Fight The System

[Green1]

Yeah... the money on cons and ren fairs was never very good. With the exception of the heavy hitters they have been in steady decline for the last decade. Hey, I did get paid one time for DMing 3rd edition DnD at a convention in Biloxi...lol. Two 20s to rub together. Cost me more to get there and I had to run games damn near the whole time there. Could not really enjoy myself, either. Sad, too. I would LOVE to make a living doing cool things.

Unfortunately, no one is going to just up and give me a house. I think about all the rent at my age and grimace in disgust. Now, you move a lot and have a travel job I can see renting. But, really. Why should I work my butt off so some landlord can sit on thier ass? Then.. the kicker.. some employer decides I am not cool anymore and then I must beg for work. Then, after one month, the landlord tosses me out while having crack head minions swooping like vultures over any stuff I may havehad to leave?

Being a hermit... not going to happen where I have chosen to live. The atmosphere of where I live is a very different world than most places in the American Empire. Everybody talks, everybody is social even on the street and everybody is in the open and bikes. So I guess I won't have that part.

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, hermit isn't for everyone; I just ain't quite right , and have kinda given up on people and the way they make me want to rip their heads off constantly.

[Green1]

Well, hermit isn't for everyone; I just ain't quite right , and have kinda given up on people and the way they make me want to rip their heads off constantly.

I view it like this.

I like people in general. But, there is something that makes some folks total jerks when they have power over you. Not all, but many. No person can be a jerk to everyone. A person who is a jerk to everyone is unemployed, divorced, or in jail or isolated fairly quickly. Most jerks are selective about who to be a jerk to. It is unrealistic to be a jerk to everyone. That is, unless you are just fabulously rich. Even then, they need to PAY someone who is not a jerk to keep the cash coming in.

Object is, to be on equal level and have common ground with others. It is the most healthy situation.

---of course, in practice it does not always work that way.

My problem is not with other people. It is when you must deal with people from a position in which the benefits only go one way. When instead of getting better and growing together, only the growth and getting better of one party is important.

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, that's such a complex issue of human interaction that 

But I've brought out the worst in too many people, and I don't particularly care to give them more chances to treat me badly.

At least on the web, no one can get the bad idea of trying to hit me, and nothing's at stake.

[Green1]

Well, that's such a complex issue of human interaction that 

But I've brought out the worst in too many people, and I don't particularly care to give them more chances to treat me badly.

At least on the web, no one can get the bad idea of trying to hit me, and nothing's at stake.

Violence is actually not the worst thing someone can do. In fact, unless it is a complete power situation where things like that are accepted or someone desperate thinks you look touristy and can knock you upside the head real quick and run it screws them more than helps. But, regardless of what media says, that's rare. At least what I have seen.

 Even while on urban stealth camp runs.

(Which BTW, I am tempted to do some more of. Rent is one of those "jerk" relationships I refer to. Last time, I set up a tent outside a major US city in a patch of woods, worked, and paid off 2000 USD in student loans. I did so for 5 months undetected.)
 
edit: part of a sentence got chopped off.

[JarlWolf]

While I agree that bicycling and relying on self powered travel is healthy, in some places it isn't practical. I live in a rural area and during the winter we receive 100 CM to 130-45 CM of Snow, and temperatures can well go below -30 Celsius, with windchill, dipping into -40's. I do take advantage of walking and bicycling when I can, and when I don't need to travel I don't do it as much anyways, but when it is winter and I need to pick up provisions, you need a vehicle.

If anything, I think public transportation, like trains, should be improved more. They were very prominent back when I was younger, but after lots of reforms and change of political systems, my nation has changed it's agenda in terms of public services. It makes me a little sad sometimes.

[Green1]

Welcome to the forums, Jarl!

Yeah, I could see issues with doing that in extreme cold with snow storms. I have heard stories of folks that did it, but most were in temperate climates.

I have lived in areas with poor public transportation. Most of the time it is poor because a variety of homeowners have suburb houses and cars. They do not want to increase the taxes just becuase someone in an apartment has to bum rides 10 miles to get to where everyoe works.

Kind of selfish. They want someone to flip burgers for them or clean thier house, but lord forbid the heathens have a way to get out there to do it for them! "They should have a car!". Of course, try paying a car AND rent off of a wage slave salary. Even if you can, that car breaks down, you can be 10 colors of screwed.

[Buster's Uncle]

Green, Jarl is an actual communist.  You're preaching to the choir.

P.S. Amen!  Complete agreement.

[JarlWolf]

A communist that served on behalf of the ideal and put his life in danger for it at that. That was years ago though.

While I am a communist in my spirit, I realize that society can't be forced upon with ideals. Radical change without smooth transition leads to bloodshed and chaos. Change needs to happen, but it needs to happen at a controllable pace.

And I think, while our global economic situation may degrade due to fossil fuels being problematic in distribution and acquirement, it's not so much supply is dwindling, its more so cost effective means and reaching that said supply. And due to most societies running on fossil fuels, affording a personal vehicle is going to be very expensive, even more so then now.  I can see in the future that if public transportation is not improved, and if social services don't improve overall, people are going to become restless regardless of their social background. If you can't get to point A to point B and that halves your plans, it doesn't matter whether your lower class or middle class, it will hurt you.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes.  The future I see, provided the nuclear bombs never fly, is a poorer world than today - our generation, and the one before, used up far beyond our share of the fuel, and the subtitutes will be more expensive and not work as well - plus, the pollution we make now will wreck the weather.  I hope for practical fusion power - but we will still have burned the lubricants our descendants will miss very much for fuel and exhasted the most easily-reached metals and other resources.

On the plus side, we are far too rich for our own good, and it's made us soft and spoiled.  This is probably even true in your country.  Our grandchildren may be healthier and happier on their electric scooters.  Maybe the bosses won't be able to oppress them as much when everyone is poor.

[JarlWolf]

They'd be able to oppress them still. Always find a way. It's sort of like sore feet, it gradually builds up over time until you figure out your feet are moldy and you wonder why you haven't rinsed the old filth away. Human society is similar, a kettle. Me? I don't harbour over the future with worry, if there is going to be war, then it's inevitable and war must be fought. It may be the bloodiest war in human history yet, but if it's going to happen and may bring a great tide of change it may well be worth it. No one can determine that just yet though, and nor does anyone want to.


I think the energy of tomorrow, within our grasp, besides mass produced solar, hydroelectric or geothermal power, is also bio-fuel. Bio fuel will be very controversial and unstable for us as bio-fuel is derived from crops. Agricultural produce comprises the majority of, if not all of Earth's, mainstream diet.

And, if we get the technology to produce it, organic refineries (plants that burn rapidly producing organic life, or microbes) are possible, as well as the philosophers stone of energy, fusion power.

The question im wondering is though, since you people, of which im guessing are anywhere from your 20's to your 30's (though I know some of you are much older then that, and may be just shy of 20 or so years younger then me), how will you react to the changes? I probably won't live long enough to see significant change, or if I do it will be the tip of the iceberg. But tell me, what do you think will happen, and how would you deal with it personally?

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm 47 - Green is younger, I think, but maybe not more than ten years, maybe a lot less.  He's had a lot of adventure and acquired some wisdom.

It's too hard to guess the specific shape of the future.  We live in this world of wonders all around that people don't see, but it's just not the future anyone ever predicted.  It seems pointless to overthink it.  I do think we are at the end of a golden age, though.  My country went fascist 10 years ago, and the mass insanity is so great that the collaborationist opposition currently in charge hasn't undone most of the fascism, and the fascists are not not in jail or even ashamed.  We are stupid, and we are doomed, and you can bet the US will drag the whole planet down with it as it collapses in the coming years/decades.

I don't live too close to a big city - if we dynamite the exits off the main highway to keep the refugees from Charlotte out, we might be able to struggle and survive the collapse.  I will be plowing up my front and back yard and getting water from the creek.  We have a large basement with a wood stove (and access to trees) and tools, and some supplies socked away.  We might make it.

[Green1]

if we dynamite the exits off the main highway to keep the refugees from Charlotte out

Like the evil police state of Gretna did to New Orleans? That is inhuman.

But, seroiusly, I have read tons of anarchist books and sites. As much anarchists leanings I have, I do not see a world wide "sheet hitting the fan" sort of deal. Yeah, there will be localized spots. But nothing worldwide.

What I see comming is we MUST figure out our policies towards labor, prisons, drugs, education, and automation. You got to come up with some system that gives people satisfaction, yet still motivates them too without being inhuman.

Right now the lesson we are learning is that multiple currency systems do not work when you can change 20 USD into 1 USD merely by switching countries for the same labor.

[Buster's Uncle]

Inhuman shminyuman.  When it goes down, you city people are on your own and not taking me with you.

[JarlWolf]

If the bombs go flying or things collapse, I have a cellar full of wine and various alcohol, and im going to have myself some fun and maybe attempt some DIY construction. Put my old skills to use, lay some makeshift mines and barb wire, dig some pits and just wait for the oncoming storm. Maybe have a community, get walls up and people can help sustain it.

I do have my old Makarov sitting around, and a old Tokarev rifle I use for hunting, so I might last for a while until age drops my sorry bottom out the window.