Preparedness Community: Individualism vs. Collectivism

Too big to fail globalists want us to believe their titillating noble lies. Their mouthpiece, the Main Stream Media (MSM), denies the Newspeak coming from elite lips and to disguise  what their hands are doing. To reduce thought and critical thinking, truth is labeled ‘conspiracy theories.’ You’re a whack-job if you believe alternative news sources.

Elitists hate individuals. To them, we’re a pebble in their jack boots.

MSM is not their only promoter. Public schools are shills for the Collective. It matters not whether the school is populated by offspring of mostly conservative, liberal, or fence sitters. Every government-run school in America is a decoy for State enslavement – for the good of the group.

For those unfamiliar with the term collectivism, it is the complete opposite of individualism. Many times my students yell the answer of the math problem, 4 – 10 = 6. The answer given is the complete opposite of the correct answer, (- 6). Leaving out the negative sign seems like such a trivial matter. I point out the ‘simple’ error more times than I care to admit. The two numbers are on opposite ends of the number line.

“The answer is correct, except for that little sign,” Mr. Walker.

The importance of building resilient communities for not only survival, but to thrive in the coming days, can not be overemphasized. Neighboring Matters was an article I wrote about the importance of community in dealing with unknown unknowns. Today, some of the unknowns are turning into knowns. Confiscation in Cyprus ring any bells?

We’re social animals and thrive in community. What we don’t do well is live in the societal super-organism called the Collective. In this living, breathing entity, the individual merely survives by sacrificing his/her own self-interest for the “good of the group” – unless you’re at the top of the elitist pyramid.

“Collectivism often sounds humane because it stresses the importance of human needs. In reality, it is little more than a rationalization for sacrificing you and me to the desires of others.” — Jarret B. Wollstein

Individualism and Community

First, let’s explore building community based on individualism. By community, I’m referring to building mutual assistance and aid based on voluntary association without force, coercion, or treat of violence.

What makes you happy?

In a community of individuals (anti-collectivists), one is able to exercise his natural right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. A moral individual wishing to pursue her happiness will find it necessary to cooperate with other like-minded individuals, not just in trading goods and services, but sharing knowledge, and developing genuine relationships as well.

The aim of building community should be to increase our quality of life. In a true free-market, these pursuits (life, liberty, and happiness) would be more easily attained.

Individuals make up a community, obviously. We’ve all witnessed how individuals come together during a crisis to serve (voluntarily) to help others in their community. Remember the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? The communities that rebounded quickly took matters into their own hands. They weren’t coerced into giving charity. They saw a need and made a decision to help neighbors.

The recovery time of any natural or manmade disaster takes longer when collectivist thinking dominates a community or society. Charity to your neighbor becomes a duty – enforced by the State. Give until it hurts or until the-powers-that-be say stop. Violating my rights in no way motivates me to give. I’ll gladly and willingly help others out of love for my fellow man and mutual benefit. However, coerce me and I resist.

No amount of guilt, force, or pressure applied by the Collective can be matched by the power of individuals motivated to pursue their own self-interest.

Individuals in the Collective are like oil and water. They don’t mix.

Collectivism and Controllers

Look no further for a shining example of that living super-organism called the Collective than our public schools. Students are trained to snitch on individuals who don’t play by the rules. Schools are a reflection of our nanny state encouraging “see something, say something”. The Powers of Fairness rule schools. Individualism is ferreted out and dealt with brutally for the good of the group. Parents chained to their office cubicles see no way out of their compassionate cage and allow the hostage taking to continue.

It’s only fair, right?

There seems to be no escape.

Ask yourself this question: Who benefits from those dependent on the Collective?

From an evolutionary point of view, bad ideas should die out. The Collective not only controls the bad idea factory, they have the State in their pocket to enforce their insanity. As the bad idea of collectivism becomes worse, it manifests destruction, an unproductive class, theft, vice, and pure evil. The Controller’s matrix punishes producers and rewards dependence. Before long, your proper position in the food chain is established.

Exposing the self-sufficiency myth

There’s a myth (or dream) floating around the prepper community about being completely self-reliant and self-sufficient. I’ve been guilty of falling for and even promoting the myth. Is it really achievable or just selling snake oil? With so many odds against us, I sometimes feel like I’m constantly selling some secret elixir out the back of a wagon.

The main obstacle to self-sufficiency is not money, resources, land, or skills. The biggest hurdle is the Collective.

That pesky Collective keeps us dependent on their matrix. I’ve got to keep my health insurance, pay for shelter, food, and other needs – rinse and repeat. Stop paying rent (property taxes) on what you may call ‘free and clear’ land or house, and the Controllers send in goons to take what you once called home. Fiat greenbacks are required to pay tribute. Bartering in this situation won’t work.

Is there a better way to earn your freedom and escape the Collective cage? Freedom and liberty trump control and forced servitude. I’ve tried to wrap my mind around living off the land, hiding in caves, or some other Hollywood Doomsday lifestyle. It’s not for me, DRG, or our loved ones. If you think you’d enjoy that lifestyle, more power to you. I enjoy things that satisfy me personally and connect me to my true nature – without extravagance. This forces me to rethink my preparedness paradigm.

Redefining preparedness 

  1. Get your mind right. Ditch the spin doctors. Whatever label you have pasted to your forehead, spinning your version of truth doesn’t apply to everyone. We’re individuals. Not groups crammed into the Collective. Absent regulatory control, the free market will expose fraud and bad ideas. The Medical Industrial Complex, Industrial Food Machine, mass media, and whoever you voted for are cogs in the collective wheel.
  2. Adopt a depression lifestyle. This one involves distinguishing between the needs and wants. Take pleasure in withholding produce from the Collective. They need me more than I need them. Play their game better than they do. Do it all legally and above-board. Shrug.
  3. Bloom where you’re planted. If you’re not already living in a sparsely populated western state, and don’t have the resources to relocate, or better yet, don’t want to relocate to what experts call the safe haven states, what’s a prepared family or individual to do? Bloom right where you are. No doubt the number of potential roving gangs of looters drops in less populated regions, but if every follower of this brand of prepping acted on this advice, wouldn’t these states quickly grow in population? Yes, but they’d all have the right mindset. Don’t be so sure of that. Follow your gut.
  4. Down size. Learn to love less. Houses, cars, gadgets, etc. Decide what’s a priority in meeting needs, not wants. Tangibles and quality equipment and tools and things that hold value over time are stuff to go after. When the balloon goes up, you’ll be glad you collected stuff smartly.
  5. Take advantage of living in our modern world with our modern conveniences. Use technology to resurrect lost skills – and make them better. Alternative energy (passive solar, hydro, and even wood gasification) will be a key element to bouncing back from chaos. Every family needs at least one geek. Khan Academy is an example of a ‘geek’ who has bypassed traditional brick and mortar classrooms to teach effectively online. The same strategy can be applied to starve the Collective and build resilience. Geek on!
  6. Resilient health. Health is wasted on youth – among other things. After our personal SHTF experience, we don’t take our health for granted. Be proactive about what you put into your body. This one act alone can reprogram your health. You’ll also need proper amounts of sleep, exercise, sunshine, play, and down time. The last thing you want is to be dependent on the medical/pharma system to keep your ticking. This is one more step in pulling the plug on the Collective.

Not everyone is going to grab the flag and lead the charge. But once one person storms the hill, they won’t be alone. Many will follow. If you haven’t begun building a group or community, it’s not too late. It’ll take some time, but it can happen, one individual at a time.

If you found this helpful, consider helping get the word out by sharing it with your social network, family, and friends. We certainly appreciate all the support we get from you!

Also, please follow me on Twitter for updates on our journey: @SurvivalSherpa

Categories: 180 Mind Set Training, Economic Collapse, Preparedness, Survival | Tags: , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

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12 thoughts on “Preparedness Community: Individualism vs. Collectivism

  1. genomega1

    Reblogged this on News You May Have Missed and commented:
    Preparedness Community: Individualism vs. Collectivism

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  2. Vikki

    I don’t know if you are a Star Trek fan, but your article reminds me of the Borg. They are a race that goes around assimilating every one they come across by force.

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  3. It’s funny you are writing about this issue of personal freedom right now. Personally, I have had my “nose rubbed in it” in the last few weeks. This is an extremely important issue that few people think about on a regular basis. (By the way, I was also horrified by what happened in Cyrus. Of course, the government stealing from the private bank accounts of the “rich” made the stealing more palatable for the masses. I know the masses will feel relief that it wasn’t them. I hope at least they have the sense to be scared.)

    People should think about the following scenario: Let’s say you live in a democratic society and they get together to vote on a issue you highly value. Unfortunately, even though you did your best to lobby against the proposed policy, the vote goes against you. Do you feel that your community “owns your life” and you must submit to their rule? Or do you think there are certain “rights” or “privileges” that people have, that are beyond the ability of even a democratic society, to “vote away”?

    Tyranny of the democratic process:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority

    Another problem is “doublespeak”. Noam Chomsky says “doublespeak” is a requirement of a democratic society because of the need to control the “public mind”. “The point is that in a… totalitarian state, it doesn’t much matter what people think because… you can control what they do. But when the state loses the bludgeon, when you can’t control people by force and when the voice of the people can be heard,… you have to control what people think. And the standard way to do this is to resort to what in more honest days used to be called propaganda. Manufacture of consent. Creation of necessary illusions.” The only bright light about that statement is that we are still free, because the state is trying to control our minds and is fighting for the control of the minds of our children!

    More about doublespeak:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak

    I love my freedom and autonomy. This is an old battle that is fought over and over again. I guess, it is just the human condition. The individual battles for freedom while the collective justifies why it must take those freedoms away. Every generation draws and re-draws that line. Unfortunately, for freedom loving people like myself, the collective usually wins.

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    • Now Caroline, liberty and freedom will trump collectivism. The key is education. I use to be a “party” man. After discovering Lew Rockwell, the scales began to fall off. I’d be very interested in your thoughts on somehow reaching kids in the public schools with the message of liberty. There’s lots of educational sites geared towards adults. I want to reach the kids with the message of natural rights, self-ownership, and personal responsibility.
      As a homeschooling mom, what’s your thoughts?

      Peace to y’all!

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  4. I have not heard of Lew Rockwell but I have heard of the Ludwig von Mises Institute though I don’t know very much about them. I have been on their website but it looks very daunting.

    As for children, I like the “Philosophy of Liberty”. If an adult can read the text even very young children get it:

    I hope you are correct and the collective doesn’t win, otherwise I will end my days in the re-education gulag.

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    • You’ll be in good company, lol.

      This is a daily stop for me: http://lewrockwell.com/

      Can’t remember when I first saw that (Philosophy of Liberty), but it was great to watch again. Thanks! Mises is a great place to learn Austrian Econ. I listen to some of their podcasts on my 30 minute commute to school in the mornings. I have to chew and re-chew some of the info.

      Another resource I’ve recently discovered is Tom Wood’s Liberty Classroom. http://www.libertyclassroom.com/ I paid to join for the college level course, but there’s other great free stuff there as well.

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  5. Wow Todd, Liberty Classroom looks very interesting. Thank you. I have a 13 year old that is asking difficult, adult-like questions about current events she is reading about in the local newspaper. I will try some of the Liberty Classroom videos with her and see what kind of conversations the videos promote.

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    • Hope it’s interesting to her. If one of my 13 year old students saw it, I’m sure they’d lose interest. You’ll be able to give her one-on-one tutoring. Let me know what you think. Have a great weekend!

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