The Homestead Revolution IV

Homestead Power Once we decide on how much electricity we would want in hard times, we can look at the most practical way to build up a system. Let us say we want to have two-way global communication. We know telephone service could go down for extended periods, so we would be better off with a satellite internet service and perhaps ham radio transceivers or cell phones as back - ups. I like battery back - up systems. Something that could store power enough for my basic needs for a day or two without the need to recharge. This allows one to service or replace equipment, such as combustion generators, without disconnecting power to the house. It allows a small charger to cycle, instead of constantly running. It also optimizes the use of photovoltaics and wind generators that do not have constant outputs. A small to large combustion generator might help you build a wind generator at your convenience, especially if you require arc welding. The right combination of wind and photovoltaic electric with a large battery bank, would allow you basic electrical use when there was no corporate electricity or wind and only a small 300-500 watt photovoltaic array would give the batteries a few kilowatts on a sunny Winter's day. You could make a few gallons of distilled water without drawing from the battery bank. On a rare, cloudy, still day, one would use the stored power. When the wind blows, the battery bank is charged. The need for a combustion generator would be minimized and we would not need to spend on a heavy duty unit designed for continuous operation. Nor would we be tied to large scale fuel storage to run a generator. Fuel that could be scarce or expensive. Bio diesel and ethanol would allow us to store much more stable fuels than gasoline at little additional costs. Think green. Think renewable. Some 600 sugar beet farmers are upset about competition from Central American sugar producers. Sugar beets would seem to be a better source for ethanol than corn, if I'm not mistaken and the new energy bill is supposed to promote ethanol production. It's easy to modify a gasoline engine to run on ethanol and if push comes to shove, you can make your own ethanol, bio diesel and methane.. While commercial hydrogen fuel cells will not be cost effective for many years yet, the do-it-yourselfers will probably have relatively cheap units we can build, in a few years, if they are not available now. I would still want a battery storage system if I added a fuel cell. This is a power source to keep our eyes on. We are supposed to believe it is expensive and difficult to produce hydrogen, so we will buy it from the oil companies. I am convinced we will be able to make cheap hydrogen fuel at home and on the road, by the time the corporate energy companies have invested billions in hydrogen infrastructure. Isn't life grand? Partner Power Those who choose to opt out of the corporate rat race will likely need revenue to pay off debt and to prepare for hard times. It would be good for them if there were local partnerships they could join to produce that revenue. If those who have left the corporate world create expandable partnerships, the means to create revenue for new partners will be in place. These partnerships can take many forms. Labor oriented cooperatives, wholesale buying clubs, mail order businesses. Community gardens, local home delivery businesses, and local interest based hobby groups can all be run for profits to be divided for revenue, organizational growth and expansion. The idea is to present options - the more the better, for those who will be dropping out of the corporate, money lover life in the near future. Doing so could be very profitable at the same time a global counter culture is established or expanded. This is a ground floor opportunity if such there ever was. Once wage and salary slaves can see decent alternatives, some will want them. Anyone can plan an expandable partnership or group association in any area of interest, either on paper or computer. They can circulate the proposal to like minded folks who will provide feedback on the plan and may join the partnership. It only takes two people to start a partnership that can grow to include hundreds. Otherwise, the only option for most would - be corporate drop outs would be self operated business or contract labor. Expanding the options through wide ranging partnerships is the best option I see for those looking for a way out of the corporate, war mongering, money lover madness. This supports an already flourishing underground economy that pays little tribute to the money lovers. Partnerships can be so superior to corporate employer - employee relationships, it can only be the greed of employers determined to harvest half or more of the fruit of another's labor, that prevents partnership from being the dominant business model in the consumptive West. Employee ownership in the corporate world has become a popular buzz phrase, but a few owners are still in a position to rip off all the others. This is much less likely in partnerships. A partnership can be organized to please regulators and tax collectors or the bottom line and social concerns of the partners. If we find we don't function well in partnership, one can still be used to launch a project with the understanding that partners will be bought out at a fair or set price, by a given date. There will always be people who love start up operations, others who seek growth opportunities and others who just like status quo operations; so temporary partnerships have their place. Partnerships allow self interest and group interests to be balanced and expanded. Most of all, we are looking at the alternatives to the corporate, money lover life. This is the essence of the Homestead Revolution. Non violent separation from the control, threats, manipulation, dependencies, economies, force, deceit and injustices of the Old World Order. Political Partnerships If we wish to organize for political reasons such as local control, social justice and affecting global politics by modeling, there is a little used system that comes from the book of Exodus, in the Bible. Moses was wearied by the people asking him to settle petty disputes, making him the judge of more than a million people. His father-in-law suggested a cellular system of organization he called captains of ten. We now see this system in terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda. The fact that it works well for violent revolutionaries, does not mean it will not work for non violent revolutionaries. It can work for all partnerships and civic associations. The great potential lies in the fact that it is a republican style government that can be built by the people, no matter what the official forms may be. That is, you can organize a Communist cell and the interest of the cell members takes first priority. Another cell can operate by a majority vote, or consensus. If the cell becomes dysfunctional, there will always be successful cells to model. The cellular organization allows for small scale experiments in organization and community government. It has a flexibility unlike any other system I know about. The very systems the terrorists are evolving will be just as effective in protecting people against the ever growing, cancerous Big Brother. Terrorists are here to teach us things we'd never learn in money lover schools or from money lover media. Why not pay attention to them? The cellular system of organization is close to that of neighborhood associations and can be easily integrated into any group activity. One person could belong to a dozen different local or global cells, according to the functions and benefits of membership. Part time craftspeople could share tools and equipment. Neighborhoods can build olympic sized swimming pools, gardens, orchards and vineyards without a need for every member to own duplicate equipment, like chipper - shredders and rototillers. Cells can pool transportation and work vehicles like vans and pick-ups and probably get group rates on insurance, if desired. A major function of cells should be energy and resource conservation. All members live better with less, especially less private ownership. The "great American ownership society" is just another money loving consumerist trap. As cells proliferate, they form into cell collectives at 100 members (approximately) 1,000, etc.. Orders do not come from the top down, only suggestions and proposals for the cells to consider and captains to vote upon. Captains should be chosen by cell members, not according to popularity but for wisdom and social skills. New elections can be called by a simple majority of cell members to change captains at any level in the organization and at any time. When I first considered using interest based groups to bring neighbors together and turn hobbies into businesses, I thought communication would play a key role. Every interest group, no matter how small, would publish a monthly goals and activities newsletter, available to members and the larger community. A monthly community newsletter would consolidate and publish all the group reports from the open membership groups. Those who like private or secret groups are free to form them and not report activities. Cellular organization gives us an opportunity to locate and socialize with like minded folks. The more social we are, the more groups we support in some fashion and the more neighbors we come to know well. The corporate, money lover life has isolated neighbors and this must change.