by Auntie_Cipation » Thu 22 Feb 2007, 00:36:20
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattSavinar', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Auntie_Cipation', 'I') can't remember for sure but I think it was Matt Savinar who said that the way to best stand up to this system was not to merely limit your consumption, but also to limit your production, in the sense of your participation in the economy. If you NEED your income, you're as vulnerable as if you NEED your oil. If you can learn to live on very little money, you're at least somewhat buffered. Plus, by not "producing" much, in the economic sense, you're not participating in fostering the dependences of others.
I did say that but I'm not encouraging people to actually limit their incomes. As the prices of essential commodities rise, they will be distributed on the basis of the ability to pay. So if you want an electric bike, some solar panels, nice farmland with access to potable water, whatever, you're going to need to be able to compete with others in terms of being able to bid for it.
Thanks for the clarification. I still maintain that the idea of limiting one's input into the system, instead of 'merely' one's consumption from it, is very powerful.
I quit a $60k/year job in 2004 and now work very part-time for $10/hour. I earn about $500/month, which happens to be enough to pay my bills, as I'm fortunate to not have housing costs. No, I'm not deprived -- I have access to savings for purchasing needs re planning for the future. And I agree with you that if one wants land or manufactured stuff as part of their preparation, that will take money and they should indeed attempt to get what they need/want.
But, special purchases aside, my goal is to live within this income as much as possible. Part of why I'm motivated to do this is to show that it can be done, that people can live comfortably in the US without much income. Another strong motivation for me is the desire to earn less income than the federal filing requirements for income tax (about 8k for one person). I have no objection to income tax in general, but as long as it's essentially a war tax, I'll sit out, thanks. And as I suggested, another strong motivation is the idea that I'm trying to keep my footprint low on both the consumption end and the production end. That has a strong appeal. It makes barter appealing in a whole new way, too.