The 5th Empire - Build Back Better

Things are rapidly deteriorating. All around us we see signs of madness and decay, and it's clear that no-one is coming to our rescue. We're left to sort things out ourselves.

Going forward, we're likely to see things deteriorate even further, to the point where things can get desperate. Those who aren't properly prepared by then are likely to suffer greatly. However, it's not immediately clear what constitutes proper preparedness, and without the correct view of this, we're likely to fail in our efforts to sail through the storm without too many losses. First step towards a better future is therefore to understand the problem at hand, which is the lack of community spirit in our everyday lives.

We are so focused on issues beyond our control that we've lost the notion of community, and in this lies great danger. Without community, we cannot trust anyone, we cannot reliably trade and we cannot reliably find employment. Everything becomes dependent on politicians and the elite, and they have little concern about individuals and communities, especially those remote from their lair. We must therefore build our own networks, and this must be done with community in mind.

The survivalist approach, with bunkers and arms is not going to work. Isolation is not the solution. Our current tribulations may well last for decades. The decay may not even be all that violent. Outside some big city hot spots, things are more likely to be marked by a slow and depressing decay than riots and violence. The way to survive such decay is through community rather than isolation.

What is required is not some grand break from the present system, but a refashioning of the way we do things. We need to focus on community rather than politics, and we need to do this through all channels. This is the non-binary approach. We neither cut our ties completely with the current system nor tie ourselves closely to it. We unwind our unhealthy relations in an orderly manner while building on what we see as benefiting our circle of friends, family and neighbours.

What makes this approach new and novel is our ability to communicate with individuals all over the world. This means that I don't have to be physically close to someone in order to benefit from their services. I have family all over the world. Many of whom I can help in some mutually benefiting way. Local lending rules makes it possible for me to access credit in ways that are impossible for family members in Norway. I can therefore help people in Norway get access to credit for the purchase of a house in exchange for security in gold coins that they have saved for this purpose. One of my children in Norway can hold this security until the loan is paid back.

All sorts of mutually benefiting exchanges are possible provided we stay on friendly terms. The same goes for local community, as outlined in my book. I make a point of being on friendly terms with all my neighbours. We buy stuff in local stores. We talk, and we gossip. This is how communities work. There's nothing radical in this. It's pleasant and informal, requiring no commitments from anyone.

Locally acquired art and furniture