IS SELF-SUFFICIENCY DEAD, OR JUST AHEAD?
by OPOVV, ©2015
(Aug. 12, 2015) — Freedom: the absence of dependency.
There it is, the secret to survival. Unfortunately, there’s a missing element: time. We’re here on this planet for just a blink of an eye, sunspot-wise; geological-wise; earthquake-fault wise; and 17-year cicada cycle-wise. The past, our collective past, can teach us quite a bit, if we’ve only the wisdom to take the time and make the effort to learn.
Face it, catastrophes are a part of life. Just when you get ahead, the car needs to be aligned, or else little Fran needs braces, and maybe glasses, too. But on a larger scale, let’s say nationally, hurricanes hit, volcanoes explode, rivers flood and epidemics run wild, not to mention misinformation and ignorance as an excuse to riot.
Heat waves, shock waves, and crime waves are all part of the reality that we call life. These are just part of the everyday things that we, as a species on this planet, must deal with. We’re at the infancy of understanding our environment, but we comprehend that meteors sometimes plow onto our spaceship/earth/home and cause, or can cause, tremendous damage.
That said, how prepared are we for even the most minor inconvenience, like a power outage for a couple of days, or a water main breakage? A week? Two weeks? Or a flood disrupting food delivery: how many days of fresh water and food do we have on hand? Pet food on hand?
All through the ages those who are prepared, for whatever reason, are ahead of the game. Being prepared also includes being able to protect your stash, your family, and yourself. I’ll share, up to a point, and the same goes for you.
Even the smallest apartment has room for a tomato plant, while most apartments/condos/townhouses have room for an array of vegetables. The place to be in the time of the Great Depression was on a farm, but many suburbanites had large gardens themselves. My grandfather had a farm prior to World War II and then, when he moved to town, he bought the empty lot next door for his garden. Hydroponics has come a long way in the past 40 years, so there’s no excuse why everyone can’t have some kind of garden wherever they may live.
Which brings us to the point of being as self-sufficient as possible, starting at home. Then we come to an area of, let’s say, 10 miles by 10 miles: surely a dairy farm could fit in somewhere. Being energy-independent is but one facet of being independent.
Another focus is on our energy grid. Homes and businesses, public buildings with solar water heaters, energy-efficient windows, cross-ventilation. Room for improvement with lots of work to do. We have the ability, and we have the need, but do we have the will? Time will tell. But of one fact we can be certain: with the current mindset of those in Washington, nothing will change: we’ll be just as helpless and dependent as we are now.
We have a segment of our population which seems to have an inappropriate problem with the police. There is a solution: don’t do the crime. I don’t go driving at 2:00 a.m. or go for a walk at 3:00 a.m. You say you have the right to be out at all hours? You also have the right to be arrested. I rest my case. You want to get rid of the police? Don’t break the law.
Right now, on both sides of the aisle, there are a possible two candidates that foot the bill of being able to think independently: Donald Trump and Ben Carson, two people who I believe can get our country back on track.
Conditions change; time marches on, but right now we have an opportunity to set the record straight. It very well be our last chance. Let’s not squander a chance not to starve to death. A leader leads, not by compromising and capitulating just to make a deal, but by sharing a vision for a future of America that holds no apology nor excuses to be great, independent, and free once again.
The vision of Socialism is the road to mediocrity and failure, whereas the road to individual independence holds the chance for the Brass Ring: The Bill of Rights and Freedom. Bring back the Constitution and restore our land, Mr. Trump and Mr. Carson.