Response to The Founding Fathers ?

Little Bit,

Just a few points here. I have never had so few personal freedoms as when I lived in a large U.S. city. Even living in rural Wisconsin, I upon occassion kept my children out of school when there were threats of school violence. I take it from your response that you have not lived in Sweden or experienced life outside of the U.S. Perhaps if you had that opportunity you would be more understanding. I have lived and worked Europe during the past 5 years, I have had very close Swedish friends both studying here in the U.S. and while I was working overseas. None of these people were slaves by any stretch of the imagination. All had come from meager backgrounds, educated themselves and were living comfortable happy lives. They very much liked their political system and as I said before were quite shocked by the lack of humanity in parts of the U.S. One major difference is that my Scandinavian friends do not buy into the excessive consumption that most Americans do. Goods produced or sold in these countries are of the highest quality. No Wal-Marts there!!!!! This frees them from the earn/borrow/consume treadmill that so many homesteaders are trying to escape.

Your point of the last depression while it may be true is no longer applicable. If you look at the demographics, during that time period, a far greater percentage of people farmed or had family farms they could return to. Most of the hunger today is in the inner cities, these people have no place to go when they are hungry. The urban agriculture programs in this country are almost non-existent (unlike Cuba's extensive urban agriculture system - but if you feel so strongly about Sweden I guess we really shouldn't discuss Cuba).

I also must dissagree that it is hunger which brings us to homesteading. While this may be true for yourself and some others on this forum, physical hunger has nothing to do with why we homestead. Personally we quit two well paid University positions (mine a faculty position) because we became disillusioned with industrial agriculture and credit based society. It became clear both in our research and in our teaching that the agriculture practiced in this country is not sustainable. Rather than be a part of the system we chose to sell up, simplify and farm in the most sustainable manner we can.

Wishing you a productive spring, Kim

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