It's easy to get caught up in fanciful ideas about an island, but a more practical way to begin the process might be just to start living with other aspies in community houses like university students and hippies out here in Oregon. Community is built one connection at a time, building a corporation or retreat or island is a top-down model that will be nibbled to death by ducks before or if it ever got going. It puts power OUTSIDE of us.
We can connect and form community, and it does not look the same as an NT community at all. As usual our rules are different and we make them to fit us.
I live at LeisureLand, an autistic intentional community with 7 members ages 12-54. I am willing to talk about any aspects of our community or how we do things here in hope to help other people take control of their living situations. Today a household or farm, tomorrow a suburb, next, a legislative district, which could be an island.
peace!
madj
Definitely someone who needs to be close to services of any sort could not live as rurally as we do. .
Things are less regulated in this part of the US. There is a lot of space and a lot of latitude for eccentricity. We're poor, but we intend to be poor with style and responsibility. Singly we would not survive, but together we thrive. People who can drive for people who can't. People who cook for people who clean. Forming an intentional family around the shared reality of aspie/autie worldview is a powerful bond, regardless of conditions. It can be done!
I would have one major concern with such a project. Neurotypicals would likely see this as a sign that aspies are giving up the fight. In a best case scenario, it would be the subject of a million jokes. In a worst case scenario, some government would claim that it's a danger to everyone participating in it and use brute force to tear it down.
I share this concern, by actually separating your/ourselfs we are making us more of a target for ridicule. Also it is annoying when people say we are different let us have special treatment, everyone is different and everyone should be given help and respect to live their lives in the best possible way. Neurotypicals need as much help to deal with us as we do with them. So I don't think anyone should be excluded unless they are disrepectful and don't try to help each other overcome their differences. I would rather see a more all inclusive society that is more respectful and gives all people the freedom to be who they are.
I like the idea of a retreat with different sections for different types of people
Hasn't this already been done? It's called GOOGLE.
You know, that really brings up a great point. Many of the tech start-ups of the past few decades and recently are driven my aspie logic. Just imagine if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supported us. We really could found a nation, and a sizeable one at that. 50 billion dollars is much higher than a lot of countrys' GDPs.
[quote=Gareth]
We would not be aiming for nation status - to be blunt the only way to do this in today's world is extreme use of force.
As for buying a natural island I agree this would be cheaper, both in time and money - though it is still worth investigating.
I am responding to a very old post, but:
1. I have been making daily solo visits to Autismland since childhood. NTs can't find the place and due to its fragile ecosystem, I am reluctant to show it to anyone.
2. Canada has many large uninhabited islands to the north. If we really act up, the Canadian government might let us have our own private gulag on Devon Island.
3. We could always cast the infidels out of Mecca, but that would require extreme use of force. Too hot for me, though.
Why not just start off with something small, like a ranch or something. Then we slowly build it up untill we own America!!! ... Too dramatic?
Why not just start off with something small, like a ranch or something. Then we slowly build it up untill we own America!!! ... Too dramatic?
we recently revived this project, the discussion is ongoing if you wish to partake...
just look through the threads I have created (click my name, threads, look for "Island Model", open one, they have all the interlinks)
Cure Autism Now has social and organizational skills.
Cure Autism Never
Al Gore could be our president. I've heard and I believe that he probably has Asperger's.
We would not be aiming for nation status - to be blunt the only way to do this in today's world is extreme use of force.
Remember we invented the Atomic Bomb......... and light bulbs.
Al Gore could be our president. I've heard and I believe that he probably has Asperger's.
no.
no no a thousand times no.
if we do have a ruler as such, they must be chosen by the community, they must have proved their worth.
oh yeah, and i wouldnt want anyone who was involved in the US administration ruling us. we dont want to be Americas bitches, nor anyone elses for that matter
/xenophobic
Al Gore could be our president. I've heard and I believe that he probably has Asperger's.
no.
no no a thousand times no.
if we do have a ruler as such, they must be chosen by the community, they must have proved their worth.
oh yeah, and i wouldnt want anyone who was involved in the US administration ruling us. we dont want to be Americas bitches, nor anyone elses for that matter
/xenophobic
It was a joke. However if Thomas Jefferson were still alive I'd probably choose him.
We would not be aiming for nation status - to be blunt the only way to do this in today's world is extreme use of force.
Remember we invented the Atomic Bomb......... and light bulbs.
and radio guided torpedos, and thought up of the Directed-energy weapon.
for the record; Silverdragon goes to the same college as me.
aaand judging from his first few posts, he'll do fine here
oh, Silver, it might be a good idea to make a new thread in the general section, you know, introduce yourself.