Freedom From the Federal Government

[hellod9]

I hear from a lot of Republicans that they want less regulation. A smaller government. More freedom and independence for every day people.

I'm here to say that can be a very good thing. In fact, it can be a WONDERFUL thing. But we're not there yet. True independence takes work. If we want small government and less regulation, we need to build a society that thrives on those things.

What am I talking about? First, so much of our lives are dependent on interstate commerce. The food we eat. The cars we drive. The clothes we wear. And because these things come from far away, they fall under the domain of Federal Regulation. And in these cases, regulation is needed to keep us safe. For example, how do we know that the grapes we eat from South America are not loaded with poisonous pesticides? Or that the paint on our walls is not filled with poisonous lead?

Because the Government regulates and enforces these things. And why is this enforcement necessary? Because we can't walk to the farm and watch the farmer do his work. We can't go to the paint factory and ask them if they're using lead.

But there is an alternative. That alternative is to build the local economy. Remove the need for federal regulation by building a thriving local economy that does NOT depend on products from thousands of miles away.

How do we do this? The first step, and the most necessary step is to start supporting small local farms. Stop buying industrial food. Start buying food from people you can talk to. A strong agricultural economy is the foundation of a strong economy. If we started really supporting local farmers, it would drastically reduce the need for food regulation. It would be the foundation of a small government economy. Not only that, we'd also be a much healthier society, reducing the need for Federal involvement in health care.

The current Republican party supports big business. This support makes it difficult for "small govnerment" to be possible. Support local your local farmers. Support the local economy. Do these things and you'll support local government and NOT Federal Government.

That's what I have to say. Less regulation and a smaller government is possible. But it takes work. Do that work.

 

[techs]

Yes, my small town, 12,000 people, has already opened a car manufacturing plant, an airplane plant, a semi conductor plant and a pharmaceutical plant.

Unfortunately we don't have any oil wells so we are all just getting around by horse.

 

[xj0hnx]

Yes, my small town, 12,000 people, has already opened a car manufacturing plant, an airplane plant, a semi conductor plant and a pharmaceutical plant.

Unfortunately we don't have any oil wells so we are all just getting around by horse.

derp

 

[thraashman]

Yes, my small town, 12,000 people, has already opened a car manufacturing plant, an airplane plant, a semi conductor plant and a pharmaceutical plant.

Unfortunately we don't have any oil wells so we are all just getting around by horse.

Do you at least have a horse breeding farm?

 

[techs]

Do you at least have a horse breeding farm?

We are waiting until we can build the infrastructure for artificial insemination.
And its darn difficult to find anyone to go out and collect the semen.
Seems we deported all those who were willing to do the job...

 

[MovingTarget]

Supporting local economy is a good thing, but you cannot effectively separate yourselves from the federal government/economy and still maintain your current quality of life. We are very interconnected.

If you want that kind of freedom, go build yourself a city located in international waters. Good luck with the challenges of living amongst (or under) the waves.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Economies of scale tells this is only practical for some industries.

I already buy milk, meat, and produce that is from my state but it makes no sense to set up 50 factories for many products such as TVs and coffee pots instead of 1 or 2.

Perhaps in 300 years we'll have nanomachine replicators for making our TVs out of dirt and pizza boxes.

 

[hellod9]

Supporting local economy is a good thing, but you cannot effectively separate yourselves from the federal government/economy and still maintain your current quality of life. We are very interconnected.

If you want that kind of freedom, go build yourself a city located in international waters. Good luck with the challenges of living amongst (or under) the waves.

No, you can't maintain your quality of life. But you can change it. And fact, you might even be able to improve it.

Next summer, I'm going to do a new project. The idea is very simple: For a single month, all of the food I eat will be from local farms in a 50 mile radius. Every single thing. This means no coffee, olive oil, or McDonalds. But I do plan on having a lot of amazing meals made with super-high-quality ingredients.

Will I be able to eat the same as I normally do? Absolutely not!

Will I be able to eat delicious food for every meal? Absolutely.

If everyone did this, would it dramatically change the entire landscape of our economy? Of course!

Will it be easy? No? Should it be easy? Yes! There's a lot that needs to change to make things like this not just weird but easy and normal. Hopefully by doing this, I'll learn more about how to make that happen.

 

[zCypher]

I agree with going local... as much as possible. As has already been pointed out, there's a certain point which you will have to give something up. There's definitely tons of room for improvement as is though. For example, here in Quebec we're able to grow a lot of different food, including strawberries. Yet in our grocery stores, we almost exclusively see strawberries from California (true of many other foods in the grocery store as well). In my case I just walk to the local market and get local produce, but there's no reason why it can't be more widespread.

On the other hand, good luck trying to produce all components required for all of your computers, smartphones etc locally and buy them at the price you see now. Not gonna happen. Someone else mentioned economies of scale, that is a huge factor.

 

[Pocatello]

If Republicans say that they want less regulation. A smaller government. More freedom and independence for every day people. They should stay out of women health issue, same-sex marriage, marijuana usage, etc. I'm all for a smaller government, cut down on national defense budget, less tax, less spending, less regulations on our personal lives. On the other hands, the federal government does have important roles in helping the states. Regulations of interstate commerce, protecting our environment, controlling the , international relationship between countries, disaster reliefs, national defense, etc.

 

[techs]

If Republicans say that they want less regulation. A smaller government. More freedom and independence for every day people. They should stay out women health issue, same-sex marriage, marijuana usage, etc.

Republicans want to shrink government down to the point where it is just big enough to fit in your bedroom.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Next summer, I'm going to do a new project. The idea is very simple: For a single month, all of the food I eat will be from local farms in a 50 mile radius. Every single thing. This means no coffee, olive oil, .

Buying locally when producing locally makes sense is a good idea.

Refusing to buy coffee or other things that can't be efficiently made locally seems like silly extremism or hipster performance art.

"Let's eat only from garbage cans for a month to show how much food is being wasted!"

 

[hellod9]

Buying locally when producing locally makes sense is a good idea.

Refusing to buy coffee or other things that can't be efficiently made locally seems like silly extremism or hipster performance art.

"Let's eat only from garbage cans for a month to show how much food is being wasted!"

Of course it's silly extremism. I AM a silly extremist after all

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Republicans want to shrink government down to the point where it is just big enough to fit in your bedroom.

While you want to make it the bedroom. And the house, and the county and the planet and onward to infinity!

While there is such a thing as going too small, there's also the sense that going as far as possible is good too. It's not. Societies exist at many levels. I don't care the the Republican version, but yours? No thanks. I can wipe my own butt.

 

[Moonbeam]

While you want to make it the bedroom. And the house, and the county and the planet and onward to infinity!

While there is such a thing as going too small, there's also the sense that going as far as possible is good too. It's not. Societies exist at many levels. I don't care the the Republican version, but yours? No thanks. I can wipe my own butt.

Not me. I just want it to be as big as you can afford.

 

[werepossum]

Buying locally when producing locally makes sense is a good idea.

Refusing to buy coffee or other things that can't be efficiently made locally seems like silly extremism or hipster performance art.

"Let's eat only from garbage cans for a month to show how much food is being wasted!"

This.

 

[CitizenKain]

Because the Government regulates and enforces these things. And why is this enforcement necessary? Because we can't walk to the farm and watch the farmer do his work. We can't go to the paint factory and ask them if they're using lead.

But there is an alternative. That alternative is to build the local economy. Remove the need for federal regulation by building a thriving local economy that does NOT depend on products from thousands of miles away.

So what exactly prevents a local farmer from not properly butchering his livestock? Or a the local paint factory from using lead in their paint?
I'm a little confused on why you think a local business is somehow excused from government regulations just because they sell locally.

 

[hellod9]

Buying locally when producing locally makes sense is a good idea.

Refusing to buy coffee or other things that can't be efficiently made locally seems like silly extremism or hipster performance art.

"Let's eat only from garbage cans for a month to show how much food is being wasted!"

Ok, for my serious reply.

First of all, I think it would be stupid to eat from a garbage can.

Second of all, eating locally will be all about eating really good quality food, every single day. It's not about garbage, it about good food produced by the local community, and NOT crap food produced in some far-flung country, using unknown methods.

It's wasn't all that long ago that pretty much everybody ate local food, exclusively. Thing's are different now. Now, people mostly eat pre-packaged food that is a conglomeration of ingredients from all over the world.

The most exciting thing about this project, is not that I'm going to only eat local, it's that I'm going to eat a lot of very good food. It's going to push me to make connections with more farmers. For example, I know some pig farmers who grow really, really, good pigs. I love eating that meat. There is a local dairy here that produces really delicious milk. It's so good. The farmer's market in town also has great sources for eggs and vegetables. My Uncle-in-law is a small scale farmer, so I'll also be eating a lot of his vegetables.

BUT, I don't have a good source for wheat. I really want to have bread as part of my diet, so I'll need to find a good local grain grower.

I'll also need to think of replacements for things that are staples in my diet, such as olive oil. This will push me to experimenting and creating things I never would have tried before. Many of my usual meals are based on an "imported food" cuisine. For example, I love to make pesto. But that needs olive oil. And nuts of some kind. Neither of which are local. So, I'll need to think of a variation, using local ingredients. This will be very interesting, because it will be a truly "local cuisine." Which is actually a very exciting thought to me. I like the idea of helping develop the local food culture here. It will be a challenge. It won't be easy. But I'll learn a lot. I'll eat a LOT of really good food. I'll get even more connected into the local community. I'll meet farmers. I'll be pushed to create new recipes. I'll learn a lot about food. It will be fun. And my money will go towards local farmers, not industrial food-producers.

 

[hellod9]

So what exactly prevents a local farmer from not properly butchering his livestock? Or a the local paint factory from using lead in their paint?
I'm a little confused on why you think a local business is somehow excused from government regulations just because they sell locally.

That's actually a very good question. It gets right down to the heart of it.

A local butcher has a reputation in the local community. The success of a small business like that depends on that reputation. Additionally, if I want to know if the butcher is properly processing his livestock, I can actually pay him a visit and find out for myself. Both of these types of accountability just don't make ANY difference when dealing with food corporations, or businesses thousands of miles away. But they are extremely important when dealing with business owners who are your neighbors and your friends. And that's the big difference: I want a butcher that I can be friends with. I can't be friends with a corporation, even if that corporation is technically a person.

 

[ivwshane]

OP these people already exist, they were called hippies, now we call them environmentalists.

Good luck changing republican minds.

 

[thujone]

Buying locally when producing locally makes sense is a good idea.

Refusing to buy coffee or other things that can't be efficiently made locally seems like silly extremism or hipster performance art.

"Let's eat only from garbage cans for a month to show how much food is being wasted!"

i know people who do this... and i know you're all picturing someone picking up a sandwich or produce out of a garbage bag full of rotten milk and coffee grounds... but it's pretty far from that. mostly it's just packaged food or drinks that have been thrown out on the day of the use by date.

some friends i know once found about $300 worth of various odwalla juices sitting on the ground next to a dumpster lol

 

[Newbian]

That would work if winter wasn't here for a good 6 months a year so you can only eat snow then.

 

[Tom]

There is no government that's separate from us. That's just one basic misconception of reality that some politicians rely on to get people to vote not in their own best interest.

 

[Jaskalas]

Not me. I just want it to be as big as you can afford.

Yes dear Santa, get me everything you can this Christmas. Just don't forget about next Christmas. You may need a new line of credit, but hey, China will always lend it. You don't raise a mob on presents and then fail to deliver. The consequences would be Greek.

 

[hellod9]

That would work if winter wasn't here for a good 6 months a year so you can only eat snow then.

Actually, that's going to be a big part of the project. Even though it is happening in the summer, we are going to can a lot of food, so that we will be able to enjoy the summer's bounty well into the winter. My Grandma-in-law used to do a thousand cans in a week. We're not going to be that crazy, but preserving food for the winter is definitely part of the plan.

In addition to canning, we'll do cheese making, freeze certain vegetables, and freeze a fair amount of meat.