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General Discussion / Re: Self Sufficiency - 2024 vs. 1776
« Last post by Searchboss on May 18, 2024, 10:58:13 AM »Pkveazey, I agree with you that this forum seems to have a great group of people on it. This has been a great discussion.
When it comes to forming a MAG, the people in it will probably be somewhat like a family or clan. The adage about us being able to choose our friends, but not being able to pick our family members comes to mind. It would be great if everyone in a MAG were close friends, but the truth is that unless it is a very small MAG, most will not be our chosen friends, but instead could be acquaintances who may be family members of our friends or neighbors who are members of the MAG. We may or may not particularly like them, but we will have to learn to live and work with them if the MAG is to succeed.
The key is that each member of the MAG has to be willing to pull their weight and contribute to the MAG in some way. This contribution will be different based on the individual?s skills and abilities. There needs to be enough able-bodied people available who are capable of, and willing to do the physically demanding tasks so they get done while others may contribute by doing other tasks that may be physically easier, but just as important.
Problems start when a member is perceived as not being an asset to the MAG. I think that every family has at least one member who is viewed as lazy or a slacker and does not want to do their chore which shifts the burden to the rest of the family members. Usually, a family will make excuses for that shirking member, but in the end, they are still a member of the family. A MAG will probably not be quite so forgiving.
This has been a productive thread. It has made me rethink the subject of MAGs again. I am glad to note that most of the comments are in line with my personal views of what a MAG is, so I may be looking at things through the right lens. How MAGs are managed seems to be a toss-up. Some people want more rules, some want less. Very few MAGs have or seem to be willing to adopt a written constitution, agreement, or set of values and basic rules that they all agree to follow. I think that this will become an impediment if the SHTF. They will have to try to figure out how to manage themselves and address the hard questions during the stress of a crisis as the situation quickly changes, as they always do. Each MAG is different and will have to figure out the best way for them to move forward.
For those of you who are in or have formed a MAG, please post from time to time about how your MAG is doing, how it is managed, and how it has changed. We can all learn from what others are doing, even if it is an example of what not to do.
When it comes to forming a MAG, the people in it will probably be somewhat like a family or clan. The adage about us being able to choose our friends, but not being able to pick our family members comes to mind. It would be great if everyone in a MAG were close friends, but the truth is that unless it is a very small MAG, most will not be our chosen friends, but instead could be acquaintances who may be family members of our friends or neighbors who are members of the MAG. We may or may not particularly like them, but we will have to learn to live and work with them if the MAG is to succeed.
The key is that each member of the MAG has to be willing to pull their weight and contribute to the MAG in some way. This contribution will be different based on the individual?s skills and abilities. There needs to be enough able-bodied people available who are capable of, and willing to do the physically demanding tasks so they get done while others may contribute by doing other tasks that may be physically easier, but just as important.
Problems start when a member is perceived as not being an asset to the MAG. I think that every family has at least one member who is viewed as lazy or a slacker and does not want to do their chore which shifts the burden to the rest of the family members. Usually, a family will make excuses for that shirking member, but in the end, they are still a member of the family. A MAG will probably not be quite so forgiving.
This has been a productive thread. It has made me rethink the subject of MAGs again. I am glad to note that most of the comments are in line with my personal views of what a MAG is, so I may be looking at things through the right lens. How MAGs are managed seems to be a toss-up. Some people want more rules, some want less. Very few MAGs have or seem to be willing to adopt a written constitution, agreement, or set of values and basic rules that they all agree to follow. I think that this will become an impediment if the SHTF. They will have to try to figure out how to manage themselves and address the hard questions during the stress of a crisis as the situation quickly changes, as they always do. Each MAG is different and will have to figure out the best way for them to move forward.
For those of you who are in or have formed a MAG, please post from time to time about how your MAG is doing, how it is managed, and how it has changed. We can all learn from what others are doing, even if it is an example of what not to do.