Technology (18): Self. Sufficiency.

With just:

A tract of fertile land;
some bales of hay;
a few square meters of glass;
a few tens of meters of spun copper or aluminium wiring coated in plastic;
a wind or water turbine, or a smattering of photovoltaic cells;
a modest amount of PVC or other piping;
a range of steel tools;
more wood than you can probably grow on the land you have;
a mix of cotton and synthetic fabrics;
a few plants and animals selectively bred for for thousands of years to produce high yields;
a handful of how-to books…
… or better yet, the internet…
… for which you’ll need access to a several thousand miles of fibre-optic cable, hundreds of the most complex devices ever made by humans (i.e. microchips) and a range of closed- and open-source software;
modern medicine;
some kind of industrially produced vehicle;
a state that recognises your right to ownership of yourself, your land, and your posessions…
… and a police force and army to protect those rights…
… or a lot of guns and drones;
instagram;
and perhaps little help from your friends…

… you too could be entirely self-sufficient.