An Existential Definition of Community

Defining Community by Observing It

Travelling recently I saw a flock of maybe 50 wild turkeys scattered over a large snow-covered field. Most were busy pecking and scratching. I've never seen so many together. They usually travel in much smaller single family groups. Of course, I thought, they become community minded when times are tough and survival is threatened. The more that are out hunting and pecking at the snow, the better the chance that some one or few of them will find some grain, and all will eat.

The Inuit people of old did the same. In winter, several hunters would go out for days in different directions, to different holes in the ice where a seal might rise for breath.  When one hunter got a seal, the whole village ate.

 From each according to his ability, or luck, and to each according to her need.

 A long time ago, I was a junior person working in a large oil company that was having difficulty finding oil on the Canadian Prairies.  At some meeting, I noted that a few of the many small companies also seeking oil did in fact find quite substantial fields, and asked the vice president in charge of that department in our company why we did not simply buy into a number of those small companies, say 25% in each, and this increase the probability of getting control of more oil. His answer was "We will not give our expertise to other companies".

Neither the turkeys nor the Inuit would have survived with such a creed. But somehow, we think our society will survive,  though it is the creed of our governments and our corporations.