The Last Glimpses of California's Vanishing Hippie Utopias

https://www.gq.com/story/californias-vanishing-hippie-utopias

by x14km2d • 5 years ago

17 9 5 years ago

anm892• 5 years ago

Crazy question: is there any modern non hippie non communist movement to attempt a project like this.

Recently ive been interested in adopting something like an atheist mennonite lifestyle. Just move somewhere green, be self sufficient, not focus on pop culture or or politics, somewhat but not drastically reduce my reliance on modern tech and gadgets, and create a small community of like minded people.

On the other hand there's no new age spiritual or radical political philosophy. I just want to simplify my life and be in a small community of like minded people.

I intuitively feel like Im not the only one thats interested in this but have not found any organized attempt to do something like it. has anyone ever seen or heard of anything like it?

michael1999• 5 years ago

Communes emerge regularly in history as movements. But very few survive inter-generational transfer —- from California to the Negev. A bunch of kids whose parents all wanted to do something may find they have very little in common. The most successful of them face this head-on with traditions like Rumspringa, but nobody had been able to do it without a religious core. God knows, enough communists have tried.

anm892• 5 years ago

interestingly I was just watching a doc about amish people where they were saying the concept of rumspringa as it is portrayed in popular culture simply does not exist in amish society.

as he described it its more of just the period of late teenager hood before marriage. no one is encouraged to leave the community of break the rules.

ByersReason• 5 years ago

What you are looking for is an "intentional community". Google that and you will find plenty of them, and a book.

effingwewt• 5 years ago

Yea this sounds like absolute paradise to me. Some portable solar cells, get some wind power going and you can have pretty steady refrigeration, fans and evap coolers if humidity is low.

Incidentally watched this[1] just yesterday and was blown away. I keep thinking I'd rather be homeless than keep paying rent for a property I will never own. Man in the video is a genius and has worked out an amazing way to not only provide for himself but his community and neighbors as well. Made me feel so worthless. What do I do every day but go to work. I barely get to live a life with all the hours I work, and yet I have no measurable impact on humanity other than the children I helped produce.

I could die tomorrow, or tonight, and what will I have done? I would like to help us move forward somehow. Failing that I could do with living 'right' and being of value somehow. Real value.

I know so many different trades I've always dreamed of building my own home. That's not in the cards for me, but I really think I could help in a place like you described.

[1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U54HRmglYEA

Dracophoenix• 5 years ago

I don't know if you regard libertarianism or its various strains as "radical political philosophy", but it seems like the Free State Project is up your alley. That is so long as you don't mind New England winters.

zepto2• 5 years ago

These projects always need some kind of governance model because people disagree on stuff and need a way to work with that.

As a result there is always some kind of political model at work.

The Last Glimpses of California's Vanishing Hippie Utopias

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