24 February

I think this is one of the greatest fantasies at the heart of modern life. The idea of starting society again from scratch, going off-grid, being more ‘authentic’. Think I’ve mentioned that before, I see the passion for authenticity, in life, food, music, religion, and whatever else, as one of the clearest symptoms of the dangers of the times we live in. ‘Only natural ingredients’ in our cooking, getting ‘back to nature’ in outdoor sports and activities, and saving our kids from the evils of modern screen-devices, etc. etc. etc. This was the fantasy that drove the boomers too, of remaking the world anew, out of love; they ended up the richest and most destructive generation in all of human history, what they really did was smash traditions that were thousands of years old, in favour of businesses that tried to take their place, businesses they owned. It made them immensely rich, but at the cost of following generations, who are now struggling with the damage. It’s how this sort of utopian thinking always ends, as it did for this commune.