Once in a while I listen to Dutch podcaster Robert Jensen, and about a week ago he gave an answer to the question: how do we get out of the covid crisis/madness? In short, his reply was that the people who are awake now, are already mentally out of the crisis. The moment you decide to no longer participate, you have already won.
I got that feeling from seeing our members at the first virtual meeting of our free commune-to-be. In the same way that a vaccine can ‘force’ a virus to mutate, this crisis has given freedom-loving people a push to take a necessary step towards a better form of living together.
What a wonderful group we have! All solid, down to earth people. No overemotional dreamers, no radicals, but realists with their hearts in the right place and a well-functioning moral compass.
I would like to point out to the reader that the meeting was only virtual for purely pragmatic reasons: we had members from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Flanders, Florida and yours truly from Panama. We are going to hold physical meetings as soon as possible, regardless of whether the regime dictates another Ausgangssperre (lockdown).
We are undoubtedly facing a dark winter. Businesses will close down, the unvaccinated will be discriminated against, and the propaganda will be on full blast. But as long as we have a desirable goal, there is a good reason to get up every morning and start our day. We can work towards a beautiful spring, when we give up our old lives and start on a new path.
Each of us will have to make sacrifices. We will have to leave our comfortable lives for something that is not yet certain. Rent or sell our houses that took years of hard work to build. Put our belongings in storage or on e-bay. Quit our jobs and becoming self-employed. Living off savings that are diminished by inflation or investments with unpredictable returns. At times it will be very hard.
But know that you are not alone!
Libertarians are of course against imposed solidarity. But voluntary solidarity, helping each other and being generous to those around us is perfectly fine. Now that our personal safety is at stake, we need each other no matter what. That is why it is important to make our group connection as strong as possible as soon as possible. Only then can we build a successful community, resist and make a new beginning.
Hello, I am Yanireth ( Marnix’s wife). I have been sporadically following the (fast) development of this idea that turned into a real project.
Just wanted to say that although I am a realistic person tending towards the pessimism, this post made me feel possitive about the near future, you are right in pointing out that knowing that we are not alone in wanting freedom and respect gives hopes. Hearing about the different life paths of the members of the group also got me excited about the futuere of the commune.
Looking forward to maybe meeting the group in the next reunion.
-Yanireth.