Opt-in to or Buy-out from authority

We all want to be free, at least we say we do. For many, that freedom is centered around financially being able to buy or do whatever is desired.

It is a funny idea really, the idea that freedom is being able to purchase things. I wonder, where did the idea come from that the indicator of being free was the ability consume more of what is desired? Where do our consumption desires come from?

Why do we want a new car that is slightly better than our last, better clothes to replace those that were perfectly fine or a high model phone that does almost exactly what the other models do, just slightly faster. Why do the things that make us feel free not only cost but are disposable, upgradable and marketed?

You obviously see where that train of thought is headed so I will skip to the chase and suggest that we have been sold a lie about what freedom and progress means and that lie, uses us to continually pad the pockets of a few.

How I see it is that we can use our resources in two ways.

Firstly, we can buy what has been recommended to us and continually spiral up our consumption. Let's say that you like Audis and buy an a1 for 20,000. You are happy with your car when you purchased it but quite soon, you are envying the look of the a3, it is more powerful, a little bigger and more of a status symbol, you work hard, save a little more and a couple years later have the 30,000 to spend, you feel good, but, that a4 for 45,000 is looking within reach...

Within 6 or so years, you may spend 95,000 on 3 cars that other than minor upgrades, bring very little change to your life. 95,000 is a little investment property paid-off, earning rent. Of course though, most don't wait until they even have the cash upfront, finance comes into play and banks are only too happy to help.

This is buying into the system and it is an endless game. Imagine there is a central authority that controls everything, (it shouldn't be hard for most here at Steemit). Imagine that freedom is being out from under the control of that authority.

Now, imagine that every purchase is a point of contact with that authority. The larger the purchase, generally the larger the surface area of contact. Houses, cars, food, everything. On top of this, each product requires additional points of contact in order to maintain it. Electricity, internet connections, fuel.

Using money to purchase in this way is actually opting into the system and because all of those things are affordable with the money you earn, it feels like freedom. But in actual fact, the more you have, the more reliance and the more points to apply pressure. How expensive does fuel get before we stop driving? How high can electricity rise before we disconnect Netflix?

Because of our manipulated desire for these things, and our sense that this is how we progress and achieve, it is very hard to give these things up. We are attached. Attached to our purchases which attach us to the hypothetical central authority.

Now, the second way to spend that hard earned money is what some people may be doing here, which is opting out of the system. To opt out requires the use of the capital to disconnect the points of contact from the authority. This takes quite a lot of planning, investment and does not seem to be cheap unless the goal is to be nomadic.

Living that simple life off-grid, takes a lot of research, work, and capital investment to do it somewhat legally. This is not highly encouraged by the system as those that do this do not add value into the authority coffers or the companies that feed it, (or it feeds them).

In some places, it is illegal to produce your own electricity unless using a diesel generator or the like, or do things like grow your own tobacco for personal use. In Australia, it is a 50,000 fine and 2 years in jail - That is much more than for marijuana, even before it was semi-legal.

This imaginary central authority does not want you to live without paying your dues, even if you can live without needing them for anything at all. There are all sorts of rules to make sure you stay connected.

Compulsory schooling for example, even if that schooling is very poor quality and potentially harmful, your child must attend otherwise child services will come knocking in many places. School is actually a place where many of those consumption desires and ties are formed through peer groups and 'education' but I will leave that for another post.

For most though, they will never consider this for the majority take the view that the majority take as their view. It is a circle that feeds itself continually. 'If everyone else wants it, how can it be bad', is the general attitude that most take. I think there are plenty of lessons from the past that should nip that thinking in the bud, yet people fight to hold onto traditions but don't learn from history (another post for that too).

I have been thinking about this for awhile now, maybe too long but, I feel I am in a catch-22 situation currently, where I want out to a place where I don't need money (that much at least), but to do so I need money to get there. I am actually 'banking' on Steemit in some way to help close some gaps in this regard and this is why I work so hard at it.

There are obvious benefits to being both in the system and out of it but a large one to be out is that in the system, an authority controls the individual, not the individual controls themselves. This authority, sorry, hypothetical authority can change the game at any point, raise prices, taxes or decide that your kind of person is not wanted and squeeze at any one of the numerous connections to it.

Having the ability to be self-sufficient if needs be means that when a squeeze comes, it effects how you live potentially, but not necessarily your freedom to live. It is hard to tie someone that can provide for themselves to something that controls their choices.

How they do it is one by one remove the rods, add permit requirements at the lakes, close access and then, when it is very difficult to cast a line, offer cheap fish.

Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]