My Stateless Neighbors: The Amish

Lew Rockwell ^ | 07/22/02 | William L. Anderson

[ProudAmerican2]

They are not socialist because they own their own property and business.

I don't know about the Amish, but the Hutterites (another Anabaptist group) live in community and do not individually own anything. The members of the colony do not even have individual checking accounts.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Actually, with the run-away deer population in Iowa and Missouri, they're probably doing us a service...

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks for the very informative post. Makes me want to go out and form a new sect: The Temple of the Non-Government-Relying Governs Least Governs Best True Believers!

[Clovis_Skeptic]

To think I would tend to make fun of the Amish, and their lifestyle, but when you look a little closer, they seem to be ahead of the game dont they?

[Inge_CAV]

"To think I would tend to make fun of the Amish, and their lifestyle, but when you look a little closer,they seem to be ahead of the game dont they?"

I agree, you hit the nail square on the head!

[AnAmericanMother]

HERE's a trotting horse:

Wish he belonged to me! What a beauty!

[Lizavetta]

There are many Christian families actually attempting to work to a more "simple" lifestyle that I know, particularly the "quiverful" crowd. While they don't give up all modern conveniences, they have moved in baby steps towards things that don't seem so commen anymore--growing a small garden, canning it, sewing many of thier own clothes, ditching the television, homeschooling, etc. There certainly is at least a small movement among Christians towards this.

It's called homesteading, and it's not just Christians.

[miss marmelstein]

"I talk to the Amish every once in a while..."

It's been a long time since I've visited Amish country, but in the past (I'm talking about the '60s), the Amish would not talk to outsiders. We would buy touristy items from them in complete silence. The Mennonites, on the other hand, would talk and interact much more with "the English."

[Mike-o-Matic]

    the "click it or ticket" seatbelt statute, or "in our state, it is 0.8" (blood-alcohol levels for driving), one can count on the Maryland House of Delegates to let residents of the state know who is in charge around here.

From the sound of those names, one might suspect it's Johnnie Cochran!

[Khurkris]

...clip clop clip clop clip clop....BANG!...clip clop clip clop clip clop...

Amish drive-by...(I just had to post this)

[TomSmedley]

Q: How do you know when you're in the Amish part of West Virginia?

A: When you see dead horses on cinder blocks in front of the mobile homes!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Mennonites are "rubber tired Amishmen," and exist to live near and provide transportation to town for the Amish.

[dagny taggert]

They are also not required to help anyone. Their priorities for help are family first, then fellow Amish, then others. They would definitely bring into their home a relative, would be much more inclined to allow another Amish to live with them, and would house an English only for life and death reasons. That's not socialism, which says all "others" have an equal right to your help.