any aspie survivalists/homesteaders/Patriots?

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pezar
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08 May 2010, 5:33 pm

I am very interested in survivalism, homesteading, sustainable living, and a return to Constitutional government in the US (unlikely, I know), and am wondering if any other aspies here are too, and if you've encountered the same rejection on survivalist and Patriot boards that I have. Many survivalists seem not to like aspies, maybe because we're different and they have a military ethos that the squeaky wheel gets removed.



DonkeyBuster
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08 May 2010, 5:50 pm

I'm interested in homesteading, self-sufficiency, and working towards more energy and food independence. Not so much into the political aspects, though.

So if you want to talk about water harvesting, growing veggies, and food storage, I can join in.

As in, it's been a cold spring and nothing is growing very well except the lettuce. I've got a ways to go towards reliably growing most of my own veggies.



zer0netgain
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08 May 2010, 9:49 pm

[waves hand]

I got into survivalism because of the Y2K scare and 9/11. Had an interest in the real consequences of nuclear war, and I learned very fast that really government was in no shape to take care of anyone except an elite few and that all their plans focused on the continuity of their power to rule over others.

So, if anything's going to help me survive a natural or man-made disaster, it was on my shoulders to make it happen. This motivated me to become a lot more self-reliant than I had been beforehand.

Not living in the woods yet, but I am a lot more aware of what's going on in the world and in politics. I have taken steps to be a lot more "disaster ready" since then.

Don't have any online involvement mostly because the few survivalist boards I know of have gone under, and I haven't found a worthy successor for information surface yet.



auntblabby
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08 May 2010, 9:51 pm

pezar wrote:
I am very interested in survivalism, homesteading, sustainable living, and a return to Constitutional government in the US (unlikely, I know), and am wondering if any other aspies here are too, and if you've encountered the same rejection on survivalist and Patriot boards that I have. Many survivalists seem not to like aspies, maybe because we're different and they have a military ethos that the squeaky wheel gets removed.


question, questions :?
why would you want to join any group that acts like it wouldn't have you? what would your "constitutional" government do about the legions of dysfunctional AS folk who are not going anywhere? in the absence of social programs under a "constitutional" government, what would happen to those who are clients of such social programs, especially when states at present are overloaded with local responsibilities as it is? just wondering...



Worldtraveler
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08 May 2010, 10:16 pm

On the "survivalists" groups. I would say they dont want you because you "threaten" them on some social level.
They are also very fearful of agent provocateur's. Just stay out and let the wanna be's play.

On the being independant part. That is near imposible for modern people .
I lived next to a guy that did it with his family. 10 acers, farm house, small barn coups etc. He made about $8-10 k year for
diesel, suger etc, and was 90% all his own food.
Major blocks are equpiment, enough good land, and Agriculture skills.

Considering the cheapness of factory farm food, in most cases it is more expensive to do it yourself, not counting your labor at all.

When I had chickens the feed alone cost more than just buying them at a store. I did it for the eggs and fun.

If you have min 10 acres , house, kubota sized tractor, (all no loans) and some cash to help the learning curve, then
you might make it. Otherwise forget it.

Living on a boat is a much better idea. :)


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DonkeyBuster
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08 May 2010, 10:17 pm

auntblabby wrote:
question, questions :?
why would you want to join any group that acts like it wouldn't have you? what would your "constitutional" government do about the legions of dysfunctional AS folk who are not going anywhere? in the absence of social programs under a "constitutional" government, what would happen to those who are clients of such social programs, especially when states at present are overloaded with local responsibilities as it is? just wondering...


Just a guess here, but I take it you don't meet the OPs request?

I don't think he/she is looking for an ideological argument, I think he/she is looking for kindred souls. Doesn't sound like you are. :roll:



druidsbird
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08 May 2010, 10:20 pm

I'm also not into the politics though kind of disturbed by our gargantuanovernment.

Very interested in survival, and the possibility of working a sustainable smallholding hopefully in the not too distant future.

auntblabby wrote:
what would your "constitutional" government do about the legions of dysfunctional AS folk who are not going anywhere?


I'm one of those going-nowhere dysfunctional aspies. And the government isn't doing anything for me now. Even though I work and pay taxes and vote.

At least if I go raise chickens I'll get eggs out of it.


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DonkeyBuster
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08 May 2010, 10:26 pm

Worldtraveler wrote:
On the being independant part. That is near imposible for modern people .
I lived next to a guy that did it with his family. 10 acers, farm house, small barn coups etc. He made about $8-10 k year for
diesel, suger etc, and was 90% all his own food.
Major blocks are equpiment, enough good land, and Agriculture skills.

Considering the cheapness of factory farm food, in most cases it is more expensive to do it yourself, not counting your labor at all.

When I had chickens the feed alone cost more than just buying them at a store. I did it for the eggs and fun.

If you have min 10 acres , house, kubota sized tractor, (all no loans) and some cash to help the learning curve, then
you might make it. Otherwise forget it.

Living on a boat is a much better idea. :)


Yeah, there's a lot of sweat equity in self-sufficiency, but the trade-off can be worth it. And really, self-sufficiency is more about communities of scale than literally being completely independent. Locally networking and trading.

I've never even thought of self-sufficiency on a boat! Interesting... are you doing it?
Of course, I suspect you have to love fish...



Worldtraveler
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08 May 2010, 10:39 pm

Yeah, there's a lot of sweat equity in self-sufficiency, but the trade-off can be worth it. And really, self-sufficiency is more about communities of scale than literally being completely independent. Locally networking and trading.

I've never even thought of self-sufficiency on a boat! Interesting... are you doing it?
Of course, I suspect you have to love fish...[/quote]

yes I did it for 4 years. Solar wind power, easy to move around and drop anchor places. Not easy living but fun!
No bills is great. And yes fishing and spear fishing is a big part of it. Pulling in a 200 lbs tuna is a blast!

I dreamed of the homestead thing years ago, then tried a huge garden, then ran into the massive problems of
proper storage and canning. Bottom line is unless you already own everything, it will cost you more than food would.


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DonkeyBuster
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09 May 2010, 8:55 am

Worldtraveler wrote:
Bottom line is unless you already own everything, it will cost you more than food would.


That's only one bottom line, and there are plenty of other reasons to engage in becoming more independent from the corporate titty. :D

One of them is this... this morning I ate an omelet made from spinach and onions from my garden and an egg from a friend's chicken. Didn't have to worry about lethal E. coli contamination.

Now I'm going out into the beautiful morning to work in my garden, listen to the meadowlarks sing, and burn off breakfast... hence no need to pay gym membership fees.

My broccoli seems to be doing well, and I think today I'll plant the pumpkins... in wallo waters, 'cause it's still freezing at night here. :P



Michael_Stuart
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09 May 2010, 10:53 am

Sustainable living, patriotism and a smaller government? Count me in.

Survivalism and homesteading? Not really my thing. I am not a man of the land, and while I applaud self-sufficiency I don't see myself doing it.



DonkeyBuster
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09 May 2010, 11:13 am

Michael_Stuart wrote:
Sustainable living, patriotism and a smaller government? Count me in.

Survivalism and homesteading? Not really my thing. I am not a man of the land, and while I applaud self-sufficiency I don't see myself doing it.


Ah, the market arrives... I assume you're into CSAs, then? Local farmer's markets, local fiber production... what skills do you have to trade? Can you weld? Heaven only knows how often I could use a good welder!

Anybody here know anything about EMP attacks? Like, does a mid-range ballistic missile have the altitude to accomplish this? I'm thinking of Iraq and Venezula and their ambitions... 8O



pezar
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09 May 2010, 12:35 pm

I'm not in a situation where I can raise chickens or plant a garden, since I live with my parents and they won't let me. So I hope to get a couple acres of my own land, where I can raise chickens and maybe rabbits and garden to my heart's content. :lol: I just hope that everything doesn't collapse before then... :? It's gonna take a few years. I try to stock up on canned meat and rice and maybe beans whenever I can. I live on SSI, but I hope to change that within the next year or so.



DonkeyBuster
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09 May 2010, 1:03 pm

What about water?

Think about it this way... right where you are, how can you create the conditions to survive if services shut down for a month... due to pandemic or natural disaster (most likely scenario). Food, water!, light, warmth in the winter, etc. Cooking? Protection?

And as for self-sufficiency, you can start developing the skills you'll need right now. Learn how to can and dry food, purify water, carpentry, welding, basic mechanics (even a weed whacker needs upkeep)... how to fix a toilet, a dripping faucet, sewing... lots and lots of practical skills that just aren't common knowledge anymore.

Check with your local county extension office to see if Master Gardener classes are available in your area. Home Depot, etc. offer free courses in many do-it-yourself skills. Volunteer at a community/church garden to get some experience. Offer to help someone else with their garden... where there's a genuine will, there is a way.

Homesteading, self-sufficiency is about being very, very handy. From straightening nails to seeing a wooden pallet as a valuable resource for building all sorts of things, from fence to chicken coop.