Virginia Commune Still Draws Members After 40 Years

[EnglandBeat]

I really dig that guitar man's voice (and getup). I wish I could find more of him singing.

[Dann123100]

I wanna live there

[dale6118]

can i move there with my wife an two little girls

[Nicolai0Nerland]

@dale6118 If your wife agrees /FULLY/, then perhaps.

[kansas66701]

I was going to live in a commune when I was just 15, but I had to go back home, and lost contact with all the people so it didn't work out. I really envy these people, and wish I could have lived in something like this for my whole life and raised my kids there. However, most of the communes broke up or ran out of money, or got too into drugs. This one obviously stayed the course, and they should be proud. Some of the members enjoying the singing look as though they have been there since start.

[firuinthehouse]

Awesome!

I think the Zeitgeist people could learn a thing or two from you guys :)

[diddymuck]

guitar guy's wearing a skirt

[shanemacc]

Awesome Idea ...! and it is communism - but communism done right.

[DeniseMatteau]

This is communal, not communist. It is not involuntary.

[knowwatimeanlike]

@DeniseMatteau Actual shanemacc is right. I'm reading Marx in University at the moment. I wouldn't have believed a word of Marxism before I entered College. Y'know, cos of the Soviet Union and what not.

But, apparently Twin oaks is more what Marx had in mind. What Marx said and what Lenin/Stalin/Mao did, couldn't be more different. Like night and day.

[firuinthehouse]

@knowwatimeanlike So would you suggest reading Marx? Is there some shorter version to get the basics right ?

[Nicolai0Nerland]

@firuinthehouse The Communist Manifesto. There is also a book called "Marx for Beginners" if Marx's wording is a bit heavy for you (I listened to an free audio book so...)

[SebbeSucksBawlz]

@knowwatimeanlike ...Marxist Leninists?

[OdeToNecrophilia]

lame ass commune. give me a fucking real hippie commune, colorful wallas groovy designs on the floors and ceilings. thats where im gonnna move when i find it. i know it exists!!

[feltingme]

That's funny, how comentator said, that they are like communists. Communism is autocratic system, that has nothing to do with concensus decision making system, that intentional communities use.

[PesiCool]

@feltingme You are dead wrong there, my friend.

True communism is stateless and has a direct democracy.

[feltingme]

Well, I am not talking about theory here, I lived in communistic country. So I guess we are talkingt about different things here.

[PesiCool]

@feltingme Communism has never truly existed in a country before. Just because N-Korea has the title of "people's republic of Korea" doesn't make it a republic.

"I am not talking about the theory." Then stop claiming what the theory is and isn't.

[Nicolai0Nerland]

@feltingme Sorry comrade, but there has never been a completly class less society in this world. there have been socialistic countries though. But what we know as communist countires todya have mostly been state-capitalistic dictatorships. The reason why they call it communism is cause of the propaganda war that kept going on through the cold war. The "communist" countries because morale and their own markedts, and the capitalistic to bash the name of socialism, making it negative.

[tom6612]

@feltingme - You have no idea what you are talking about. The main ideas behind communism is that workers have control over the means of production. That couldn't possible happen under an autocratic system. You are just making crap up or sadly misinformed.

[TheWarriorchamp]

Hippies

[SvalbardJanMayen1976]

I'm sure if George Bush and Dick Cheney saw this video 2 years ago they'd brand them terrorists and send a Tomohawk missle their way.

[CEOkiller]

@SvalbardJanMayen1976 This would probably drive the 'baggers crazy as well...

[skept1c615]

Wow, they are on the right path! Needs more technology for me.

[beforethesolstice]

@skept1c615 I agree with you. It does need more technology. But it is a good model for new communes today. We really need to revolutionize this idea.

[newyorkjustice]

how do we apply?

[oldschoolsituationz]

america and israel both were built on communes. the most successful ones though are those built around a religious or spiritual concept. purely economic ones generally fail and at a high rate. i lived in an religious urban one many years ago, you develope relationships with people that last forever.

[adhdkid91]

my 3 week visit ended today. :-(

[walter0bz]

libertarian-collectivist? like the venus project but without the fictitious tech

[sourcerror]

@walter0bz

Libertarianism is basically selfish. (At least the Randian kind.)

This thing is closer to social-democratic principles.

[Nicolai0Nerland]

@sourcerror Actually no. It is communist/anarchist principles. Social-Democratcy is a mix between free marked capitalism and state welfare.

[manilaenglish]

Ironic that they're training future capitalists? That's not ironic at all. It's exactly what communism is supposed to do. It's what I've been telling people for years. I'm happy I found this video today. I can use it to refer to now when I tell people about the social safety net we need in our society.

[komponki]

Wow. I am really impressed. Think I have to visit u one day. Looks amazing and unbelievable- but it works! WOW! :O

[hapspir]

I wonder what kind of taxes the commune is required to pay to Virginia and Uncle Sam. Do they get chewed out by the Dept. of Education? Do they have their own police? Did I ask what their tax situation is? Just curious.

[camipco]

@hapspir They are a 501(d) which is the same classification used by monasteries and other religious communities. Basically it's a lot like being a 501(c) charity, except you can't make tax free donations to them, they can end up paying some tax on their business income, and they are allowed to engage in political advocacy. They home school covering DoE requirements, and they're covered by the police like anyone else, although they experience basically no crime.

[tryanjohnson]

@camipco Do you think this tax situation is fair? Do you think a Communes suffer a disadvantage in our current society? I really would like to start one these.

[beforethesolstice]

@tryanjohnson No I don't think that their tax situation was fair. I like the sharing concept though. I hate how our society puts a fucking price tag on EVERYTHING!

[FFarmerCharlie]

@hapspir

Id imagine they'd pay the same land, sales, gas, and income taxes as anyone else. there just a farm with a really big family on it.

[atfatw]

@FFarmerCharlie

they pay stiff insurance rates too

[marcusfeloni]

Fair play to the Paddy on guitar.

That looks a real nice place.

Do any of these places take single men?

[explorr1]

@marcusfeloni Do any of these places take single women?

[atfatw]

@explorr1

almost anyone can join a commune but you pretty much have to follow the leader in these things also they want people around 25-30 and have some weird people which you would think would not be at a commune

[gareebee]

@marcusfeloni I believe most of the folks living in community (Twin Oaks and otherwise) are single.

[TheVinlander]

This is the only true and real Communism the only form that can work and sustain itself. They are basically a Tribe.