Roth posted an interesting article concerning Germanic tribes and how laws were dispensed. One of points described the shared will of the community.
Important decisions were made collectively. At assemblies, free men and women—practices varied by tribe and era—gathered to deliberate on matters of war and peace, alliances, disputes, and the well-being of the community. There, they spoke, listened to one another, and strove to reach a decision. It was not the power of a single individual that was to determine the fate of all, but the shared will of the community.
Underlying this concept was a profound mythological idea: the human being was not an isolated entity, but a thread in the great tapestry of the kin group. Every action affected the fate of all. Honor, therefore, was not merely personal renown but the standing of the entire lineage. Those who acted justly strengthened the community. Those who committed treason, murder, robbery, or perjury did not merely harm individuals; they disrupted the order that bound ancestors, the living, and future generations together.
For this reason, a chieftain alone did not adjudicate serious transgressions. The community deliberated on what form of restitution or punishment corresponded to the wrong that had been committed. Depending on the deed, this might entail compensation, penance, banishment, or—in the case of particularly grave crimes—even death. The goal was not mere retribution, but the restoration of peace within the community. Order had to be renewed so that the trust binding the kin-group could endure.
From my personal experience, survival groups have failed in the past mainly due to the inexperience of the “leadership” and immorality of its members.
I came to the conclusion that building community is a better strategy. My first premise was that you can build community easier with a community center. Taking your life’s savings to buy land and build the foundation for a community center is not a light commitment but it was one that the Lord led me to make.
I foolishly thought that if I built it, the people would come. And they came for my head. Since I kept to myself, I did not know many people in my area. It did not take long for the “racist” accusation to be made and propagated to marginalize my efforts. As Dalton told me: that was bad ju ju.
This was in 2017 which was the fruition of Obama’s program to destroy our culture through division using government funding of NGOs. There are very few black Americans in Cherokee County and I learned a valuable lesson: people will use any lie to divide or marginalize people and their efforts.
Were my efforts and sacrifices made in vain? You may as well ask if the Lord was leading me astray. I came to the conclusion that the timing was not right and continued building a foundation for the community when the collapse happened.
So what is the point? A community center without moral people and leaders will fail. Infrastructure is only the beginning.
Justice, security and property rights are the keys to building a successful community. Our government’s descent into evil has brought chaos, a two-tiered justice system, unsecured borders and bankruptcy. I look at the government’s failures as a blueprint for a community’s success: if you do not let evil into your community and you have moral leadership, you will grow and prosper.
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