Is Humanity just too Lazy to Save Itself?

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 00:44:07

Having done a lot of small cropping by hand the old fashioned way; I have proven to myself that my wife and I can produce enough food on a fertile 1/2 acre to feed ourselves with plenty left over for barter.
This is using no animals bigger than chickens.

I know this doesn't stack up next to theoretical land requirements per person published widely; but frankly I am sure these statistics have a heavy cultural bias.

My belief is that with optimal cropping by hand, with human labour and no cultural bias as to what we will and won't eat, humanity is well capable of feeding itself for a long time to come.

It seems to me that much of the world's best educated and intelligent people have become allergic to real work; the kind which makes one actually sweat and breath hard. Collectively we have become a pathetic species, especially in modern countries, we expect 'society' to 'arrange' things so we can continue in a fundamentally lazy consumerist lifestyle.

Even worse; we would rather go to war and kill people for more 'juice' to keep this pathetic lifestyle; than learn to get organised and work.

by **katkinkate** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 00:58:36

I don't agree with 'lazy', but blinkered, hidebound, set in their ways, might be closer. People are used to a certain type of diet and way of life and major changes can be daunting. Not everyone is prepared to be flexible. But I'm sure they'll learn quite quickly once they realise they don't have a choice. Probably with a lot of grumbling, complaint and trying to bargain along the way.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 01:04:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('katkinkate', 'I') don't agree with 'lazy', but blinkered, hidebound, set in their ways, might be closer. People are used to a certain type of diet and way of life and major changes can be daunting. Not everyone is prepared to be flexible. But I'm sure they'll learn quite quickly once they realise they don't have a choice. Probably with a lot of grumbling, complaint and trying to bargain along the way.

by **Rod_Cloutier** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 01:54:21

I grew up in industrial society. Lived all my life to middle age in industrial society. My parents lived there entire lives in industrial society.

I likely know enough that I could build some rooftop wind turbines to provide some electrical power. I could take out the front and back lawns of my suburban home and make gardens out of them, (not that the city zoning commission would let me do that legally). I could do without a car, tv, radio- but please don't take my computer.

Still given all this I have no idea whatsoever on how to become a self sufficient farmer?? I have also never owned a gun to hunt or trap wild animals, so the hunter gatherer thing is out too.

I don't think laziness is the issue. Myself, like most people have lost the survival off the land skills set that our ansestors had. The slow conversion of the population to an industrial labour force has forced people to lose the traditional survival skills, in favor of mechanized, industrial behaviors. If I suddenly had to compete with thousands of others to hunt rabbits for a living, I most assuredly would be among the die-off portion of the population.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 02:05:15

I hear you repent. Some things are best learnt, or only learnt, by doing.
I learnt most of what I know about practical organics by working with a then girlfriend who was raised by a radical survivalist who was born in 1818. He himself lived to 92, working in his own garden right up until his last day. Due to this man's knowlege his 8 children are all involved and spread around the world working on sustainable agriculture projects.
Unfortunately there are few of the old greats left; but some did teach their children well. There are community garedens popping up everywhere; there is piles of information on the net for gardeners of any scale.
The City Council planning codes issue really pisses me off. I would put it in the top 3 of bogus outdated paradigm which need to change yesterday.

by **hillsidedigger** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 06:24:16

"best educated and intelligent people"

I resemble that remark yet have a large garden (almost a small farm) and work it with manual technigues.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 06:38:05

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hillsidedigger', '&')quot;best educated and intelligent people"
I resemble that remark yet have a large garden (almost a small farm) and work it with manual technigues.

by **Pretorian** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 07:18:46

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', '
')I learnt most of what I know about practical organics by working with a then girlfriend who was raised by a radical survivalist who was born in 1818.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 07:34:07

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'I') learnt most of what I know about practical organics by working with a then girlfriend who was raised by a radical survivalist who was born in 1818.

by **POAlex** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 08:10:38

Maybe we're just looking in the wrong place for a Saviour.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 08:32:45

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('POAlex', 'M')aybe we're just looking in the wrong place for a Saviour.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 08:44:02

To address Alex post in propriety;

I believe that there is a fundamental basic core responsibility to slog ones guts out to make it work. Personally I am incapable of that whilst living under the system; only by prayerfullness.

I have a very easy life, a job I enjoy, a wonderfull family, 1/3rd time off.

I give thanks to someone way beyond myself for this; because futility was all I could find serving myself. I now live to serve others, but not as a slave; for I realise the essense of nature is that we must serve.

Surrendering to service is true repentance. Every day is it's own reward.

by **Pretorian** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 09:29:20

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', '
')I learnt most of what I know about practical organics by working with a then girlfriend who was raised by a radical survivalist who was born in 1818.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 09:42:39

His name was Thomas Handley, he was a cook in the Australian army in WW2, went on to be a founding member of a Soldiers Settler Village outside Melbourne hosted by B.A Santamaria. In 1967 ge was almost 50 when the church asked him a big favour. There was this pregnant 22 year old Philarmonic Orchestra violinist who had repented and urgently needed an upright Catholic husband.
They went on to have that one plus another 7. I was defacto to the second youngest for 7 years.

by **ian807** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 10:05:40

I'd have gone with "Too gullible AND too lazy" myself.

by **SeaGypsy** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 10:13:30

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ian807', 'I')'d have gone with "Too gullible AND too lazy" myself.

by **Ludi** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 18:50:32

I think most people just don't have any idea there might be other ways to live.

So, ignorance more than laziness.

by **americandream** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 19:25:26

I'll say this again. Each time we embark on that road to true sustainability, the church, that great bastion of privilege and wealth will outlflank us with 5th columnists. It's all a game of strategy.

You have been warned.

by **Ludi** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 20:12:16

What "church"?

http://www.creationcare.org/

by **americandream** » Sat 03 Oct 2009, 20:59:40

The same church that opposes the socialisation of our common resources, explicitly so! All other meaningless divergences such as the link you posted are 5th columnists, intended to deceive us as to the essential function of religion and its various temples, churches and mosques which default to the elitist status quo in every and all societies, Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, Hindu, Tao, or Buddhist.

Man's co-existence with nature is a function of his survival as a species. There is nothing god ordained about it. It's rather rudimentary in fact. We foul our planetary nest, we die. The planet continues on in its orbit of the sun. Period.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'W')hat "church"?

http://www.creationcare.org/

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