Depends how you think of the question - who are the "wisest"..? Here's a contender from left field that few may agree with, but I shall try to qualify why - the Amish. Think about it. They don't expose themselves to the lies of corporate media. They don't expose themselves to magazines that make them neurotic about their body shape or sex life or (a thousand other things). They don't expose themselves to a thousand different theories that pathologies their children, then medicate them for "being difficult". They generally are less inclined to put toxic foods and liquids in their system. They still engage in work that is probably "good for the soul" as they say, real work, not sitting in a call centred wired up to a phone. They are bound together by a belief in god(it works for them and has not become a John Hagee business). They exist by way of little income, yet are not known for acts of criminality against their neighbour. They don't expose their children to the whims of whatever the state ed system has decided to experiment with this year, on your child. Isn't that way more intelligent than the New Yorker being sick on the pavement after a night out?
There is definitely a part of me that envies the simplicity of their lives. 90% of their teenagers decide to be Baptized and stay with the community so they must be doing something right. On one hand, I am an atheist and wouldn’t be able to deal with the religious aspects of their society which are of course significant. But as an anarchist I admire how they have been able to, for the most part, extricate themselves from capitalism. They have to participate somewhat, though, since they are still required to pay certain taxes, such as property taxes.
But maybe it is the religious aspect that serves as the binder? And that without it they would be corrupted?
It’s possible in their case. There are certainly other communes around the world where people come together and choose to live self sufficiently. Some are religious and some are not. Some do it for political reasons and some for ecological. There are even anarchist ones. But the Amish are certainly more well known and have been round for quite awhile so their methods seem to be time tested. It would be interesting to spend a week with them.
I respect the amish, but there isn't anything special about staying in your home town. There are other reasons people leave than just greed.
I've seen it done. ** Published on 24 Nov 2011 Living with the Amish follows six British teenagers leaving their mobile phones, Facebook accounts and partying behind, as they head to Ohio and Pennsylvania to see what they can learn from six weeks of hard work and simple living. No Amish community has ever opened up in this way before, and the Amish families who are taking part in the series hope that it will reveal the advantages of a pure, uncluttered way of life. [video=youtube;LuBJdUQv0Z0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpag e&v=LuBJdUQv0Z0[/video]
I was wondering if you liked anything about America. Yes, they are a very respectable group of people, that I'm proud to share this melting pot with.
There is probably a great deal that I would like about America. But I wasn't really intending this as a homage to it. With that being said, I think these people have it sussed. Oh how we outsiders we may look at them, eyebrow raised, as if they are a bit "strange". It is US who are "strange". You can see how unnatural a life we live by the number of people who are messed up in the head one way or the other, be that an eating disorders, or a made up condition like ADHD. All of that is a symptom of our society being collectively sick imo. I like what I know about the Amish. They are also proof that you can live a non mainstream life and still not be a blight to everyone else - unlike the Romany here for example.
