Episode 99
Permaculture and agorism.
Both offer methods for changing the world for the better. And both have become hot topics over the last several years, thanks to independent thinkers and alternative online media.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, I had the chance to engage in an exhilarating discussion about these topics with Eric McCool. Eric is using his webisite, Permagora, to highlight ways in which people can combine permaculture with agorism for the betterment of humans and planet Earth.
Non-Agression, Permaculture and Agorism
During the chat, I explain how I have been exploring the ideas of voluntaryism (sometimes referred to as anarchism) and agorism and what spurred this exploration.
I’ve learned that, voluntaryism, is not the absence of rules. Rather, it’s the absence of authority or hierarchical structures. At its core, is the non-agression principle which decries the use of violence or coercion on others for any reason except self-defense.
I particularly resonated with the concept of agorism. Wikipedia defines agorism as a libertarian philosophy which advocates creating a society in which all relations between people are voluntary exchanges by means of counter-economics. It’s a practice that can very well be used as a means of achieving peaceful revolution.
My “wake up” moment came when my son, through You Tube, showed me some disturbing news that wasn’t being covered on any of the main stream media channels.
Thus began my increased skepticism of mainstream media, authority figures and government, in general. Too often a little online research revealed the nightly news to be questionable at best; outright lies at worst; and a tool for pushing political agendas.
The Attraction of Self-Sufficiency
Eric with his family
My efforts to nurture the health of my family, as well as Mother Earth, were also driving me to seek a way to opt-out of the consumer lifestyle.
I sought a simpler life, living closer to nature and growing as much of my own food as possible. I wanted to be more self-reliant, but I also wanted to be part of a community with a smaller, more resilient and eco-friendly micro-economy.
So I moved to my current homestead in Big Bear, California. Like Eric, one of my fondest wishes is to help create more economic resiliency through permaculture and activities like food swaps.
Creating that Better World
I’ve also discovered fresh sources for news and information that I have found to be trustworthy. Not all, but a significant portion of these sites are run by folks who embrace the voluntaryist philosophy. Marianne and I have spoken of one, The Survival Podcast hosted by Jack Spirko, on previous podcasts. In this interview, Eric mentions two of my other favorites: The Corbett Report, with James Corbett and The Conscious Resistance with Derrick Brose.
During this discussion, you’re likely to detect my enthusiasm. I share Eric’s passion for highlighting new systems that have the betterment of mankind as their goal. There truly is a LOT to be excited about at this time in history, despite the endless barrage of doom and gloom we often see on T.V.
Are you currently taking action to create the world you want to live in? There’s never been a better time! Please drop us a line and share your positive news with us. We would love to help you spread it so that more people are inspired to create that better world.
You may also want to check out the following related podcasts:
http://184.154.247.208/~sustajo7/spreading-freedom-culture/
http://184.154.247.208/~sustajo7/michael-tellinger-ubuntu/
I’m all for the state only being involved when necessary, but your system – how will it deal with people who aren’t a commodity, don’t have the ability to make goods or services of value to others, or don’t wish to be entrepreneurs? It seems, from my scanty research, that they’ll be left in the gutter.
That is a good question, and we will try to get an answer for you.
Hi Kaiser!
I am by no means an expert on agorism or even on voluntaryism. But my understanding is that agorism is not necessarily a stand-alone system, but more a means to an end. It’s a way for folks who do produce things, to create a counter-economy within the traditional economy that strengthens the community and makes it less vulnerable to economic downturns and government coercion. It would be up to local communities to determine for themselves how to help those who are not able or willing to produce things with which they can barter.
In our current model, this is true. People who are not useful (to those who use us) are burdens, often disenfranchised. But everybody can contribute something, and in healthy communities, we find something for everyone to do, and care for those in need. One aspect of permaculture is a broader calculation of economic value. If we focus more on quality of life and relationships, we get a different form of wealth all together.
Hard to fit this into today’s world, because yes, undesirables are left in the gutter. But this is what much change in order for our world to be restored.