet about it and only deal with people who had been checked out and were indeed freedom loving.
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  • Posted by radical 9 years, 2 months ago
    I plan to stay where I am and fight to the death if necessary.
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Getting a couple of our passports updated at this time. I am rethinking that car purchase, starting to think more in terms of logistics... If it happens it will be within the next year or two. Weighing all options.

    Were contacted last night by some close families regarding land in Peru, going in together.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Nothing says you cannot start smaller and grow from there.

    The biggest break you would likely be able to get in the US would be on the tax front for a business center nucleus. And depending on the break that could be the difference between doable and not.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The way to prepare for the collapse of the dollar is to accumulate at least some wealth in forms that don't become worthless when the dollar (and euro) do.

    There was another thread about doing this with precious metals or gems, but that's not really necessary and probably not especially helpful. What I'd rather have when the crisis hits is a paid-for but modest-looking home, in some rural place unlikely to draw looters -- and with a farmstead that can feed my family, and hopefully some friends, without any need for a functioning economy. Then as long as looters don't set up a government nearby that I can't defend myself from, I'll be fine.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    This is legal, but discrimination laws would be abused to prevent it from working. I recall that religious groups have tried to create proprietary communities and have not been allowed.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 2 months ago
    To me, a major part of Going Galt would be getting to keep what I'd earned. Thus I would not willingly sacrifice anything I could bring with me.

    Staying connected to the rest of the world would be an issue, depending on how important it was that the Gulch stay hidden. A community hidden like the one in the book would probably need to ban traceable connections of any kind. On the other hand, in a successful new country or seasteading, nobody would need to hide unless they were wanted in some other country (or planned on engaging in activities illegal there, as for instance Ragnar D).
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  • Posted by sumitch 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Believe it or not, you have hit on something that has happened. Pig farmers in Nebraska have leased them for raising their pigs. They are clean, comfortable and climate controlled. Also easy to clean.
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I agree with you philosophically. But I do not think that we are there technologically. (I have been following Miguel Alcubierre's work for a decade or more - since I found out about it. Dr White at NASA has made a mod to Alcubierre's theorum that requires far less energy and is experimenting with micro jumps.) Going to a different planet bypasses the two big problems of making a Gulch: physical security from attack by a nation (if you take over an atoll or some such) or immunity from repressive laws (if you form a Gulch within and existing country).

    I wish we could.

    Jan
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I am neither a warmist nor an icer, but of the two I think that the icers have an edge insofar as being scary is concerned. If you gather somewhere that the weather routinely kills people you are introducing an additional vulnerability into the Gulch.

    Jan
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  • Posted by term2 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    maybe buying one of those decommissioned missile silos underground. You could do pretty much what you wanted without attracting attention.
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  • Posted by term2 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Sounds interesting. Is there a DVD of it? It seems it was around in movie theaters in 2014, but not anymore.
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