Spread Self-Reliance, Resilient Communities

[EJR914]

This comes from a post of one of the creators of the GA PatCon.

Great points guys and this brings us to the point of some of the concepts we discussed at the PATCON.
It is the job of every FREEFOR agent to spread the gospel of self reliance. I am currently working on information for training purposes. This process will stress the absolute need for independance in several key areas. Independance for our purposes is defined as stable, local and resilient. If you can own it that is best if you cant co-opt it, if you cant do that then trade with a local who does own or co-opt. The key areas are
Food
Water
Economic
Energy
Security (Self,Site, Comms)
Medical (Long term, Trauma)
Sanitation
Education

Several of these areas offer overlapping opportunities, the primary thing to focus on is the ability to reduce your dependency on distant or government supply/control of these areas. If FREEFOR promotes these concepts we will build resistance.
This is only part of the overall strategy but its something that you can begin to do now. Do not throw these into your associates faces and expect them to gobble it up. It must be slowly introduced to them in bits and peices. They must come to the point in their own mind where they see the value in these concepts. If you encounter any resistance to the ideas then stop at that point. Misery loves company and they are convincing themselves that their lack of vision is the correct way and your foresight is abnormal. Someone like that may have to be shown the value rather than told the value. Many of you will look at this and say ?whats in this for me??
A neighbor that is resilient and independant will be able to take to the field with you if it comes to that. They also will not be knocking on your door for support when things go to shit. If it helps you get your head around it think of it as not helping your neighbor think of it as helping yourself so you dont have to shoot that guy later.

More to follow, carry on?

If it helps you get your head around it think of it as not helping your neighbor think of it as helping yourself so you dont have to shoot that guy later.

http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/swine/#comments

Wrap your head around the last sentence. 

He's commenting on this thread about the Governments War on the small farmer.

Enjoy.

[EJR914]

New points

When I speak of Economic independance you need to be realistic and set your expectations accordingly. You are not doing this to be rolling in fiat paper. You are doing this for survival. You are not going to get rich.Tom can chime in here and spend many lines on this topic but I wanted to get you all to understand that building an alternative line of income should be done with expectations.
So what does this look like for you? Well as I mentioned it could be excess from one of your other areas of importance like food production (sell it at a local market off the books). It could be that you set up a local means of production (see the term ?fab lab?) or a means of producing excess electricity (solar, wind, hydro). It can take many forms but its important to keep things in perspective and not get tied down by the process.
What do I mean by tied down by the process?
What I mean is to do this with as little government or outside involvement as possible. Dont be afraid to give things away in order to buy participation. If your neighbor does not like your new garden, give him some of the food you grow. If they ask questions about the wood working you are doing in the garage ask them to help you out and build them something. Offer to assist them through all of the stumbles that you went through in setting up their own business. Make things easier for the next guy to do on his own. You dont have to be best friends with the people next to you but doing these things can assist you down the road.
Dont camp on innovation. Dont go through the whole patent process if you come up with something new and innovative. Build it trade it, trade 2000, then move on. Its not about making millions its about staying free. You dont stay free by getting wound up in their tax system or legal fights over IP violations. Even if you invent some new and great product it WILL be copied if its worthy. Dont get into a price fight over it. Once its copied stop making it and move on. The market will drive down the trade value if you are competing with an alternate producer. Your success depends on your ability to be agile and flexible.
Dont think this is something you will not face. Lets say you begin to make tactical gear on the old sewing machine at home and get yourself a table at the gun show. If your stuff is good and the designs are sound someone will copy it and show up at the gunshow in a few months selling their knock off. Then you have to cut your prices to compete with them. Soon enough you are only a hair over breaking even. Dont go down that path. Just keep working on new designs and move on.

More soon

From the same thread, second post of his in the thread.