Community Questions
I have this quandry.
I live in the city. Not a particularly large one, but a city nonetheless. With an economy based on businesses run by individuals and companies trying to earn profit in order to make a living. The companies and individual businesspeoples in turn support the farms that grow the food, the farmers who tend the farms, the transportation of goods, etc. I, in turn, support my community by supporting these ends.
Now, I have two issues with this. One, is that as a result of my supporting those supporting the direct product, I have no control over the quality of that product. Only the quality of the end result by making a choice to choose high quality businesses to support. However, that does not mean that I get a choice over the quality of the pieces that make up the whole.
Take for example a restaurant. Let's say they use all local meat and as much local produce as possible. But, it's January and the American public expects fresh tomatoes to be on the menu, no exceptions. Or, rice. Or, fresh bell peppers. Or, fresh spinach. The problem is that those items during a January in the Northwest are not available. But, the company cannot turn the majority of its public away, and so it adapts. It buys from big producers, it imports, it cuts corners.
Everyone does this because the expectation is impossible. But, by little me tailoring my wants to fit the current time of year and climate has no effect on the business's larger decision. And so, I have no control.
However, here is the other side of the same coin. I could, for all intents and purposes have a very similar experience at home as at any given business in my city. With enough time and effort and consideration, I could - for the most part - replicate what the city offers me. However, not to the same level of expertise as someone who focuses on that given skill. That could be foregone. However, another cost is the atmosphere. By which, I mean, the people. I can sit at home and eat shortbread and drink tea - but I would have to do it all alone. No community. No conversation. No interaction.
And, also, at the same time, the problem is not solved because I still have to go through the same channels of business in order to acquire anything I need to survive. I must go to the store, which is a business making choices I have no control over, and find the best quality goods that I can from what the business has already chosen to stock. And, in supporting the company, I support the practices and purchases that I don't.
So, it's a lose, lose.
There is of course the option of a self-sustaining community in which the people involved commit to producing all the things that meet all the needs of each member.
That is, of course, ideal. But, impossible in a city. And, impractical in the modern culture if you wish to have an impact to more than, let's say, a handful of people.
That might be worth sacrificing. It's in question.
But, of course, that also means that you have to find a community large enough to support itself that is on the same track with the same goals and similar enough needs that they could all be met by the community. And, you would have to have enough wealth in this day and age to jump-start a self-sustaining community.
Neither of which we have. Which makes the question, then, is there really a question at all? We cannot, in the city, be fully self-sustaining. We cannot support a business that fits 100 percent with our ideals. And, we cannot control the decisions of the businesses we choose to support.
So, then, is the answer still the same? Take what you need and do what you can with it? Speaking with honesty and openness against the portions of the system you do not support and striving to change others minds, as well? Fair enough, but now the question is deeper than that:
What do we need?
Food, water, shelter, and possibly community.
All of which are impossible, now, without a company - it would seem.
I live in the city. Not a particularly large one, but a city nonetheless. With an economy based on businesses run by individuals and companies trying to earn profit in order to make a living. The companies and individual businesspeoples in turn support the farms that grow the food, the farmers who tend the farms, the transportation of goods, etc. I, in turn, support my community by supporting these ends.
Now, I have two issues with this. One, is that as a result of my supporting those supporting the direct product, I have no control over the quality of that product. Only the quality of the end result by making a choice to choose high quality businesses to support. However, that does not mean that I get a choice over the quality of the pieces that make up the whole.
Take for example a restaurant. Let's say they use all local meat and as much local produce as possible. But, it's January and the American public expects fresh tomatoes to be on the menu, no exceptions. Or, rice. Or, fresh bell peppers. Or, fresh spinach. The problem is that those items during a January in the Northwest are not available. But, the company cannot turn the majority of its public away, and so it adapts. It buys from big producers, it imports, it cuts corners.
Everyone does this because the expectation is impossible. But, by little me tailoring my wants to fit the current time of year and climate has no effect on the business's larger decision. And so, I have no control.
However, here is the other side of the same coin. I could, for all intents and purposes have a very similar experience at home as at any given business in my city. With enough time and effort and consideration, I could - for the most part - replicate what the city offers me. However, not to the same level of expertise as someone who focuses on that given skill. That could be foregone. However, another cost is the atmosphere. By which, I mean, the people. I can sit at home and eat shortbread and drink tea - but I would have to do it all alone. No community. No conversation. No interaction.
And, also, at the same time, the problem is not solved because I still have to go through the same channels of business in order to acquire anything I need to survive. I must go to the store, which is a business making choices I have no control over, and find the best quality goods that I can from what the business has already chosen to stock. And, in supporting the company, I support the practices and purchases that I don't.
So, it's a lose, lose.
There is of course the option of a self-sustaining community in which the people involved commit to producing all the things that meet all the needs of each member.
That is, of course, ideal. But, impossible in a city. And, impractical in the modern culture if you wish to have an impact to more than, let's say, a handful of people.
That might be worth sacrificing. It's in question.
But, of course, that also means that you have to find a community large enough to support itself that is on the same track with the same goals and similar enough needs that they could all be met by the community. And, you would have to have enough wealth in this day and age to jump-start a self-sustaining community.
Neither of which we have. Which makes the question, then, is there really a question at all? We cannot, in the city, be fully self-sustaining. We cannot support a business that fits 100 percent with our ideals. And, we cannot control the decisions of the businesses we choose to support.
So, then, is the answer still the same? Take what you need and do what you can with it? Speaking with honesty and openness against the portions of the system you do not support and striving to change others minds, as well? Fair enough, but now the question is deeper than that:
What do we need?
Food, water, shelter, and possibly community.
All of which are impossible, now, without a company - it would seem.
2 Thought(s):
Apparently, some of us have tried abating the loneliness and pain with friend-ads on craigslist or bullshitting on stranger websites.
I'm laughing, but it probably isn't funny. Is this really what our society has amounted to?
I suppose the answer is yes. How depressingly not funny.
But what else is there but to laugh?
Its fun to pretend we dont know things. The bliss of mental chaos and then putting the random pieces together to form different perspectives.. all based on an emotion/mood.. which at any given time could alter our self-imposed mental chaos. Well, See you around!
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