"I've said this one way or the other for some time now. I can't for the life of me understand why people don't get it. These things are our birth right: Food, shelter, water, at a minimum. We're the only mammals ( western industrial), slaving for someone else, with no self sufficient means to acquire food, water , shelter ( without the aid of Wal-mart and Mc Donalds). Here's a true story I hope will open some people eyes.

In 1998, i was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ivory Coast. i lived in a village of 1,500 people. 98% of the people lived in mud huts with Straw roofs. I lived in a cement block house with no running water, electricity, or any other amenities in I can think of, just four solid walls, and a roof over my head, plus a bed and mosquito net. Well, I basically observed that every man, women, and child in that village knew how to build their own mud hut (Adobe/cob), and all the materials were free from the forest or the village. On average, each house lasted about 30 years before they rebuilded, or longer. Every man woman, and child had access to the forest for any materials they wanted, also hunting rights, and rights to the wild bananas and other foods, if you could beat the monkeys to them. They all went to the their fields in the morning, a long walk, worked hard all day. They would come back home home to a natural home cooked meal, that took a lot of labor. Basicallly the women would spend all day fetching water, fire wood, and pounding and cooking food, by hand, or making oil, drying fish, and etc. Everyone was in great shape, all of those bastard guys had six packs ( So jealous). So i never saw these Aids, emaciated people they cover on the news. I wish i had paid more attention to how they bulit those houses then, I just kinda, took in life, and watched the world go by for three glorious years. One of the best experiences of my life. So this was in West Africa.

The other night, i went to visit a friend of mine. She lives in So Cal. Her husband is a Kenyan Bee keeper (Top Bar hives). They just had a baby. At any rate, they pulled out their front lawn, planted millet, tomatoes, and potatoes, in the back they planted kale, fruit trees , corn, and every thing else you can imagine, plus chickens. We were talking, and without comments from me, my friend's husband started talking about Kenya, and how they decided they wanted to go back, his wife is American ( White). So I asked why, hell I knew, just wanted to hear from them. He said, i have 30 acres of land in Kenya from my Grand father, my brother has another 30, i lived on the edge of lake victoria, I have access to fish, and farmalnd. One months rent here, would be enough to live like a king in my home land. And besides, we don't talk about living green in my home, we are Green. When we build a mud house, we know it's is not permanent, and nothing will be left behind, the mud and straw will eventually return to the Earth, after 30 years or so. No trace of me or anyone else. Why should we have permanent buildings like you guys in the US, when we ourselves are not permanent, i don't understand these houses/buildings in the States.

Well, he didn't have to convince me, i saw what he was talking about 11 years ago on the opposite side of the continent, but it made me think about our predicament even more. I think the meek may really inherit the earth. All the countries which have been abused by Western powers via: Slavery, coloniazation, neo coloniazation, Unfair extractions of natural resources, and etc. . These countries have been denied fossil fuels essentially when you really look at it. Therefore, they've been forced to live at a very local level, building their own house and etc. They are already ready living in Peak oil for the most part. If life is a ten story building, and The US is on the 10th floor, and back woods African countries are on the first first floor. Tell me, who has farther to fall in a post industrial world? We do of course, maybe we get what we deserve, maybe this is karma working itself out? i don't know, but what I do know is that eventually, the cultures which have maintained their ability to construct housing , farm,. and etc without fossil fuels will inherit the earth,. May it be so. My ten cents."

- internet post from somebody