Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Capitalist pain hits a village commune
CNN ^

Posted on 06/09/2006 6:24:55 AM PDT by The Lion Roars

Oaks is experiencing a midlife crisis. The Virginia commune supported its throwback hippie lifestyle for more than 38 years by selling hammocks and tofu. But in 2004, Twin Oaks lost one of its biggest hammock customers, Pier 1 Imports (Research).

Last year revenues slipped to $1.1 million from a 2000 peak of more than $2 million. And expenses such as gas and health care for the commune's aging population are climbing fast. "I hoped we would be financially secure by now," says founder Kat Kinkade, 75. "We're not."

Kinkade and seven other dreamers launched Twin Oaks on 69 acres of rolling Virginia farmland that they bought for $26,500 in 1967. (Today the commune owns 450 acres.) Like many other idealistic, left-leaning young Americans in those days, they hoped to escape the political and social tumult of the 1960s by forming a self-sustaining rural community. Since then hundreds of dropouts, drifters, and seekers have passed through Twin Oaks.

"A lot of people come here searching for something," says Kinkade, who worked as a secretary before she left the outside world behind

(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: capitalist; commune; communism; hippies; socialism; virginia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last
To: Sensei Ern

I meant $1,100,000.00 not $1,000,000.00.


And, that is down from 2 Million.


41 posted on 06/09/2006 8:07:30 AM PDT by Sensei Ern (http://www.myspace.com/reconcomedy/ "I'M YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE...AN AMERICAN...and I am voting!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: ByDesign

The Amish have no prblem taking responsibility for themselves...these people obviously do....


42 posted on 06/09/2006 8:08:58 AM PDT by Tulane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

lol!


43 posted on 06/09/2006 8:10:42 AM PDT by Tulane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars
How is this different from a beijing sweatshop??

These people are here out of choice, not out of necessity. It's a free country. Let them organize their community however they choose.

44 posted on 06/09/2006 8:14:02 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: No.6
Of course they do! I've seen similar efforts elsewhere, and if you get into the legalities every single one of those vests all real controlling interest in a very few persons. I'd bet the same is true here.

Every proletariat needs its dictatorship...

45 posted on 06/09/2006 8:18:56 AM PDT by Triggerhippie (Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: posterchild

"Makes perfect sense. Socialism is in part predicated on the idea that 'others' cannot manage their lives and affairs as well as the leadership can, and hence the leadership must control, in their wise and benevolent hands, the assets of the group."

Let's be clear here, though. Let's assume that someone wanted to open up a tofu-and-hammocks arrangement under a capitalist model rather than this communist one.

They'd still buy some land, set up a shop, get people to show up and work. The owners are in control either way.

The capitalist model assumes the workers would also like a nice life for themselves and pays them accordingly, and produces a product that can survive competitively. As a result the workers and the owners share and enjoy.

The difference is that in the communist model the owners lie to their work force about who's really in charge, pay them next to nothing, and work them in miserable conditions. Only the owners gain any wealth out of this; the workers get nothing and if they leave, leave with nothing.

Just a case example to keep in mind next time some lib starts playing the class envy card; under the communist model ONLY the already-rich benefit.


46 posted on 06/09/2006 8:19:34 AM PDT by No.6 (www.fourthfightergroup.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars

$1.1M revenues.
100 residents.
$11,000 revenue per person per year.
$2 stipend per person per day.
Assume: $5/day food, $2/day room per person per day (ballpark estimate minimum derived from my food/housing costs extrapolated to comfy hippie setting).
$3285 income per person per year.

A couple questions:
- At $9/day, they're better off than half the world's population (median income $2/day) ... so what's the problem?
- Meager incomes aside, where's the remaining $0.77M/year going?


47 posted on 06/09/2006 8:23:38 AM PDT by ctdonath2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ByDesign
This same dynamic makes various Christian communes/cults attractive. I served my time in one back in the early 70s -- the sense of "belonging," of community, is wonderful. But the glad relinquishing of personal responsibility bites at the end, when push comes to shove, and it's time to take charge of yourself again. Susan Berg, daughter of "Moses" David Berg, said men coming out of such groups often need extra hand-holding, since they have a gap of several years in their resume, and an impaired work ethic. The flip side of living in "voluntary poverty" is the feeling of spiritual elitism, the feeling that the world owes you a living for being so special.
48 posted on 06/09/2006 8:25:41 AM PDT by TomSmedley (Calvinist, optimist, home schooling dad, exuberant husband, technical writer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: No.6

Good clarification. BTW I don't begrudge the original founders maintaining control of thier original idea and land purchase. I presume that in the case of this commune this is made clear to prospective members. It is in essence a 'lifestyle themepark' experience the leadership provide to their members.


49 posted on 06/09/2006 8:30:00 AM PDT by posterchild
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: ctdonath2
where's the remaining $0.77M/year going? State, Federal and FICA taxes I presume....
50 posted on 06/09/2006 8:32:50 AM PDT by posterchild
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: posterchild

"I presume that in the case of this commune this is made clear to prospective members."

Oh no ... read their FAQ and such. It's all about the sharing and the caring.

If someone got uppity and actually tracked down the paperwork and asked one of the 7 why they owned everything, first they'd be harangued by the fellow-travellers, then if they persisted the 7 might explain that the big bad outside world required it, then if they still persisted they'd be thrown out.


51 posted on 06/09/2006 8:56:18 AM PDT by No.6 (www.fourthfightergroup.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: No.6
I do however not want to presume too much about this particular group, especially since all I know is from their webpage. Though such an organization is very ripe for corrupt leadership, there is no evidence from the publicly available information that this particular group has succumbed.
The sharing and caring could in theory pertain merely to social activities and to *income* derived from businesses in this 'theme park.' If a friend and I routinely went fishing on a third friend's lake, and we agreed to share our fish equally among all three people, I wouldn't presume I had acquired ownership of the lake, nor would it naturally follow that I could be talked into surrendering my fishing rod to the lake owner.
Viewed from afar it doesn't come across as a cult with an unquestionable leader, and it does say in its FAQ that:
Members keep all assets they come with (they are frozen during membership), but all income from our community businesses goes to the collective; no one earns individual "wages" or a "salary".
(I am though suspicious as to why assets must be 'frozen' rather than kept merely kept in a normal individual account at a bank or brokerage house.)

Disclaimer: I am neither a member, prospective member, nor spokesperson of Twin Oaks:)
52 posted on 06/09/2006 9:31:36 AM PDT by posterchild
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: varyouga
The Photo Gallery is interesting, to say the least.

Blessing Way gathering.

Description: Large gathering of women for a ritual preparation for Gwen's birth to Thea (on right with colorfully braided hair). Group includes friends and exmembers. Photo by Joan Mazza.

53 posted on 06/09/2006 11:54:25 AM PDT by jla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: All

Kenric the Queen's birthday.
Description : Sky, Thea, Kenric, and Hawina pictured celebrating Kenrique's birthday.


I don't get it. Kenric/Kenrique is a guy. How could he be the "queen"?

54 posted on 06/09/2006 12:00:11 PM PDT by jla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars

55 posted on 06/09/2006 12:00:25 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Conservomax

Gimme my TWO DOLLARS!!!

56 posted on 06/09/2006 12:04:13 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars

"forming a self-sustaining rural community"

Self sustaining means that you aren't selling things to the outside world.

I HATE HIPPIES.

4 years of college in Boulder will do it to you.

On another note up yours Ward Churchill


57 posted on 06/09/2006 12:09:05 PM PDT by xpertskir
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars

Were those hammocks made of hemp?


58 posted on 06/09/2006 12:11:12 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tulane

"The Amish have no prblem taking responsibility for themselves...these people obviously do...."

From what I see they've sustained themselves for 40 years and even expanded their property. Adults work at least 40 hours per week in the commune businesses and as far as I can tell they don't take government welfare. I know their hammocks are a good, solid product. Some of them don't want to work more hours in the tofu place, but from the sound of it, I wouldn't want to, either.

It's not a lifestyle I'd want, but exactly how are they hurting anybody?


59 posted on 06/09/2006 12:14:47 PM PDT by Gone GF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: The Lion Roars; Jimmy Valentine's brother; Doctor Raoul; BillF; BufordP; Sisku Hanne; trooprally; ..
This is absolutely hilarious!

Read the whole article, but be forewarned... you will laugh 'til your sides hurt!

"We work for a lifestyle, not a wage," says Thea, 35, a mother with dreadlocks who follows the Twin Oaks custom of not using a last name.

Twin Oaks is a collective: Although volunteer managers are responsible for making the business decisions, all members have a say. Most don't aspire to join the managerial ranks. "You don't get more money or a bigger room being a manager, just more of a headache," says Apple, 32, who joined the commune in 2003 and works in the tofu hut, among other places.

This gal, Apple, sums up the main failure of communism - nobody gets any extra pay or benefits for being a manager, so who wants to work harder for no perks?!

There is so much more in this article that is hilarious. Really. It's worth the read.

60 posted on 06/09/2006 12:16:23 PM PDT by tgslTakoma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson