memex/0_inbox/books/PDM/Bill Mollison - Permaculture A Designer's Manual text/533.txt

regards rows as holy, pnrvidurp rhey an“ lo cooperale
in areas which are oi concern in lherri bolh, and lo
rerpecl lhe onglns ni iheir dilierenres as a chance oi
hisiory and evolulion, nol assesslng sucli dinerences as
due lo personal pewersiry

h is always possible in use dineienees croalir-ely, and
dcslsn lo use lhern, no lo eiiuiiriale one or orher group
as inridels aeliei is oi ilseli no: so inuch a dlilelence as
a reiusal lo adinil lhe :xistenmofdllfelem; lluseosily
eransposo inlo ihe anhgpmsm‘ allinlde oi "villa is nor
wilh me is apainsl me", llseli a eoereive and illoslcal
alolude and um: lilrely, in she exirernc, lo eiassiiy all
oihcrs as enemies, when rhey are merely living
aeeordin, lo lheir own hislory and needs.

Mosl hurnon coinnruniiles lunclron in reialion lo a
longerei-rn susiainrbiliiy only because ihey do diiier
iiooi olheis, whal is possible lo an lnull izsloinol is nol
poulbl: lo a loresl pygmy Thus,1|Is nol diners-noes ur
rheniselves nm are iinporlanl, ii is how all gmups
relale lo lhe basic rules oi lire Ina! eoology lhal perrrui
lhein lo iuncrion on a lax-fideml basis Beliei, like
rehyon, is a baslraiiy privaic and unwglobfl
oharaelenshc and should nor be subyeei lo compari-
sons. On close esainlnalion, we ~helieve~ in lhose
syslenis lhal enable us lo behave wilhoill gum. wirh
mpm io our resources and our own eollure.

lr has long been appaienl lhar um surrenl poiinlal,
esonornir, and iandusr sysleins eannoi solve such
lonpeierrn and worstmns problems as soil degredaiioru
gmnd waier poilulion, ioresr decllno, lhe spread oi
poveny. unernployinenl, and uiainulrilion ior ils
erneine, ianilnel Despile good seieiihiic pmgnmcsand
assessmcnls, eliechve ground irrikgles are lacking,
The leinpornrv naiure oi polrlical sysleins is an
impedlmnu ro eiieeove aceion. We could describe all
weslern polhlql sysieins as lhooe oi (umpellng beliei
eliies. wheeher ihey are sell—limped as mmmnnisli
socialisl, oapilalisl, or deniocralic, ihey all hlncriun in
ways whlth are essenoally shoneleirn

By lheir nalure, poliocai sysreois seek lo ilnpme a
policy ronrrol over as wide on area oi lnlluence as
possible, are pkumlmd inul lilemdii and are
ohen composed oi wry iew lainihes or (in the case M
ioyalisl and ieudal socieiiesi, one iairilly ihus. lhe
eononuing and longssnslimed pmynmmes nesessary
lo reverre ioresl loss and snli decline are usually
saerlllced ior lhe shokal’m policies oi an eliie
riia hammg power I! was said oi a reeenr prune
rninisier oi Ausiraila lhal his nalional policies all
worlred lo maximise prorils liorn his lam‘

"The irgumenl ior sirnpliciry is never a poiilical
aiguurenl. when people pracliie ll in lheir lives lhey
don’t even need any pnlilirs ~ (Mnilus, l7 O<| wan
This same siaiernenl also levers in lhe ndoplion oi an
elhicai basis no action, lo lhe piarelrieni ni inoney and
rem-res, and lo lhc dflL'rmmihan roael in acnordanie
wllh une’s pelieis All oi ihese can occur independenily
oi poliheal change, and can be longelcrrrl iliieioniei
personal aclions oi greai eiieer Thai is, people can arl
lndependenlly oi polilicai lhrory lwnich rarely, ll ever,

 

covers lhe quesiions oi elhics, siiriplieily, local
aulonoiny. or Illwnenled .eiionl Such ehanges in
people tom: abool by educaooii and ininrrnalioro and
when enough people change, lheii polillcal sysieins iii
lhey are lo survrvei lriay iollow. or become as irielevanl
as lhey now appear k! be in lerrns oi real solulions

Fol lhis reason, lhe place in start (hinge is iirsi wirh
ihe indivrdnal ionesoln, and second in ow’s Nglon or
urighbaumood

THE RIGHT None as m DEBT.
shine ni lhe rnosr churning and elirnaiirally
approprialc houses on eanh are builr wilhoul bank
loans. arehilecis, inelals, conereie, or conlrarlors
However, in every care lhey are bull! in areas where
lrade unions, bulldlng survlyms, heollh oificiais, snd
loeal or siale governmenls do noi iiripede lhe holne
builder or lhe eoininuniry pmvlduls sheller ior lhzmr
selves, wnlie Chile ias an mnm‘nm syslein guided by
"npens") accurnuialed a 5n billion ioreipn debl in
ms, poor people. man, wllhoul loans, loge-her bush
al leasl 5" billion housing in slurn areas by local
rooperalion volhool ineurnny any ioreign debl Why is
ihis (be case?

Slone, inud, bamboo. round urnbers, rope, lhalch,
and (Val baled wk and libs. are ihe age-old durable
bui|dmg uialerials oi inaniond illl can be ioeally
pmdmd Ilangy iroin eoinrnunily ioreso and people
is provided Even eeinenl and room con be iriade ii
needed usmg kilns iired ov wood, as can poiiery,
briclcs, and roll ilies, None oi rhis neeils nioney li
people work rogerner

11o real cause oi a lock oi sheller ias mlh loodi in
any counlry is nol lhal ui iinnnce, hm oi resrrielive
prenieos by a repulsion: bureaucracy Moreover, slale
or privale ownership (vuius eoiiiiiiunliy ownershipi oi
ionsls, srnail mines, and lands is devored lo siale or
corpornle pionls ro suppori a largely urban, leisuied
clasa oi bumuunls, which denies rhese basis Mulugs
ml and esnh iesoureee lo lhe very people who work lo
produce or oune lhelri.

We have had ~riahonal servrra lo figln wars. bol l
unnm recall any oul suslainaole rrioal socienes lhal
require every inan and every woinan lo help sheiler
and reed iherioeives, cirrioosly, we are drained io hill
siranyers, and denied rhe righr ro preserve me, no
arrnies aro neared lo build muses, gmw poralois, or
planl ioresis lor ilie iuiune; uneinploynieni iorolhers is
prereried by rhose who choose power as a rneihod oi
exploieaiion.

in very reeeni societiai our basic ‘nglhf‘ is lo vole,
iorrn unions primal. or go lo law lee. lo suppose pro
lesrional riassesi Truly basic i-igho lo yaw or prolen
ioriers, (a build a shellei, yaw iood, or prowde waler
iroin our rooi areas are commonly denied by |ml or
slaie regulaiions, Elledivc local group aelion raslures
rhe lrue basir nng. which are lhose oi personal
nspumlhimy ior our suslenance on eanh, and so earih
iudl While "mmul law~ dernands a ialr relurn ior

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