This thinking harks back to the medieval period in European history, where both Germany and Italy flourished under a system based on city states. Many of these states were extremely oppressive, yet people prospered because the economic conditions within each state had to be sufficiently liberal to attract labor and capital.
It should be noted that this system rose out of the ashes of the Roman empire, a highly centralized state that fell into chaos when it finally collapsed. Rome, which started out as a libertarian experiment in which people were free to live as they chose, ended up as a centralized, highly totalitarian and militarized federation. The history of Rome has in this respect much in common with the history of the US.
If we use history as our guide, we can anticipate an end to the US similar to that which befell Rome. To start with, remote areas break free and become autonomous. What is today Portugal, was the first bit of prime real-estate to break free from Rome. In the space of a few years, roman officials were replaced by Suebi and Arian kings who issued their own currency and ruled by their own laws. This would be similar to the US federal government in Washington D.C. losing Southern California to Mexican lords who promptly issue their own laws and currency. While this may sound extremely dramatic, it doesn't have to be. The transition from Roman to Suebi and Arian rule was swift and non-violent. Things had deteriorated so much under roman mismanagement that there was little will to oust the newcomers who re-established many of the liberties lost under late roman totalitarianism. Given a similar situation in a location remote from Washington D.C, sentiments may end up similar: Rather some degree of liberty under foreign rule than tyranny from domestic but remote rulers.
What happened in places closer to Rome, such as Italy and southern Germany, was far more violent. Rome was not going to give up control of local areas as willingly as it gave up more remote areas. However, roman soldiers were in the end unable to defeat the myriad of self proclaimed lords within their empire. Badly paid, and mismanaged, roman soldiers defected to rich land lords. The soldiers became well paid mercenaries, known today as knights, and the system of city states was born. Rich and powerful families lay claim on what had once been roman land.
It seems likely that we are headed for similar turbulent times going forward. Central governments, be it in Washington, Brussels or Beijing are becoming increasingly totalitarian. Their economic mismanagement is also becoming increasingly clear. Fanatics are everywhere. Virus control freaks and climate alarmists abound. The insanity is breathtaking. Party politics is a mad house with decrepit corruption and fanatics everywhere, and media portrays it all as if there's no other way than to either join in the madness or face prosecution. However, there's a rather simple alternative available to us:
The first thing we need to do is to free ourselves from party politics. Once we see it as the circus that it really is, we no longer feel the urge to join any of the sides, and we reduce risk to ourselves in the process. We are not picking any side. We look for ways to avoid the insanity as much as possible.
Second step is to pick a secluded and relatively sheltered location to live. A small industrial town with close connections to the surrounding countryside is a good pick. So is a village or a self sufficient neighborhood in a larger town. Large cities, relying heavily on political and financial power should be shunned. They are in danger of collapse. With few people with practical skills, total chaos will erupt if remote towns and villages suddenly stop paying tribute.
A vital part of freeing ourselves from the political and financial centers that seek to rule over us is to free ourselves from their money. We must own and control our own money. We must keep any fiat savings to a minimum. Savings should be invested in productive capital, real-estate and precious metals, with all three of these allocations being under direct control by us. Owning a house in a remote location is begging for trouble because such an allocation is easily confiscated by government officials.
Once we have all our possessions firmly under control, we have achieved the most important aspect of radical decentralization, and we are well prepared for any systemic collapse that may happen. However, without a well established network of friends and family, we will still be vulnerable. Without like-minded people to interact with, we're still exposed to the whims of the elites and their minions, and it may be this fact that is the true motivation behind the frantic promotion of social distancing that is currently pushed so hard by the media.
Fortunately for us, it's virtually impossible to discern a radically decentralized citizen from a socially isolated subject. Those of us intent on liberty do not engage in party politics. We're not loudly proclaiming things in the streets. We're not constantly arguing politics on Facebook. We're simply minding our own business, and we make contacts with people one by one, sometimes through the web, and other times through conversation. My children are all introduced to the basic ideas of radical decentralization. They in turn, influence friends in ways similar to the way I do.
There's a large silent minority, all making preparations for things to come. But we're not going to see any of these people make much fuss. They will keep a low profile until after the collapse. That's when they will move into the town halls and local governments throughout the land. They will sever ties to higher governing bodies, and they will issue their own currencies based on gold and silver.
The new world order will not be the highly centralized world government that is the pipe dream of every totalitarian troll inhabiting the UN. We are headed for a radically decentralized future. We will live in small industrial and agricultural communities. We will grow food locally, and only trade stuff that cannot just as well be produced locally. This is not a world of self sufficient isolation. We will still get our oranges and bananas, cod fish and tuna. But it will not be siphoned through mega corporations controlled by big government. It will be done through intelligent networking. The future will be a mix of high tech connectivity and small size entrepreneurship. There will be the occasional mega company. But they will only exist due to some brilliant invention. They will not rule the world through political and financial deceit.
We are about to return to the social organization that dominated the medieval age, only far more prosperous and high tech. Those best prepared for this change will be the winners. Those who stubbornly refuse to make the transition will be as destitute as those who sided with Rome during its collapse. Poverty, hunger and violent death was common among those who failed to adapt to the new system.
By Gordon Hatton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
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