Poem: "A Country of Craftsmen"
Mar. 7th, 2019 02:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the March 6, 2019 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from satsuma. It also fills the "Artist" square in my 5-1-18 Gimmicks / Roles / Characters card in the Pro Wrestling Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by satsuma, fuzzyred, and erulisse. It belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America.
"A Country of Craftsmen"
Delaware and Pennsylvania were
settled first by the Leni Lenape,
and then by Quaker farmers.
The first attempt to implement
Georgism in Delaware in
the late 1800s failed, but
its proponents didn't give up.
In 1900, architect Will Price and
sculptor Frank Stephens got together
and established the village of Arden,
an artist colony in Delaware.
It was a single-tax town with
a radical Georgist bent.
The Ardenites formed
a close-knit community of
tolerant, free-spirited liberals.
They were nature lovers, poets,
artists, actors, and intellectuals.
In Pennsylvania, the water mills
along Ridley Creek powered
the manufacturing boom.
But Will Price had taken a look
at the industrial revolution -- and
how sick it made people -- and decided
maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.
In 1901, he founded Rose Valley as
an Arts and Crafts community.
It was not a free love colony,
it was not single tax, and
it was not communistic.
Instead, Rose Valley was
a little island of non-conformity.
For administration, they
had a town meeting
called the Folk Mote.
They built a series of mills,
mostly to make food or
raw materials for crafts --
flour, paper, textiles, furniture,
feed, bobbins, sandpaper,
books, and ceramics.
The Rose Valley Association
did not produce arts and crafts
itself, at least not at first; instead
it built houses and studios that
it rented out to craftsmen.
They published a journal of
arts and crafts, The Artsman,
and started an art gallery as well.
In 1904, Elizabeth Magie of Arden
invented the Landlord's Game to teach
about the drawbacks of capitalism --
and its alternate game, Prosperity,
which taught Georgist principles.
The community made sure that
everyone had access to land and
its natural opportunity for labor.
In 1906, they established
the first free college, called
the Henry George University.
Eager students poured into
the area, drawn by its promise.
In 1908, people founded the Arden Club
for community activity, with gilds for
everything from art to theatre
to Georgist economics.
They filled their calendar
with plays, pageants, fairs,
and Ardenite holidays.
In 1913, they built
the Crafts Shop that
offered facilities to
all kinds of creators.
They set up Arden Forge
and Arden Weavers,
whose goods became
popular in the area.
These were just villages
at first, tucked away in
quiet places, but then
they grew. They grew.
Arden spilled over its borders
to spawn two neighboring villages:
Ardentown in 1922, and Ardencroft
in 1950, both with Georgist principles.
Rose Valley, too, took up the mantle
of the single-tax system and
a more socialist society.
Because only the value of
the unimproved land and
its public improvements
like roads counted toward
taxes, people spent less on
personal property and more
on creating public works.
First Delaware and then
Pennsylvania converted to
a single-tax system, making
all of their state colleges offer
free boarding and tuition.
They created organizations
with collaborative structures
instead of competitive ones.
More and more artist colonies
sprung up, some eclectic and
others more specialized.
The buildings were both
practical and beautiful, like
those of Arden and Rose Valley.
As other states noticed that
Delaware and Pennsylvania
no longer had the same kind of
problems as everyone else, they
started to convert to Georgism.
Then people began to realize
the harm done by coal, oil,
and the other fossil fuels.
It was Rose Valley that
first explored green energy
and learned to incorporate it
into the environment.
Their architects designed
buildings sturdy enough
to hold up a living roof
or a set of solar panels.
Others used their experience
designing and remodeling mills
to invent low-impact hydroelectricity.
Windmills went up. When they
killed birds and bats, they came
right back down to be torn apart
and rebuilt better than before.
The people understood that they
had to protect the environment,
because without it, they would have
no natural opportunity for labor, and
they would all become poor like in
the bad old days of capitalism.
It was hard going, sometimes,
but they were inspired by the tales
of how people built Arden and
Rose Valley from nothing.
In the end, they became
a country of craftsmen, and
they replaced the stars on
their flag with roses.
* * *
Notes:
Arden is a Georgist community in Delaware. They use a single-tax system.
Rose Valley is an Arts and Crafts community in Pennsylvania.
The Arts and Crafts Movement spread around the world, with different iterations in different countries.
Arts and crafts have many benefits. Learn how to be artsy. Explore some projects for children and adults.
Elisabeth Magie invented The Landlord's Game. It also has an alternate version, Prosperity. This site shows a timeline and more information about the game. Among its principles is a natural opportunity for labor -- that is, land allows people to hunt, fish, gather plant foods, collect raw materials for crafts, and so on. Another appearing in later rules is the free college, promoting the benefits of universal education.
Fossil fuels have many disadvantages. We need to replace them with green energy, which has lots of advantages. Notice that peak everything means we don't actually have a choice. Sooner or later the nonrenewable resources will run out whether we have developed alternatives or not. The only choice we have is how we make that transition, not whether we make it.
A green roof is covered with plants. This has some advantages over a bare roof. However, a green roof is heavier -- sometimes much heavier -- which requires a stronger building underneath it. Consider whether a green roof is right for you and how to design one.
Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity, which has many benefits. Think about whether solar power is suitable for your area. You can hire a professional or build your own. Both options absolutely are viable and work better for different people, so consider the pros and cons for yourself and ignore anyone who tries to push you toward only one of those ways.
Low-impact hydroelectricity follows principles that minimize harm to wildlife or the environment.
Wind energy has many advantages. Unfortunately, it can kill a lot of wildlife. In our world, people usually leave the killer windmills standing and just try to invent better ones next time. In this poem, the craftsmen immediately take down the poorly designed ones, improve the design, and put up new ones. Read about wildlife safety precautions in the wind industry.
satsuma. It also fills the "Artist" square in my 5-1-18 Gimmicks / Roles / Characters card in the Pro Wrestling Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by satsuma, fuzzyred, and erulisse. It belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America."A Country of Craftsmen"
Delaware and Pennsylvania were
settled first by the Leni Lenape,
and then by Quaker farmers.
The first attempt to implement
Georgism in Delaware in
the late 1800s failed, but
its proponents didn't give up.
In 1900, architect Will Price and
sculptor Frank Stephens got together
and established the village of Arden,
an artist colony in Delaware.
It was a single-tax town with
a radical Georgist bent.
The Ardenites formed
a close-knit community of
tolerant, free-spirited liberals.
They were nature lovers, poets,
artists, actors, and intellectuals.
In Pennsylvania, the water mills
along Ridley Creek powered
the manufacturing boom.
But Will Price had taken a look
at the industrial revolution -- and
how sick it made people -- and decided
maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.
In 1901, he founded Rose Valley as
an Arts and Crafts community.
It was not a free love colony,
it was not single tax, and
it was not communistic.
Instead, Rose Valley was
a little island of non-conformity.
For administration, they
had a town meeting
called the Folk Mote.
They built a series of mills,
mostly to make food or
raw materials for crafts --
flour, paper, textiles, furniture,
feed, bobbins, sandpaper,
books, and ceramics.
The Rose Valley Association
did not produce arts and crafts
itself, at least not at first; instead
it built houses and studios that
it rented out to craftsmen.
They published a journal of
arts and crafts, The Artsman,
and started an art gallery as well.
In 1904, Elizabeth Magie of Arden
invented the Landlord's Game to teach
about the drawbacks of capitalism --
and its alternate game, Prosperity,
which taught Georgist principles.
The community made sure that
everyone had access to land and
its natural opportunity for labor.
In 1906, they established
the first free college, called
the Henry George University.
Eager students poured into
the area, drawn by its promise.
In 1908, people founded the Arden Club
for community activity, with gilds for
everything from art to theatre
to Georgist economics.
They filled their calendar
with plays, pageants, fairs,
and Ardenite holidays.
In 1913, they built
the Crafts Shop that
offered facilities to
all kinds of creators.
They set up Arden Forge
and Arden Weavers,
whose goods became
popular in the area.
These were just villages
at first, tucked away in
quiet places, but then
they grew. They grew.
Arden spilled over its borders
to spawn two neighboring villages:
Ardentown in 1922, and Ardencroft
in 1950, both with Georgist principles.
Rose Valley, too, took up the mantle
of the single-tax system and
a more socialist society.
Because only the value of
the unimproved land and
its public improvements
like roads counted toward
taxes, people spent less on
personal property and more
on creating public works.
First Delaware and then
Pennsylvania converted to
a single-tax system, making
all of their state colleges offer
free boarding and tuition.
They created organizations
with collaborative structures
instead of competitive ones.
More and more artist colonies
sprung up, some eclectic and
others more specialized.
The buildings were both
practical and beautiful, like
those of Arden and Rose Valley.
As other states noticed that
Delaware and Pennsylvania
no longer had the same kind of
problems as everyone else, they
started to convert to Georgism.
Then people began to realize
the harm done by coal, oil,
and the other fossil fuels.
It was Rose Valley that
first explored green energy
and learned to incorporate it
into the environment.
Their architects designed
buildings sturdy enough
to hold up a living roof
or a set of solar panels.
Others used their experience
designing and remodeling mills
to invent low-impact hydroelectricity.
Windmills went up. When they
killed birds and bats, they came
right back down to be torn apart
and rebuilt better than before.
The people understood that they
had to protect the environment,
because without it, they would have
no natural opportunity for labor, and
they would all become poor like in
the bad old days of capitalism.
It was hard going, sometimes,
but they were inspired by the tales
of how people built Arden and
Rose Valley from nothing.
In the end, they became
a country of craftsmen, and
they replaced the stars on
their flag with roses.
* * *
Notes:
Arden is a Georgist community in Delaware. They use a single-tax system.
Rose Valley is an Arts and Crafts community in Pennsylvania.
The Arts and Crafts Movement spread around the world, with different iterations in different countries.
Arts and crafts have many benefits. Learn how to be artsy. Explore some projects for children and adults.
Elisabeth Magie invented The Landlord's Game. It also has an alternate version, Prosperity. This site shows a timeline and more information about the game. Among its principles is a natural opportunity for labor -- that is, land allows people to hunt, fish, gather plant foods, collect raw materials for crafts, and so on. Another appearing in later rules is the free college, promoting the benefits of universal education.
Fossil fuels have many disadvantages. We need to replace them with green energy, which has lots of advantages. Notice that peak everything means we don't actually have a choice. Sooner or later the nonrenewable resources will run out whether we have developed alternatives or not. The only choice we have is how we make that transition, not whether we make it.
A green roof is covered with plants. This has some advantages over a bare roof. However, a green roof is heavier -- sometimes much heavier -- which requires a stronger building underneath it. Consider whether a green roof is right for you and how to design one.
Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity, which has many benefits. Think about whether solar power is suitable for your area. You can hire a professional or build your own. Both options absolutely are viable and work better for different people, so consider the pros and cons for yourself and ignore anyone who tries to push you toward only one of those ways.
Low-impact hydroelectricity follows principles that minimize harm to wildlife or the environment.
Wind energy has many advantages. Unfortunately, it can kill a lot of wildlife. In our world, people usually leave the killer windmills standing and just try to invent better ones next time. In this poem, the craftsmen immediately take down the poorly designed ones, improve the design, and put up new ones. Read about wildlife safety precautions in the wind industry.
*bounce*
Date: 2019-03-07 10:54 pm (UTC)@}}>-----
@}}>-----
Re: *bounce*
Date: 2019-03-07 10:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-07 11:36 pm (UTC)Probably the sort of thing they'd have in a middle-school history book.. because it sticks in the memory very easily.
Well ...
Date: 2019-03-07 11:43 pm (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-07 11:48 pm (UTC)Darn sight better built for a start, that's for sure... and probably still would've gone to the moon. [Those Apollo-era R1 engines were hand-built by senior engineers. Which is why they've been near impossible to duplicate now.]
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 05:59 am (UTC)I did my best to lay the groundwork. People seem intrigued. :D Feel free to ask for more during any relevant prompt call.
>> Darn sight better built for a start, that's for sure... <<
I imagine we wouldn't have roads and bridges falling the fuck apart.
>> and probably still would've gone to the moon. [Those Apollo-era R1 engines were hand-built by senior engineers. Which is why they've been near impossible to duplicate now.] <<
*chuckle* If you can't replicate or retro-engineer it, you know what that means! Super-gizmo. :D
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 06:13 am (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 04:19 pm (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 04:46 pm (UTC)The general gist of it isn’t too complicated after all, get some really nice silk, figure out how to sew pleats underwater & make about a million of them before gently twisting the dress up and leaving it to dry in an oven, the hard part is the skill it takes to actually do that
Almost any tradition of knit lace is able to surpass the machined varieties, I believe, I think Orenburg‘s ‘wedding ring’ shawls are most famous for this but you don’t see many people out there matching Queen V’s Shetland lace either
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 06:13 pm (UTC)It's not that we don't know how to make pleats in silk, it's that we don't know how to make them permanent in the same way that Fortuny did. And yes, anyone who's familiar with the problem will immediately see how labor intensive it is.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 02:51 am (UTC)I imagine Byrdcliffe NY was able to get their artists-in-residence program up and running a LOT sooner in this universe than ours. So much pretty art! (Provincetown MA might also be a good new england nexus, they were already established long before A&C but they had an art renaissance in the late 19800's-early 1900's that could have gone further if they'd had more support, esp stuff like the Cape Cod School of Art)
Yes and...
Date: 2019-03-08 03:19 am (UTC)Yes probably! Also the amazing furniture makers in Grand Rapids, MI would likely have continued to flourish and the crafts programs at Hull House in Chicago, already moderately successful in L-America would have been much more successful.
Re: Yes and...
Date: 2019-03-08 04:06 am (UTC)C-America's Hull House would be FASCINATING to see! One of Arts and Crafts failings is that it was very white, and assumed a fairly low population density. Hull could've helped solve both of those problems, and was fairly influential right at the time this poem splits from our America, where they could make the most difference
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 06:03 am (UTC)Yes, I agree.
>> but they both do definitely have that "what if American history was a little less horrible" vibe so it makes sense they'd have a fair number of similarities as well! <<
I've done a bunch of different alt-history settings and it's fascinating to see the directions they take and when the major divergence points are.
>> I imagine Byrdcliffe NY was able to get their artists-in-residence program up and running a LOT sooner in this universe than ours. So much pretty art! <<
That sounds plausible.
>> (Provincetown MA might also be a good new england nexus, they were already established long before A&C but they had an art renaissance in the late 19800's-early 1900's that could have gone further if they'd had more support, esp stuff like the Cape Cod School of Art) <<
Possible.
I think C-America would not have the municipal artists that Terrmagne does, though, precisely because they have so many creative folks. Instead of that being a separate job, you'd just announce at the town meeting, "We need to replace 20 park benches. Sculptors, submit your designs at the park office. We'll whittle that down the best dozen and then let citizens vote on their favorite 4 to make 5 benches each."
Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-07 11:43 pm (UTC)I imagine that they have a lot more things like Timberline Lodge there.... And other cool public/semi-public architecture.
I also imagine that while the Great Depression probably did occur, it was probably a *lot* less bad. Did the Dustbowl happen or were they able to prevent some/all of that? It sounds like the primary divergence points in the timeline were in the 1890s and 1900s. I wonder if the settlement patterns were much different in this timeline in terms of people pushing west?
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-07 11:57 pm (UTC)Yay! :D
>> I imagine that they have a lot more things like Timberline Lodge there.... And other cool public/semi-public architecture. <<
Yep. Because private improvements don't raise the calculated value of the land, they're only useful for personal amusement. The incentive to make public or semi-public improvements is much stronger. I would guess that semi-public improvements (e.g. the common house and swimming pool in a subdivision) would count even if they're not open to absolutely everyone, because they're not restricted to a single owner.
Another fantastic advantage of this approach is that when you have tons of great public facilities, you don't need as much private space. A public pool minimizes the need for private ones, saving lots of water. A common house with a shared kitchen/dining room, gym, playroom and bookable living rooms, meeting rooms, guest rooms, etc. makes it much more feasible for people to have smaller simpler houses. Cut the "yard" down to a minimum and share the common green, then you have more space that you can use than if you had only the slightly larger yard you could afford. Cohousing does this.
>> I also imagine that while the Great Depression probably did occur, it was probably a *lot* less bad.<<
At least in states that already had a good jump on democratic socialism.
>> Did the Dustbowl happen or were they able to prevent some/all of that? <<
Well, there's no getting around climate hijinks. However, I would bet they avoided the worst of the "Okie" problem. An Arts and Crafts community is quite well equipped to absorb more workers. You might need to switch from large-spectrum farming to more intensive gardening, and from large craft projects to smaller ones, to deal with the resource flux, but it'd work out okay.
>> It sounds like the primary divergence points in the timeline were in the 1890s and 1900s. <<
Yes, that's where it really started branching off. The farther downline you go, the more different it gets from our world.
>> I wonder if the settlement patterns were much different in this timeline in terms of people pushing west? <<
Some, but it's less about settlement and more about development. Most of the settlement damage was already done, in terms of murdering people to steal their land and goods. But that early, not much of the city growth had happened yet. They would avoid the grievous mistakes like building huge cities way outside their water budget, or making giant dams that wrecked the salmon population, etc.
There's also a huge difference because they just weren't as keen on the industrial revolution. They spotted its drawbacks sooner and took steps to minimize both the amount of automation and its output. By keeping people more involved in producing food and goods, less attention went into developing financial products or other virtual work, which means a less stressful and more healthy lifestyle for people.
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 01:38 am (UTC)Apartments and other multi-unit dwellings probably look a lot different in this world than they do in ours - more emphasis on attractive and useful common spaces. For a tight-knit group or extended family you probably have things that have a lot in common with Roman villas with a little bit of private space and a lot of common space. I imagine that central courtyards are common, especially in dwellings that house a significant number of people. For apartment-type situations I imagine that individual units would consist of several bedrooms clustered around a generously sized living room/kitchen area and that these could be shared by a family or several single people since they give a nice mix of privacy and common space (especially if for several singles everyone has their own bathroom) and that these would be accompanied by well-appointed common spaces shared between the community. A hollow square layout where most units had balconies that faced a central courtyard would give everyone access to a nice amount of greenspace and hallways or walkways that that face the outside of the complex could let in light from that side.
People would probably tinker a lot in this society.... They'd work at something(s) and then they'd go home and putz around on their own projects. Or maybe not home but to a workshop in their neighborhood that they shared with a few other compatible people. People in this society probably don't bowl alone, do they?
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 02:05 am (UTC)Likely so.
>> For a tight-knit group or extended family you probably have things that have a lot in common with Roman villas with a little bit of private space and a lot of common space. I imagine that central courtyards are common, especially in dwellings that house a significant number of people. <<
In fact the villa model works well in Mediterranean climates anywhere, along with arid and subtropical ones. Once you get far enough to have plentiful snowfall, though, the courtyard kind of turns into a giant drift trap. :/ However, you can get a somewhat similar effect by expanding to an apartment complex of separate buildings around a central commons.
>> For apartment-type situations I imagine that individual units would consist of several bedrooms clustered around a generously sized living room/kitchen area and that these could be shared by a family or several single people since they give a nice mix of privacy and common space (especially if for several singles everyone has their own bathroom) and that these would be accompanied by well-appointed common spaces shared between the community. <<
Apartment suites work very well, as do boarding houses. You need a wide range of sizes and styles to suit everyone's needs.
>> A hollow square layout where most units had balconies that faced a central courtyard would give everyone access to a nice amount of greenspace and hallways or walkways that that face the outside of the complex could let in light from that side.<<
There are multiple ways to do this:
* Outer residences, inner walkways.
* Outer walkways, inner residences.
* Residences that go through the whole building, with access to both outer and inner perimeter. Often these have interior stairwells or elevators for access, instead of wraparound walkways.
Each of those is good for different personalities and places.
>> People would probably tinker a lot in this society.... <<
Yes they would.
>> They'd work at something(s) and then they'd go home and putz around on their own projects. Or maybe not home but to a workshop in their neighborhood that they shared with a few other compatible people.<<
I think most neighborhoods would have at least one maker space, and probably several. So there might be a woodshop, a metal shop, and a studio for artists. Creative types like poets, playwrights, and musicians would probably congregate at a coffeehouse or other mixed venue for socializing, creating, and performing. Those are more local versions of the Arts and Crafts village where most of the space is designated for making stuff.
I bet they still make cathedrals instead of modular churches, too. :D
>> People in this society probably don't bowl alone, do they? <<
Probably not. It's much more sociable and communal compared to our version of modern America.
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 03:16 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:13 am (UTC)For reference, though, some communities have a range of dwelling types. There might be little private cottages for 1-2 people, small family homes, an apartment building, and a sharehouse where each person has a bedroom and bathroom with the rest common areas. Also, some plans put everyone on the same square, while others put the homes in little clusters so people can form small groups.
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-09 03:32 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:51 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 07:40 am (UTC)Note that you can retrofit a regular neighborhood for intentional neighboring. Either take an empty house and turn it into a common house, or build a common house on a vacant lot.
In your part of the world, look for infill neighborhoods. These happen when a larger plot gets broken down into smaller ones and redeveloped, often as cohousing or some other model that involves small private homes and a common house.
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 02:57 am (UTC)One of the interesting laws RL-America's Rose Valley has is that residents have the legal right to walk on each others property. I have a few relatives who live there & the hiking paths zigzag between public and private land without making any distinction between the two.
The amusing flipside of course, is that sometimes you're changing and you glance out the window and realize there's a whole family outside admiring the architecture
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 03:15 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 03:51 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 09:09 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:11 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:16 am (UTC)Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:09 am (UTC)Land in Arden can't be sold, only leased. I wouldn't be surprised if Rose Valley has some related arrangement. Stuff like that can really chance land use.
>> The amusing flipside of course, is that sometimes you're changing and you glance out the window and realize there's a whole family outside admiring the architecture<<
There are several ways to handle that in architecture. Several are very common in Craftsman homes. One is to use stained glass or frosted glass for windows on the ground floor or overlooking the commons. Another is to raise the main floor above eye level. A third is simply that most Craftsman houses are up-and-down designs. The ground floor has, say, a foyer, living room, dining room, and kitchen; the bedrooms are all upstairs.
You absolutely do have to consider how land use will affect housing. For reasons of safety and sanity, each society needs to create a range between public and private space. Frex, the street is public, the front yard and porch are semi-public, the living room and dining room are semi-private, and the bedrooms are private. But if your house is on a commons instead of a separate yard, you're likely to have people wandering close to the house, so you really want those more private rooms in a more protected place than right next to the commons.
Re: Finally found my words
Date: 2019-03-08 06:22 am (UTC)I know L-Rose Valley does have more private land ownership than L-Arden, apparently the original settlers felt that one of the failings of Arden was that the leasing model wasn’t conducive to people staying invested in the community long-term, but I dont know the exact details off hand. I think Winterthur holds a lot of the records for both communities so I could probably email them and ask, if anyone is interested?
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-08 12:51 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2019-03-08 01:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-08 01:06 am (UTC)Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 01:16 am (UTC)I myself like the idea of socialized needs and capitalized wants. Everyone deserves the right to a safe and fulfilling job, a decent home, a healthy diet, good health care, etc. If you want a mansion, you could choose to work more hours for it.
That said, the Prosperity version of The Landlord's Game really is extremely enlightening. If this topic intrigues you, I recommend that you look through the timeline and explore the different rules as they evolve.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 01:20 am (UTC)That makes a lot of sense to me. It seems like even in our own timeline that is the direction in which the more civilized societies are going.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 01:26 am (UTC)An exception is Bhutan, who invented the tracking of Gross National Happiness, but they've put a lot of concerted effort into shoring up that factor under a very different social system. You get what you reward -- and what you measure.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 03:21 am (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2019-03-08 06:15 am (UTC)The cool thing about Georgism is that it scales well. You start on a local level, then build up from there. It is fractal, like the way a tree has a trunk, branches, twigs, and leaves.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-08 03:57 am (UTC)Once the local system is solid, of course, you can start looking for like minded people elsewhere and start collaborating with them to build up national networks, but it's very much a bottom up method of thinking (which definitely also has flaws, there's no such thing as a true utopia, but it seems like the most logical way for A&C to have developed, given the starting point)
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-08 05:39 am (UTC)A lot of people, including me, apply that same principle to food. You don't have to have gone to the Cordon Bleu school in France to make puff pastry or bouillabaise. Every time I come across a dish I've never tried before and enjoyed it, I go out of my way to find out (or figure out) how it's made, so I don't have to pay restaurant prices for it, and I can prepare it at home. (Lately I've been teaching myself Sichuan style Chinese cooking, which is very spicy, and the spices are prepared in ways that most "Western" cooks aren't familiar with.)
I guess with economics and politics, it's like food - it's always better for you if it's homemade.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-08 06:28 am (UTC)It’s also more conducive to bartering and trades, so you could ask someone who’s good at gardening to grow strawberries for jam in exchange for splitting the finished product, or swap knitwear for minor house repair jobs, etc
(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-09 02:54 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2019-03-09 04:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-03-09 08:37 pm (UTC)I didn't realize till nearly the end that this was neither L- nor T-America. Good stuff!