Two great diaries have been posted today, both prompted by the outpouring of support for Meteor Blades and his family.
AaronBa and
Raybin both had great diaries on this, and started me thinking about our community, and its as yet untapped potential.
We stand by one another in times of hardship. It's a sign of a strong community. Whether the affirmations of support for Meteor Blades and his family (quickly approaching 1000 comments, without counting the diaries commenting on the diary supporting MB) or the support offered to Kos and his family not too long ago, when his wife was traveling in PA to see a dying relative, we stand together. And too, a collection plate is passed on occasion in Pastordan's virtual chapel, an offering of financial support for his ministry here.
more below...
Beyond these examples of support for personal needs, there is of course the political cooperation that takes place here. Just look at the attention drawn by Chuck Pennacchio's PA Senate campaign. How much support, both in goodwill and in cash will he draw because of committed supporters on this site? For most of us, that kind of cooperation across state and regional boundaries is what first drew us to this place.
So. doesn't it seem like we ought to be able to turn this support network to economic ends?
AaronBa wrote,
I grew up on the periphery of attempts to develop new types of community in America.
Is there a way of taking this real, viable connection we have, and doing some part of what small communities have tried to do over and over again in this country? How do we apply the tools of the wired economy to the ideals of the Utopian economy?
This community is released from the limitations of geography. People don't have to uproot their families and move to Shaker Heights OH, or New Harmony, IN, or Oneida, NY to put their ideals into practice. We don't require our members to cut themselves off from the outside world, and in fact, just the opposite. Participation here is enriched by and strengthened by a commitment to one's local community. Membership in this community doesn't have the finality and absolute commitment of the 19th century utopian groups, and that certainly changes the equation, some for the positive, some for the negative. (for forming a community).
So what are the things we could be doing together? Are there folks here who are in a position to hire some like-minded Kossacks as wired workers? What are the business enterprises that work best in a geographically distributed organization? Could we be the next Google? Or Amway! ;-)
What about the social safety net? could a Kossack Mutual Aid society come together? You're a contributing part of the community, and you're declaring bankruptcy due to family medical bills? We'll step in, and work to support you in your time of hardship. Somebody has to. You have to retire, and the rethugs have been successful at decimating Social Security? We'll help all we can.
Once upon a time in America, workers stepped out of their home, and walked down the street to work. People lived and worked in the same place; their workplace, their neighbors, their children's schools, all were an integrated web of connections that bound the community together. Our communities of place have lost much of that connectedness, but what if we can find those links here, in our community of belief? What could we become if we, as a community, become the change we wish to see?
Update [2005-4-5 14:29:51 by Austin in PA]: - See [this http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/5/133053/1390] diary that I missed while writing mine. Some ideas just percolate up to the surface all at once.