On 1/28/06, P. J. Alling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You should read the history of the colony, all food production was owned > common, all food distribution was by need, everyone explored or searched > for gold, no one produced food... Everyone starved. The creed that > saved them was each got a plot and ate what they grew. >
Well, I was 1/2 kidding around with ya, Peter. But, my point was that it's rather facile (IMHO) to say that it was the means of production or ownership that had anything to do with whether they starved or thrived. I'm guessing that the near starvation in the early years had more to do with the fact that they were in a harsh climate with new and different species of game and plants that they initially didn't know how to exploit and preserve for the long winter. I'm guessing that they became successful over the years as they learned how to deal with the above problems - with the help of the local natives, who no doubt provided them with sage advice. But I'm only guessing... cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
