Alienation and disillusionment from society at large is nothing new. Many modern religious and other communities today were themselves born out of frustration historically with the way things were proceeding in the mainstream. What sets them apart, however, is that fact that they are still around – the track record for most intentional communities is little better than startups, failing more than 90% of the time. And the ones that succeed are often marked by how little they have changed fundamentally in order to survive, yet are just different enough to present to an attractive alternative. It turns out civilization is an incredibly difficult social technology that is not easy to recreate from scratch, and the most successful alternatives to the mainstream take this lesson seriously and have rules, systems for managing resources, ways of benefiting from the outside world, and means for excluding those that seek to destroy them.
— Brought to you by —
Very special guests Dark Enlightenment and Musonious Rufus
https://identitydixie.com/
— References —
– Walden Two, Skinner (1948)
– The Quest for Community, Nisbet (1953)
– The Worldly Philosophers, Heilbroner (1953)
– The Tragedy of the Commons, Hardin (1968) – http://dieoff.org/page95.htm
– Bowling Alone, Putnam (2000)
– The Immigrant Gang Plague, Mac Donald (2004) – https://www.city-journal.org/html/immigrant-gang-plague-12801.html
– Farewell to Alms, Clark (2007)
– Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality, Murray (2008)
– Some Stronger Evidence that the Affordable Care Act Worsened the Opioid Crisis, Spotted Toad (2017) – https://spottedtoad.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/some-stronger-evidence-that-the-affordable-care-act-worsened-the-opioid-crisis/
– Utopia Inc, Clay (2017) – https://aeon.co/essays/like-start-ups-most-intentional-communities-fail-why
– They Built It. No One Came., Gregory (2015) – https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/style/they-built-it-no-one-came.html
– Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, Gilens and Page (2014) – https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf
– French Anti-Uber Protest Turns To Guerrilla Warfare As Cabbies Burn Cars, Attack Uber Drivers, Dillet (2015) – https://techcrunch.com/2015/06/25/french-anti-uber-protest-turns-to-guerrilla-warfare-as-cabbies-burn-cars-attack-uber-drivers/
– Inside Orania, South Africa’s whites-only town, Page (2016) – https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/20/africa/orania-south-africa-afrikaners/
– Malthus and His Discontents – Population and Policy, Myth of the 20th Century (2017) – https://myth20c.wordpress.com/2017/05/17/malthus-and-his-discontents-population-and-policy/
– Rebel Yell 230: Dark Enlightenment, Muh Colonies (2017) – https://identitydixie.com/2017/12/28/rebel-yell-230-dark-enlightenment-muh-colonies/
– Former Facebook exec warns society will collapse into chaos and conflict within 30 years, Lazzardo (2017) – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4761458/Ex-Facebook-exec-says-society-collapse-30-years.html
– The American Dream – Cities, Promise and Peril, Myth of the 20th Century (2017) – https://myth20c.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/the-american-dream-cities-promise-and-peril/
– Critical Infrastructure – Scale Up, Power Down, Myth of the 20th Century (2018) – https://myth20c.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/critical-infrastructure-scale-up-power-down/
– Dark Energy – Peak Oil and its Consequences, Myth of the 20th Century (2018) – https://myth20c.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/dark-energy-peak-oil-and-its-consequences/
– The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money, Caplan (2018) – https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11225.html
– America has a massive truck driver shortage. Here’s why few want an $80,000 job, Long (2018) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/28/america-has-a-massive-truck-driver-shortage-heres-why-few-want-an-80000-job/
– John Galton Wanted Libertarian Paradise in ‘Anarchapulco.’ He Got Bullets Instead, Weill (2019) – https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-galton-wanted-libertarian-paradise-in-anarchapulco-he-got-bullets-instead
– The Lobby, Al Jazeera (2019) – https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/thelobby/
– The Limits to Growth, Club of Rome – https://www.clubofrome.org/report/the-limits-to-growth/
– Simon–Ehrlich wager – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon%E2%80%93Ehrlich_wager
– The Survival Podcast, Spirko – http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com
– Peak Oil – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
->> Full list of (Notable) Intentional Communities ->>
— Religious —
– Bruderhof Communities – Religious (Anabaptist) – Germany – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruderhof_Communities
– Jesus Army – Religious (Evangelical) – UK, US – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Army#New_Creation_Christian_Community
– 1969
– 3500 members in UK
– Nomadelfia – Religious (Catholic) – Italy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomadelfia
– Believers in Christ, Lobelville – Religious (Amish) – Tennessee – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Believers_in_Christ,_Lobelville
– live plain
– 100 families in 1990s before founder left, now 57 families
– Caneyville Christian Community – Religious (Anabaptist) – Kentucky – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caneyville_Christian_Community
– live plain, old order
– 15 families
– Elmendorf Christian Community – Religious (Anabaptist) – Minnesota – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmendorf_Christian_Community
– 1994
– old order, plain
– open to outsiders
– 170 people
– Genesis Communities – Religious – Minnesota – https://www.genesiscommunities.org/
– Global Community Communications Alliance – Religious (Ashram) – Arizona – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Community_Communications_Alliance
– 1989
– help homeless, drug addicts
– Hutterite Christian Communities – Religious (Hutterite) – Minnesota, Missouri, Saskatchewan, Tasmania – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutterite_Christian_Communities
– 525 people total
– Koinonia Partners – Religious – Georgia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinonia_Partners
– love over violence
– anti-Jim-Crow
– Vernon Community – Religiouis (Amish) – Kentucky – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Community,_Hestand
– 32 families
– plain living
– Detention River Christian Community – Religious (Anabaptist) – Tasmania – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_River_Christian_Community
– Kentura – Religious (Kibbutz) – Israel – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketura,_Israel
– 476 members
– founded by American immigrants
– Twelve Tribes communities – Religious (Messianic) – Global – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tribes_communities
– 3,000 members
– raided in Germany for abuse of 40 children
– Noah Hoover Mennonite – Religious (Mennonite) – Pennsylvania, Belize – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Hoover_Mennonite
– “ultra old order”
– ~3,000 members
– Orthodox Mennonites – Religious (Mennonite) – Ontario – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Mennonites
– 1889
– high moral standard, restriction on technology
– 650 members
– Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village – Religious (Shaker) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbathday_Lake_Shaker_Village
– last Shaker community left
– TWO members left as of 2017
— New Religion —
– Federation of Damanhur – New Religion – Italy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Damanhur
– 800 members
– 4 classes of members (Alphas, Betas, C, D) for participation
– Halcyon – New Religion – California – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halcyon,_California
– 1903
– 125 acres
– Lafayette Morehouse – New Religion – California – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Morehouse
– 1968
– “responsible hedonists”
– The Abode of the Message – New Religion – New York – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abode_of_the_Message
– Lifechanyuan International Family Society – New Religion – Vancouver – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifechanyuan_International_Family_Society
– 2009
– fusion of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, science, Maoism
— Ecological —
– Findhorn Foundation – Ecological – UK – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Findhorn_Foundation
– As of 2005, Findhorn Ecovillage has around 450 resident members, and its residents have the lowest recorded ecological footprint of any community in the industrialised or the developed world, and also half of the UK average.[16]
– Free and Real – Ecological – Greece – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_Real
– 2009
– yurt circles
– Acorn Community Farm – Ecological – Virginia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Community_Farm
– 1993, spun out from Twin Oaks
– 75 acre farm
– 3 weeks of vetting by community to be let in
– 42 hours of labor required per week
– suing Monsanto over GMO damage to organic farming
– Avalon Organic Gardens & EcoVillage – Ecological – Arizona – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon_Organic_Gardens_%26_EcoVillage
– 1994
– 100 members
– water management and sustainable transport
– Celo Community – Ecological – North Carolina – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celo_Community
– funded by William Regnery in 1936, letting friend Arthur Morgan found
– about 100 members; limited by a waiting list, is currently at capacity
– Yarrow Ecovillage – Ecological – British Columbia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarrow_Ecovillage
– 25 acres
– 100 residents, 1/3 children
– farming
– multi-generational co-housing
– Kadagaya – Ecological – Peru – http://www.kadagaya.org/index.php/en/
– ZEGG – Ecological – Germany – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZEGG_(community)
– 1991
– 37 acres
– 100 members
– experiment with “free love” inspired by Dieter Duhm
– Lacabe – Ecological – Spain – https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacabe
– 1980
– 51 members
– Heathcote Community – Ecological – Maryland – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathcote_Community
– about 100 acres
– permaculture
– EcoReality – Ecological – British Columbia – http://www.ecoreality.org/wiki/Welcome_to_EcoReality!
– 43 acres
– focus on sustainability, closed loop systems
– Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage – Ecological – Ohio – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enright_Ridge_Urban_Ecovillage
– 2004
– urban community, gardens, host dinners, rehab houses
– The Farm – Ecological – Tennessee – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farm_(Tennessee)
– 1971 by Stephen Gaskin, Haight Ashbury hippy
– 200 members
– tried group marriage but they all failed
– emphasize children, midwifery, had a huge baby boom
— Political —
– Freetown Christiania – Anarchist – Denmark – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania
– 1971
– 1000 members
– Anthem: “You cannot kill us”
– squatted on a closed military base, started with using as playground for children during housing shortage
– pro marijuana, anti “hard drugs” such as heroin after 10 members overdosed
– have some homosexuals there, a variety of options for people “living in a different manner”
– had some conflict with Hells Angels over drug trade
– Kommune Niederkaufungen – Communist – Germany – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommune_Niederkaufungen
– 1986
– 82 members including families
– income sharing, consensus decision making, eco-sustainability
– CasaPound – Fascist – Italy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CasaPound
– 2003
– 5000 members
– anti usury, anti immigrant, anti-American military, founded on Ezra Pound’s principles, critical of capitalism and communism
– Seasteading – Libertarian – OCEAN – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasteading#The_Seasteading_Institute
– lots of Silicon Valley backers, including Peter Thiel
– found its way to French Polynesia
– Free State Project – Libertarian – New Hampshire – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project
– 20,000 pledged
– politically take “no official positions”, except don’t want racists / bigots
– 18 Free Staters in the state House of Representatives
– Paulville – Libertarian – Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulville
– 2008
– has some shareholders and 50 acres but not any permanent residents
– “100% Ron Paul supporters and or people that live by the ideals of freedom and liberty”
– Orania – Separatist – South Africa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orania,_Northern_Cape
– 1600 and growing population
– Afrikaaner
– 3.5 square miles
— Community —
– East Wind Community – Egalitarian – Missouri – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wind_Community
– 1974
– over 1000 acres
– share assets in common
– farm, generate income through farmers market type foods
– Twin Oaks Community – Egalitarian – Virginia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Oaks_Community,_Virginia
– 100 members
– 42 hour work week
– spun off Acorn Community
– The Werehouse – Egalitarian – North Carolina – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Werehouse
– artist collective
– Awra Amba – Egalitarian – Ethiopia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awra_Amba
– Adelphi – Neighborhood – Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelphi,_Texas
– streets, 8 townhouses, community gardens and their own sewage treatment plant
– Ganas – Neighborhood – Staten Island – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganas
– 1979
– 70-80 members
– The Homestead at Denison University – Neighborhood – Ohio – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Homestead_at_Denison_University
– 1977
– student-run
– Kaliflower Commune – Neighborhood – San Francisco – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliflower_Commune
– 1967
– counterculture
– Miccosukee Land Co-op – Neighborhood – Florida – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miccosukee_Land_Co-op
– private land ownership
– group meetings on principles of sustainability
– Nottingham Cooperative – Neighborhood – Wisconsin – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Cooperative
– student run, former fraternity house
– Serenbe – Neighborhood – Georgia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenbe
– walkability
– mixed use townhouses, shopping
– Stelle – Neighborhood – Illinois – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelle,_Illinois
– 1973
– emphasize permaculture
– Sunward Cohousing – Neighborhood – Michigan – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunward_Cohousing
– shared courtyards
– emphasis on socializing, shared meals, common house
– 20 acres
– Moora Moora – Neighborhood – Victoria, Australia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moora_Moora
— Peace —
– Community of the Ark – Peace – Italy- http://www.markshep.com/peace/Ark.html
– Tamera – Peace – Portugal – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamera
– 1995
– founded by Dieter Duhm after disillusionment of other communes and Sabine Lictenfels
– eco and spiritual disciplines
— Glamping —
– Braziers Park – Glamping – UK – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braziers_Park
– Ian Fleming grew up there
– Mick Jagger hung out there with his girlfriend after he got arrested in the 1960s
– Rosemary Dream – Glamping – Brazil – https://rosemarydream.com/
– featured in Vice
– looks like an expensive resort
– Svanholm – Glamping – Denmark – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svanholm
– 1978
– 105 members, including families
– estate on 988 acres of farmland, park, and woodlands
Myth of the 20th Century 
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