Quote:
Originally Posted by gooseneck
This is exactly my thoughts, exactly. Except the people who should survive include me and other like-minded people. I have these same thoughts every day and I'm petrified at what the ultimate outcome of them will be. the fear of society as it is today coming crumbling down.
At least it has no taxes, no utility bills, no taxmen.
Your job is keeping your family alive, living off the land, or entertaining them.
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Your ideals are perhaps a little bit more extreme than mine. There are some good things to come from modern society compared to 200 years ago, particularly with modern medicine and better sanitation so we don't die awful deaths from various diseases. Who wants to die from a treatable infection? probably noone.
It's just that I think we should have a focus on sustainability and putting it ahead of progress on the list of priorities. Keeping our numbers at sustainable levels, not harvesting natural resources beyond their regenerative capacity and just making sure that the world is always in a similar state instead of a decline so that next generations can live in the same world.
Taxes and levies are still needed so as to pay for communal facilities like water treatment, sewerage, rubbish and recycling facilities. What are you going to do about all those things truly off the grid?
All of that is an unreasonable expectation though because most of us just consume beyond our needs, hoard whatever resources we can and are generally of the belief that getting ahead at any cost is the thing to aim for in life. So many people seem to think that "constant gradual growth" is the gold standard but really how many things can constantly grow without some sort of long-term consequence? Is that really an achievable goal? Or are we just okay with it provided a few generations get to benefit from it while the ones further down the line have to pay for it? Where's the long-term planning in that?
Covid should make people realise that our country's self-sufficiency is important. We've become so dependent on other countries just to stay alive and look at what happens when those supply chains are interrupted? This time it's a virus but maybe next time it will be something else, war? who knows? What has globalisation really done for us and is it really worth it?
Living within our means should be important, being able to produce food without the farmers having to beg for an extra 10c should be important. Aren't we all interdependent? We should care about the other guy as much as ourself but we just... don't.
edited to add: oh and I definitely don't want my life to boil down to just keeping a family alive and entertained!