http://humanifesto.org/yehoshanah/2006/self_sufficency.htm

Self Sufficient Community

Imagine a self sufficient community. (Perhaps western modern economic inter-dependencies make self sufficiency untenable.) So let's say its an ancient and remote network of coastal fishing and mountain grazing villages. Between them there is enough diversity of natural resources, knowledge, agreeable customs and skilled labour to provide their various and seasonal needs. They barter their wares with the convenience of a few regular agreeable negotiation customs, cashable goods, markets, marriages and gift sharing festivals. They have no need for the tourism plans of a distant government and foreign development company and a new co-operative tithe of their new wealth (called goods and services tax).

Let's say the distant government (with good intentions) grants their paradise land and natural resources to a foreign modern western company planning a tourism resort and appoints a tax collector to govern the region. The villages, their leaders, are consulted and asked to participate in the newly formed local government. Special opportunities are offered to these leaders to oversee new job training, paying local wages, book keeping, collecting registration fees and enforcing infringement fines.

Government then demands infringement fines, registration fees and taxes to be paid to the government with government money and any family land titles are taken as guarantee for debt repayments. The new Bank makes generous offers to buy and sell land titles and loan money on interest. Bank managers encourage the land owners to gradually increase rental fees. Middle traders speculate on the monetary value of local, near term, long term and distant market prices. Speculation traders, promote risk ventures, by borrowing money on interest, to purchase and gain influence in a favourable speculation market. Insider trading knowledge is then promoted above traditional customary knowledge, community leadership and spiritual authority.

Local festivals, marriages, markets and daily labour and trading increasingly involve assisted negotiations for government permissions and paper money. Imported and now local goods and services require the exchange of government money. New health, civil dispute and crime problems are met with government institutions. New road-works, buildings, water sewerage, electricity, schools and any new civil services are developed by government contracts with government money.

Government learns to create and propagate new public awareness images, for itself as representative of the community, and while handing out gifts, it congratulates itself, in its first local popular election. The new community leaders have provided modern infrastructure, training and jobs for the poor local youth and gifts to their backward untrained parents. Modern high rise tourism buildings, imported workers, goods and services increasingly replace local community lifestyles. Tourism persuades its travellers to reach new and remote destinations consequently changing forever the self sufficiency of local populations.

The initial tourism development company then sells the world famous holiday resort to a successful foreign hotel investment and travel conglomerate. Thereafter, the various foreign owned businesses, contractors and investment companies institute a committee to provide registrations for open bidding in an exchange market. The Paradise Resort is then offered to the public on the foreign (global) market. Everyone (else) is invited to speculate, merge and trade their share in a wonderful new form of ownership. New forms of representation are assigned to the high value, recognized in the lucrative exchange of a fresh commodity. Grab a piece of paradise, experience a remote network of coastal fishing and mountain grazing villages.

Yehoshanah
20060519
Canberra


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