Starting a Commune.

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

Hey Comrades, Marcos has an enquiry.

How would someone go about starting a commune, how much would it cost?

Would any comrades ever join a commune or have you done so in the past?

It seems most people who start communes are either hippies, vegan lifestylists, or people who just can't be bothered with urban life anymore, it seems there are no revolutionaries amongst them.

Some of us see it as running away, but we could still organise and agitate whilst living in a commune, it would even serve to bring revolutionaries together, total submersion in revolutionary ideology, and company.

Some land somewhere, tucked away so we don't get some landowner snooping for rent, or it could be a huge derelict house, does not have to be rural.

Any input will be apreciated.

Assante

[bcbm]

start a commune in the city

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

Yeah, why not, it could be used to home the homeless, provide shelter for those who wan't to escape care homes, and for any workers who can't pay the bills, or want to be surrounded by fellow radicals.

would be a breeding ground for revolutionary activity.

[Nachie]

a discussion about this very subject, with practical suggestions: HERE (http://www.redanarchist.org/forum/index.php?topic=30.0)

[bcbm]

nachie is now an adbot

[Nachie]

always have been, always will be

EDIT: not that there's any way you can deny that our discussion there has already reached a level of seriousness that this thread is never ever ever going to get to

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

Tbh, I think the simplest way to start a commune is to buy some land in the city, gather a group of people, and just simply pool the resources and as a group, decide how to budget it for food, clothing, extra stuff, etc. Also, maybe doing things like growing a garden or using solar panels could help to make the commune relatively independent of the system. The only problem that maybe left is how to deal with any potential leaches in the group... And with the homeless thing, you'd want to get help for them and to get them back on their feet, right? :)

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

Hey Comrades, Marcos has an enquiry.

How would someone go about starting a commune, how much would it cost?

Would any comrades ever join a commune or have you done so in the past?

It seems most people who start communes are either hippies, vegan lifestylists, or people who just can't be bothered with urban life anymore, it seems there are no revolutionaries amongst them.

Some of us see it as running away, but we could still organise and agitate whilst living in a commune, it would even serve to bring revolutionaries together, total submersion in revolutionary ideology, and company.

Some land somewhere, tucked away so we don't get some landowner snooping for rent, or it could be a huge derelict house, does not have to be rural.

Any input will be apreciated.

Assante

You could build them similar to youth hostels, summer camps, fraternities/sororities. As it is now, it seems like most of the places where people live communally are catholic or pentecostal type charities/shelter/orphanages.

Communes are stereotyped either as hippies or cultish. Also Jonestown would be a well known example of the cult commune, with Jim Jones who preached communism. So don't turn out like him.

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

yeah, i personaly am not a fan of, give them guns FTW plan.

[F9]

Communes are not the way to go, communes are doomed to fail, while for sometime seem like a way around, there is no way big powers allow for a big commune to exist, a place where they cant exploit people, get money from etc.And also getting inside the commune and think that you got to a communism is a really wrong way to go, its a choice to get inside a commune, but the continual fight for global revolution shouldnt stop a minute, just because you(we) find a place which can be described "equal".Also while communes can have their autonomy, its almost sure that the state which is, wont allow anything getting it out of their grounds, they will demand to control, then there is the choice to go on arms, or surrender.
As "cool" as they might seem, its not the way to go.

Now on how make it, just get a lot of people, some land(better own it, cause if you dont, state will throw you out in no time, if you own it though, it will be a bit harder) and its done..


Fuserg9:star:

[Robocommie]

If you start a commune, I'd recommend you not make it super isolated and make sure you leave real often and interact with the outside world, or else you could very well end up brainwashing your own damn selves. You know how Reds get, we love to hear ourselves talk. You have to keep links with the real world to stay grounded.

Because otherwise... you know, Jim Jones.

[RED DAVE]

Don't waste your time. It's a trap. it was tried over and over again in the 60s with uniform results: zilch. I know many people who tried urban or rural communes to foster the revolutionary spirit. Never worked for more than a year or so, and people got burned out running the commune.

RED DAVE

[Uppercut]

I would love to live in a commune. If you decide to build one, you might want to establish some ground rules first (like no cyanide). But I think cost would be a big issue, depending on how self-sufficient you and your comrades would like to be. It's great to have a collective being able to provide for itself, but as Robocommie said, keep in contact with the outside world in case anything goes wrong (medical and technological reasons, for example).

[F9]

Its absurd for one person alone to build a commune alone, i think the OP was asking more theoretically than asking info on how to start a commune next week...

[Uppercut]

Its absurd for one person alone to build a commune alone, i think the OP was asking more theoretically than asking info on how to start a commune next week...

I wouldn't expect someone to build a commune alone. It defeats the purpose.

[this is an invasion]

There are two reasons why a group of people would want to form a commune.

1. They want to "escape" from capitalism.

2. They see the practicality in being self-sustainable and how this would allow a group of close friends/comrades to take care of each other while organizing for attack against the state and capital.


Forming a commune so that you can escape or shut yourself away from the world is stupid, reeks of privilege, and is in no way revolutionary. But forming a commune so that you and your friends can take care of each other, so that fighting against the state and capital does not burn you out and so that you don't have to worry as much about survival, I think is a very wise decision. And one that doesn't require very much. At a very basic level, you could just pool your food stamps with all of your friends who are also on food stamps to make sure they last longer and that everyone gets food. Same thing with unemployment checks, gardens, houses, etc.

"To organize is not to give structure to weakness. It is above all to form bonds - bonds that are by no means neutral - terrible bonds. The degree of organization is measured by the intensity of sharing - material and spiritual.

From now on, to materially organize for survival is to materially organize for attack. " - The Coming Insurrection

[Nolan]

If it could be large enough (maybe 200-300 people) it would be a great way to experiment with worker's self management and direct democracy. Other than that it's sorta pointless. We'd almost have to make our own little town.