This is quite outrageous but entirely predictable. As people turn their backs on the consumption and waste based paradigm and opt out of the system, authorities are increasingly stamping down on them, saying they represent a 'nuisance'. Whether it's for raising funds for their cash-strapped authorities or simply out of a naked hatred for anyone who likes they may be getting something for free, people are having their lives turned upside down by over-zealous officials with 'nuisance abatement' enforcement orders.
It's not just in the US that this is happening, but it does seem to be there that the worst abuses of it are occurring. Who'd have thought that rainwater could be private property (as in Colorado) or raw milk would be illegal, or organic kitchen gardens would attract the attentions of the police? Where else in the world is it illegal to dig up your lawn and plant vegetables?
Where do you go if you have no income or marketable skills and you are turfed off your own land by gun wielding cops? Where do you go if opting out is illegal but opting in is impossible?
As the video above shows, the only way to combat this insanity is to stick together as a group, know your rights, and make a loud fuss about it.
The USA was so critical of the lack of private property rights in Communist states, yet doesn't respect them at home.
ReplyDeleteI have thought US style "zoning" was silly ever since I started playing SimCity 2000 as a child.
A UK example is how the planning permission system has caused problems for people wanting a low-energy, low-impact home.
The corporate developers however, building hundreds of conventional houses, and supermarkets on greenfield sites, where in practice many will be reliant on driving private cars for most everyday transport, know their way around the planning system, and have money to take things to appeal if they need to.
I'm currently engaged in just such a struggle right now with Cornwall Council which I'll write about on my Fox Wood blog soon enough. Seems that if you want to do anything sustainable that will benefit the earth then you have to jump through hoops and face sustained pressure and even persecution.
DeleteHowever, we have turned this around and are now in a more powerful position because they forced our hand. Basically we have set up a woodland and greenwood skills revival group and got the local community behind us. Turns out the council have little clue when it comes to the law, in any case.
I'm not sure of the UK equivalent, but in the US the "homeowner's association" for suburban developments or city-living condo dwellers is a viper's nest of obstruction and larceny via rules. The boards are composed of unit owners whose ostensible purpose is to keep the place in good shape, but end up imposing what color things can be painted or what furniture you can keep on your patio.
ReplyDeleteI was once threatened with outrageous fines for putting up a clothesline, and faced outright panic when I wanted to install a heat pump. My current small in-city development has such a clothesline ban in its founding documents, but fortunately it has no homeowner's association to enforce it.
At least as things wind down, these kinds of rules will be more flagrantly ignored. People will have a lot more to worry about.
Derek
dex3703.wordpress.com
Luckily, as far as I know, we don't have homeowners associations. I did encounter something similar in Denmark when I attempted to grow some tomatoes on the balcony of our flat rather than the standard issue geraniums - and was met with resistance.
DeleteI also found out that the local council had 'hedge police' who would come and harass you if your hedge was not neatly trimmed. Indeed, when we owned a house there with a garden, I immediately set about converting it to a permaculture wildlife haven. I dug a pond and planted all sorts of bushes and shrubs. I considered this to be 'normal' - but we soon had neighbours leaning over the fence expressing concern that this was far from normal behaviour.
When we sold the house, however, the new owner more or less immediately filled in the pond, cut down all the plants and built a huge car port. A patch of lawn and some gravel was all that remained when I peeked over the fence a year later.
I always used to be a bit embarrassed coming back to the UK after a visit to, say, France: so many of our houses and yards looked so scruffy by comparison. Now, however, I see it as a good thing. Good luck to any petty-minded official trying to clear up our 'mess'!
Made my blood boil to watch that video. I guess though the same is not true all over the USA, some parts of the land are freer than others and as the US breaks up as predicted by John Michael Greer, its easy to see that fascism will feature big time.
ReplyDeleteI'm not aware of such pernickity activity in the UK and here in Lincolnshire there are several eyesores which have been created because of planning impasses with local councils that cannot be removed by those councils.
There is definitely an apartheid system when it comes to rural land development. If you own over 12.5 acres things are much easier than for small holders. It will have to change. The only way this country can feed itself, which it may have to do eventually, is productive areas of countryside are turned over to a mass of allotments with many more people living on the land. That will have to be over the dead bodies of some local councillors, planning officials and landholders. I'm sure this attitude can be beaten by community action and Jason I look forward to hearing how it goes for you and I wish you every success.
Here in the UK we seem to be obsessed with visual/aesthetic 'nuisances'. I keep hearing about people living secretly in woods around the UK, terrified of being found out by the authorities.
DeleteIn my view we need to overturn the ridiculous laws in place that effectively make the countryside open only to big business and/or a a playground for the rich. Mind you, there are actually some enlightened councils/councilors out there (although precious few enlightened politicians), so we shouldn't lose hope.
My grandad lived in Antelope Valley. I used to go and visit him there.
ReplyDeletePoliticians are weasels in service of the Matrix. They do whatever the master programming tells them to do, and then the goons go and enforce whatever that is.
Those people can't live out in the middle of the desert, without needing anything from BAU, because they are free, and free is not what the Matrix wants. It wants dumb ass servants whom question nothing but the two choices on the idiot panel. What flavor of dumb ass political bullshit do you want?
You grandpa lived there?!
DeleteI'm fascinated by that kind of semi-nomadic desert lifestyle. Not sure why ... I just am. It has a certain apocalyptic feel to it, as if people have been driven to the margins of existence.
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ReplyDeleteThank you Jason for bringing this to our attention. As energy depletion rears its ugly head and that which has been taken for granted is taken from the weak by the powerful more such injustice will happen unless as a people we stand our ground and scream for equality and justice. What do I mean by equality? Many things, but most importantly human rights. These people are living on their own land in their own way bothering nobody. My rights stop where yours begin and my rights begin where yours stop. It is a simple and basic equation and what is happening in Antelope Valley is inexcusable.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking the land is being cleared for a corporate run solar farm. I'm just making a wild guess but there is a lot of sun there and a ready market for it nearby. A pox on Michael D. Antonovich!
Maybe you are right about the solar farm. It does seem that somebody has got it in for them, and money is usually at the bottom of these things.
DeleteIt's scary how there should be considerable number of people who knows what to fight for before they can fight for their right.
ReplyDelete