Everyone equal? We peasants maybe, but not our ruling masters who will continue to live large and well. Socialism is well described in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Well, he does live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
I see nothing wrong at all with his lifestyle choice, as long as we recognize that if everybody tried to do this we’d all starve to death, except for the most successful cannibals.
But society can afford a few eccentrics, and his lifestyle is certainly less parasitic than the crony capitalists and welfare mooches.
I don't remember Christ eating roadkill.
Yet another whose lifestyle choice is viable ONLY because of the aggregate luxury of our society.
Kudos for achieving a happy (for him) life while remaining extremely frugal. I can appreciate & respect that (hey, see my tagline). It's a bit skewed, however, as much of what he enjoys is thanks to the overflow of abundance from those who create value; full-on capitalism is more fair as people are more aware of exchanging value for value.
So basically - he is the origin of species for the Occupy movement... except somewhere along the de-evolutionary journey, the modern Occupy folks forgot how to actually do for themselves (like scavenge food, eat what is available).
“new normal” ping
Can get pretty freaking cold in SE Utah in the winter.
"Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat."
“Nor does he buy food or clothes, or own any product with a lower case “i” before it”
Sorry occupiers. No iPad for you!
I feel this man is not really “independent.”
I believe that regardless of his “free” lifestyle now, when TSHTF in his life, and he gets sick or infirm, he will wind up on the public dole. Again, that is NOT being independent. Its just being “cheap.”
If he is truly willing to live through all the consequences of his lifestyle, then I applaud him - but I doubt he will.
we should be glad that Dan Rather has been successful in finding a new way to live.
I have to say I identify with this guy some what because I live a frugal lifestyle... about as frugal a lifestyle as a person possibly can without entering a cave.
Actually that’s not true. I do live in a cave...kind of a fiberglass cave. when I saw which way the 2008 election was going, I bought a fixer upper sailboat for about 4.5 k. still some engine work, but getting her ready to go... gotta have options.
Very cheap way to live, if you have a positive attitude and minor handyman skills a big plus. Liveaboard community is very helpful to people starting out as long as they’re cool. if rip offs for a holes come among them they can get a little wild west to cleanse the community so to speak.
Wealth is different from money. Man by nature possesses the faculty of reason and is a rational being. Wealth is the term for economic goods that function to satisfy natural needs and acquired desires of people who desire to live the life proper to a rational being. The needs and desires for wealth are limitless.For those who practice asceticism, which claims to find value in self-denial for its own sake, there is nothing to say except that wealth is the means to better health and longer life, as well as to greater enjoyment of life. Thus, the value of wealth is logically implied in the very concept of human values which presupposes the existence of living human beings who value their lives.
In a modern division of labor society, money is necessary as an efficient means of indirect exchange. And money enables the division of labor to radically intensify-to the point where each individual finds it to his interest to produce or help to produce just one or at most a very few things, for which he is paid money, which he in turn uses to buy from others virtually all that he himself consumes.
If all 7 billion people on the planet became this type of scavenger we’d need about 500 more Earth-type planets to sustain them all.
His vices would have to be at an all time low:
No cigarettes
No drugs
No alcohol
No chew tabacco
No coke
No DEODORANT - phew!
Maybe not exactly the lifestyle of the guy in the article, but he sure brought this song to MY mind!
King of the Road:
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain’t got no cigarettes
Ah, but..two hours of pushin’ broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I’m a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination...Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out suits and shoes,
I don’t pay no union dues,
I smoke old stogies I have found
Short, but not too big around
I’m a man of means by no means
King of the road.
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children, and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain’t locked
When no one’s around.
I sing,
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain’t got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin’ broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I’m a man of means by no means
King of the road.
Nothing left to tax on this guy.....except his BREATHING!!!!!
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/taxing_us_for_breathing.html