The Neighbourhood Hippie Squat that Seceded from the European Union

[nobody nomad]

There was an article today about another squat in Slovenia ( http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jul/24/metelkova-ljubljana-abandoned-barracks-europe-squat) and it mentioned Christiania:

"But despite the liberal ideals attributed to Christiania, the reality is less than utopian. Over time, the pot-smoking hippies have steadily been replaced by biker gangs; the drugs trade taken over by organised criminal groups exploiting the lack of police presence and the million foreign visitors the Freetown receives each year. The subsequent spates of violence – including shootings and even hand grenades – have put a permanent blight on the commune’s reputation, which cannot be offset by the Bohemian lifestyles of its residents."

Seems there's always trouble in paradise.. :/

 

[RovingAnarchist]

My take on the trouble in Christiana is that any group of people with an anything goes attitude are going to attract people who will take advantage of the situation. Any time there's a place with a lax attitude towards drug use, it's obviously going to be a magnet for dealers. Once you've got a base of successful dealers, then the gangs come in to cut out the middle man and secure higher profits for themselves. Unfortunately, it appears that the only way to keep those elements out of a community would be to make it a sober space. Less fun, sure. If I put in the effort to create a free town, I'd do my substances elsewhere if that's what it took to keep it that way. (Cue the chorus of folks arguing it's not a free town if you can't get wasted. Technically true: everything is a trade off though. Drugs are fun, drug cartels are not.)

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

My take on the trouble in Christiana is that any group of people with an anything goes attitude are going to attract people who will take advantage of the situation. Any time there's a place with a lax attitude towards drug use, it's obviously going to be a magnet for dealers. Once you've got a base of successful dealers, then the gangs come in to cut out the middle man and secure higher profits for themselves. Unfortunately, it appears that the only way to keep those elements out of a community would be to make it a sober space. Less fun, sure. If I put in the effort to create a free town, I'd do my substances elsewhere if that's what it took to keep it that way. (Cue the chorus of folks arguing it's not a free town if you can't get wasted. Technically true: everything is a trade off though. Drugs are fun, drug cartels are not.)

Well said.

If I can live my dream of starting my hippie commune, it'll be sober...and just for that reason.

People where my mom's property is are some of the poorest in the nation.

They have too many drug manufacturers and dealers as it is

I'm not adding to it or fostering it.

 

[RovingAnarchist]

So many people claim to do drugs because it helps them deal with their life circumstances. If you join an intentional community, those circumstances should disappear. Therefore there's no reason to do drugs (on the regular) in a free place- you have nothing to escape. Sure, everyone likes to tie one on occasionally. That's why they're called "special occasions!"

For me, if I was starting an anarchist/anti-capitalist town, hard drug dealers would be first to go (okay, second. Bankers and cops out first!). You can't build a community with your brain addled, and people who are interested and engaged in what's going on around them don't need drugs. Drug dealers are capitalists, and as such are invested in getting as many regular customers as possible. Parasites whose job depends on getting as many people hooked as possible. Fuck them.

In the words of Mike Muir, "if your life sucks, then you suck."

Ah damn, we got a lot of stupid people
Doing a lot of stupid things
Thinking a lot of stupid thoughts
And if you want to see one
Just look in the mirror

Gotta kill Captain Stupid, can't you see him
Today we start the new way, we're Suicidal
Gotta kill the old way, we'll make it better
Won't you join our mission, don't be stupid

Got to kill Captain Stupid
Got to kill Captain Stupid

Brothers killing brothers, what up with that?
Can't you see they're laughing, that ain't funny
Babies making babies, that ain't love
You just got screwed over, get some respect

Got to kill Captain Stupid

And I don't understand why
People be bringin' Captain Stupid in their lives
Treating him like a superhero
Glorifying him when he ain't nothing but a superpunk
And you see, you're the one who's gonna have to stop him
'Cause you're the one that started him

Oh, what's that?
So now you say life sucks
Well, ninety-nine percent of it's
What you make of it...
So if your life sucks, you suck

What's that crap you're smoking, playing the fool
Waste your life for nothing, when you're something
What the hell you thinking, mind pollution
Got to get back control, it's your life fool

Got to kill Captain Stupid

What's that now?
Ah, so you're scared to do something about it
Well, you better be scared not to do something about it
Because if you don't kill Captain Stupid
Captain Stupid gonna kill you
Got to kill Captain Stupid...fool