Prelude: perhaps you're saying "that was
tried in the 60s and failed" and of course, you would be
largely correct. However, like so many other things
in life, we fail to critically analyze so much. Living in an
intentional community or commune represents something of
far greater significance than just living with a "bunch
of people"; few realize this I believe. It is truly about
creating culture and this is something
extraordinarily significant. It requires wisdom, strong
conviction, some discipline, life experience and determination.
This is why "revolution" is primarily
the duty and responsibility of the "elders". And
sadly, the "elders", more often than not, "drop the
ball" and fail to act; thus paving the way, not for
positive change, but for a continuation of the old.
The "60s" commune experiments failed as much for
their lack of support of the "Elders" as from
some of their
absolute nutty ideas such as pot smoking being somehow an
asset to community creation.
The responsibility lies,
(and possibly the
only hope), with the older folks, the
baby boomers. It is our responsibility to instigate,
help motivate, help design, and help create this new culture of
cooperative and communal living. The young simply don't
have the maturity and life experience, not to mention a
lack of resources. The bulk of the responsibility for changing
culture, while open to the young, (and
their participation and support a vitally necessary for
its success) is the
responsibility of the older generations.....and always
has been. And it might be said, the older generation
nearly always fails in this responsibility. Helping
one's own children is admirable, but unless all children
are considered, the world will likely continue on in its
present dysfunctional way.
If we, the older people,
the baby boomers don't create a new kind of society, it
is very likely, the young will repeat the
same pattern of not doing anything themselves when they
get older.
It's interesting how universal
(it seems) almost everyone identifies in some way with the concept
of community; it's as if it is in our genes. Many see something like this as the
ultimate solution......and many.......(considering themselves authorities on
the subject)....can say with great surety why it will never work and never has.
On the other hand, some feel they know exactly what it will take to be
successful. The longer and more complicated the list of ethics
and goals, (and rules perhaps too), the more complicated the mission statement; probably, the greater the chance for failure,
the greater the chance of "missing the mark". Some of the deepest
spirituality, can be summed up in very few words. "Community"
success probably depending, not upon words, or a lot of words, but on a few
well-chosen words that contain deep and profound meaning, that are universally
understood, and held in the highest esteem by all members of the community because of their
deep significance and critical importance to all.
This community proposal proposes that
individuality and freedom
be held in the highest regard. But human beings
unable to unite and living in isolation will have very little chance to explore
their individuality, or have the opportunity to experience much freedom, that's
just the way it is.....or at least for most.
Human beings are always uniting. The challenge is to unite in new, and better
ways, ways that are more intelligent, more enlightened, more inspiring, more
joyous, more liberated, more concerned, freer, more creative and so on. Why this
(negative) resolution that the best we can do is to unite in fearful, suspicious
and ignorant nation-states constantly prepared to go to war with one another?
I recommend the book "Millennium Dawn" by
Glenn T. Martin.
