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New member here. I have been living on the island for about
17 years now. Upon reading this thread I find I agree a lot with Jay's view of our future. I have a question however. I am wondering what you are all doing to build community.
Have you ever met in the real world ?
Do you have a plan beyond growing food in each of your own forts ?
The kind of community that will survive will work together.
Plant food ....NOW
Plant food ....NOW
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Hey little bird, I remember you....even you dreams were higher than you could fly, and I remember you.
People that have the real ability to create, prosper, pioneer, protect, defend, produce, grow, propagate, reuse, etc. are not going to solicit folks that only consume, use, waste, etc.
I think they will build a trusted community of other like minded/skilled folks that they know they can trust.
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Hi BC.
Yes, absolutely. My ranting and raving has shaken out some very good people, many of whom have a lot better sense in keeping quiet. More than just a few have very little tolerance or time for Punaweb--I disagree. I think it is a good tool, and I appreciate it, in spite of the fact of its obvious "prejudice."
In larger society we've got a couple of larger obstacles to community.
The biggest obstacle to community I see is lack of personal integrity. Lack of integrity is why we've got problems with the political system and AIG and the economy and all the rest--but we've also got very basic problems with integrity on a personal level. Certainly those who are capable of being persuaded by evidence are already on board with a sustainable vision of the future. Most everyone else is, well, more flexible with their definition of honesty. There are a whole lot of people out there who are complete self absorbed zealots who are completely incapable of accepting anything other than that they wish to believe, and the evidence be damned. This attitude is inherently antisocial, and anti community, no matter how you slice it. If you're unwilling to look at the evidence and alter your opinion of issues regardless of what might be presented to you in good faith--you're really just setting up for a brawl, and nothing else. We find this zealous "can't be bothered with the details, it's what I want to believe" mentality in all parts of the spectrum, from the rightwing Bushbots to the albino-crossgender hash advocates. This is a huge obstacle to getting along.
Still, I have faith that reality, very soon, will be so obvious and blatantly pointing in one direction and only one that most will recant and see the light. Those who do earlier than later will fare better.
Jay, we may be way off the mark.
Things are going to get better now not worse.
I am gonna be rich this year.
(deleted link)
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Not to be a prude, but I think that's a bit tasteless.
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Jay,you invited the wolf.He sat down,eat your sandwich and now wants to go back to the forest.
Let him go ]
___________________________
Whatever you assume,please
just ask a question first.
Tasteless? I think it is abhorrent, egregious and unfortunatly real.
Catching Wild Pigs
A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.
In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'
The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.
Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.
One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.
Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!
Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about to slam the gate on America ..
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson
AND REMEMBER, "HE WHO ROBS PETER TO PAY PAUL, CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON PAULS' VOTE".
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esnap,
It was a rather tasteless post and once again I have someone wanting to drift off into posting their personal political agenda. I have told you and everyone many times to take it somewhere else. Hawaiian and Puna politics are permitted here. This is not a site for national or world political rants.
I will leave your posts for the moment and soon remove them.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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It is, however, impossible at this moment to consider Hawaii's future outside of the context of the world financial crisis. If local political participates really think they can craft local policy outside of this context, they're wholly mistaken. I think we have to admit that, but make every effort to keep the conversation as free of snark and constructive--constructive-- as possible. This is back to that integrity thing. . .
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