Re: [pf] Primitive Affluence - A Postscript to Sahlins

by tully

18 December 2000 11:55 UTC

At 08:50 PM 12/17/00 -0800, Tom Wheeler wrote:
>Primitive Affluence - A Postscript to Sahlins

Tom, to me this points to the positive future for us all.  All we have to 
do is figure out how to make it work for our society.

I envision communities, where we may need to help nature again reclaim its 
ability to provide hunting and gathering resources.  One way to do this is 
to not dwell so heavily on the cropping of annuals, but to develop 
perennial beds of food sources in our local area, including fruit and nut 
trees, berry bushes, jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, 
etc.  Some annuals happily reseed themselves and we could develop beds to 
encourage such behavior for tomatoes, sunflowers, spinach, carrots, herbs, 
etc.  That leaves things like corn, beans, peas, squash, etc. as all we'd 
need to plant.  If our planting failed, we'd have the other perennials and 
reseeding beds to sustain us.  If we allowed enough space to return to 
wilderness, our hunting needs would provide themselves to us.

Our homes could be so much simpler and efficient, with central public 
gathering places that provided the main heat, food preparation/dining areas 
and leisure space, with small private spaces around them.  They could be 
shared by going back to the idea of extended families, either genetically 
related or otherwise.

I want to work toward developing such a community to provide a model of 
what life could be.  Everything in my life is pointing me in that 
direction.  If instead of a hard life like the turn of the century life to 
be depicted in that tv show, we could show a healthy sustainable community 
that allows plenty of play time, I've no doubt we would inspire many more 
to emulate it and we could get this disasterous direction we're in turned 
around.

Tom, the article you sent did so much to help motivate me in that direction 
again.  Thanks.