Sorry for the delayed response, I was away. I understand your point about defense, and agree with you 100%. It’s of vital importance, and no one should stand down in the face of tyranny. I’m also no fan of government. Not because of any political agenda I have, but because, as you point out, the greatest threat to a people historically has been their own government.

I would contend however that there are many ways to increase defense. Permaculture is one of them. Take the simplest example: food production. Food costs are on the rise, the nutritive value has diminished as reckless incentives, taxes and regulation have been virtually destroyed agricultural markets. The methods incentivised also diminish future capacity to produce on the same land. Control of the food supply is not something I would hand over to the government. It’s of vital importance. This is a battle for resources. It’s being waged with ideology now, not arms. But it’s a fight none the less, and one I intend to win.

Land can be taken, but it only has value if it’s worked. Who better to work it than the farmers who already know it? Land seizure, while not outside of the realm of possibilities, isn’t likely. Frankly, they already have control over all the agricultural lands by means of legislation and incentives. “Grow this and we’ll insure your crop with tax incentives”. People jump on that like it’s free money. It pads their books and helps them turn a profit. What they forget is their being bribed with their own stolen money, lol. Accepting the bribe means doing things the government’s way. And without the incentives, many fail to turn a profit and have to sell their farms. Someone else buys the land and is offered the same bribe. They don’t need an occupying force to control land assets. They already have control and compliance of the citizenry in that regard.

So where does permaculture fit into this? It gets people growing in non-agricultural lands where the regulations and incentives are removed. In the suburban back yard, one can grow enough to easily feed a family of 3. With a bit of work, on the right lot, they can produce even more than that. This creates resiliency and choice in the food supply, while diminishing the value of government controlled agriculture. It’s actively taking power back from government, and putting it in the hands of individuals, where it belongs.

Consider the apple crop in the US. Valued at $3.1 Billion per year. Being conservative, about $1 Billion of that ends up as taxes on the land, distribution, and sale of the crop. Given the amount of apples consumed in the US, 1 tree could produce the fresh apples, cider, apple sauce etc consumed by 5 people annually. So if 1 in 5 people plants a single apple tree, that’s a billion dollars which can be removed Uncle Sam’s wallet. More significantly, that’s $9 left in the hands of every man woman and child in country each year, just for one crop. It’s may not seem like much, but only 1 in 5 people have to work for it, and that’s just a single crop. They could do the same for any crop, and most will have many different plants. I’m not saying we’ll ever actually get 1 in 5 people to grow and share their crops freely, that’s pretty optimistic. But a significant number already do this, and the number is growing.

It’s not the solution to all the grievances I have with government. But it is a way to fight back, retain control over my own food source, eat better, save money, and indulge a hobby.

Most people could dig a well on their property easily, cheaply, by themselves with no big equipment. Then they have control over their water supply as well. Or use rain catchment… also cheap and easy. Permaculture is very big on water capture and usage. Before you plant anything, you design an excess of water for your needs, and that excess can be used for more than irrigation.

Home power generation is getting to the point where it’s actually cost-effective and reliable. We don’t need the government and utility companies for that either. Permaculture extends to energy generation and capture. A solar air heater means I don’t need to run a heater in bedrooms during the winter. It also provides a way to heat a greenhouse and keep it above freezing. Saves money, eliminates dependency on the grid, and thus erodes the power of the regulation over that system.

Medicine is also heavily regulated. Most minor ailments can be treated at home. The one saving grace of the government healthcare clusterfuck is now people are beginning to wake up to this fact. I recently saved a friend from a $90 / month migraine medication by showing them that 3 leaves of feverfew and 5 leaves of meadowsweet in their daily coffee has no off flavors. Just put them in with the coffee grounds and brew a pot. They’re now 6 months without a migraine (for the first time since their childhood), blood pressure has gone down, and they’re set to save about $1000 a year. These are two plants you won’t commonly find in garden centers, but every permaculturist knows of them as they have multiple benefits beyond their medicinal properties. Again, it’s empowering people who are looking for ways to recoil from another area of overexerted government influence.

Government has a hand in everything through taxation and regulation. Permaculture allows you to remove yourself from many (not all) of those controls. Sure, it won’t stop a militant death-squad from kicking down your door, but that isn’t traditionally how our government has exerted it’s influence over it’s population. That may change, but for now, it addresses a quantifiable threat.

If there comes a time when they send the military into the homes of farmers (and history has shown us, that can and has happened many times), it’s not permaculture that will save me. In that you are correct. Honestly my guns probably won’t save me, they have more men than I have bullets. Honestly, voting won’t prevent that either. I’ve never seen “domestic death-squad” on any piece of legislation. That’s not how those things happen. Political activism is useless in that scenario.

I could create a militia, recruit people, train them in a compound out in the woods and lay plans to defend ourselves when the time comes. But there are already groups like that. Where were they when government seized control of healthcare? Prevention isn’t what they’re about either. They at best are responders to events, and some of them who have acted have done truly despicable things in the name of their cause. Though that’s not representative of the movement or the majority of the people, it’s enough to keep a lot of people from participating, rendering those efforts insufficient.

The pursuit of personal liberty needs to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their political or moral beliefs. Actions don’t need to be dramatic or reactionary. They need to be small but numerous and ever present. Rather than overthrow a tyrant, I’d rather society as a whole, while embracing their own values and ideals will declare a small bit of a would-be tyrants power for themselves and erode away any control which could be leveraged against the people.

That’s the thing about permaculture… It empowers people in numerous ways. It attracts people from all walks of life, even those who may not agree with one another on anything else. But as more people take to it, even if their intent is simply to grow some fruit trees, it still gives them a little taste of liberation from these regulated systems. A small bit of power and freedom which they make their own. Once they have that, they will never let it go. If you want people to stand up for this country, we have to give them something personal to fight for.