It does feel like there’s an element of utopianism when people discuss their hypothetical leftist commune. If the thought is that such things will be taken care of by automation, then the idyllic cottagecore fantasy of cobbling together clothes for everyone is… not in any way actually helpful to the commune. You may as well be reading tarot cards.
If the thought is not that such things will be taken care of by automation, then one should look to past examples of communes, and traditional egalitarian village structures, to see what kind of life awaits. It’s not likely to have many lattes unless you live in an area conducive to growing coffee beans. Or a vast array of well-maintained greenhouses.
It’s a way of life that some are happier in, sure, but heavy on physical labor, and definitely not for everyone, and I feel like the commune idolizers miss that - as well as the more concerning effects of small, insular communities and gift economies.
It does feel like there’s an element of utopianism when people discuss their hypothetical leftist commune. If the thought is that such things will be taken care of by automation, then the idyllic cottagecore fantasy of cobbling together clothes for everyone is… not in any way actually helpful to the commune. You may as well be reading tarot cards.
If the thought is not that such things will be taken care of by automation, then one should look to past examples of communes, and traditional egalitarian village structures, to see what kind of life awaits. It’s not likely to have many lattes unless you live in an area conducive to growing coffee beans. Or a vast array of well-maintained greenhouses.
It’s a way of life that some are happier in, sure, but heavy on physical labor, and definitely not for everyone, and I feel like the commune idolizers miss that - as well as the more concerning effects of small, insular communities and gift economies.