Freeconomy Blog
Tue
26 Feb
Criticism and the way forward....
This is the first chance I've had to read the comments to my last blog. I expected quite a bit of reaction and I wasn't wrong. A lot of it was very inspiring for me, I was really concerned I had let all of you down, and to an extent I still think I have. I promised something and failed to deliver.
Mixed in with that was also a lot of criticism. A lot of it was fair, some of it was from what I believe is a misunderstanding through no fault of the author and a little bit of it was a bit personal, but nonetheless valid and I have taken all of it on board. I'll try to address some of it if I can, but I have to be brief.
The criticism about my planning for the pilgrimage is extremely fair. I am an idealist and always will be and I wanted to relay beautiful stories to the public to counteract the negativity potrayed by the media. What that meant though was that I grossly misunderstood situations, the importance of fully speaking the language being number one.
As regards not being able to get there physically, that is not a problem for me. Walking to India in itself is a big undertaking but definitely manageable. Doing it without being able to accept money though is a completely different story, and if you can't eat it is difficult to walk for days on end. On average I get offered about £15 a day, and so if I could have accpeted it we would have had more than enough to eat. But thats not the point of it and never will be.
I also noticed I've been called a freeloader a few times! That is probably the only one I feel I should put right as it is harmful to the cause if I don't. I gave up work and sold my houseat to be able to afford to set up this community, and to work day and night in the process to get it together and promote. If I had just kept the money I could have walked to India staying in B&B's and eating in restaurants and would have had a great time. But what would be the point of that except for a nice holiday!
As regards comments from people who say I should do no more intrerviews as it only fuels my ego, I should add that I only do them to get more people involved in this as this was the point of the pilgrimage. Every interview I did I tried to get journalists to focus on the freeconomy community but I have absolutely no control over what gets printed. I completely understand that it may seem one way but I hope you believe me when I say its not the case.
But hey every opinion is valid and I accept them all wholeheartedly, most were fair.
As for now, we've come up with a new plan but I have no idea whether it will work or more importantly, if people actually want it. We will give it our best shot.
To all those who have given both support and criticism, thank you, both are needed. Lots of love to you all.
Comment on this Post:
Sean McGoldrick comments ...
Hi, The first I heard about this attempt to walk from England to India without money was in the Sunday Tribune a couple of days ago. I thought it was a very brave thing to do and I looked up the web-site straight away. I was sorry to read that you had to abandon the attempt.
You may have had to turn back but you helped make me think differently about people like yourself who are pursuing ’alternative’ lifestyles and I’m sure you’ve effected other people the same way.
One of my initial reactions on hearing about this idea of living without money was ’freeloader’, a lot like some of the comments in your last post, but on reading further I realise that you are more committed than that. It’s very idealistic and I wish you luck in your next plan.
Philip comments ...
It’s good to hear your responses to the criticism, I have to say I was very disappointed about you going back, especially so soon. Though I do not think you were a freeloader you were perhaps to idealistic to attempt this journey with so little preparation.
The message you are trying to bring I also think is far more important in the UK and the westernised nations. I understand that you want to let developing countries know that the much sort after "development" is unsustainable but it might be better to changes this system at the roots.
I live in Romania and the change to a much more capitalist economy are very sad and destructive, however what do you say to a nation that gets told of all this wealth in the west that they are better off without it.
While the EU stops people from milking their own cows, eating the food they grow, while seed companies produce terminator seeds. Where systems of barter and sharing are broken down, the only answer is to start to participate in the monetary economy.
This movement needs more than either a walk to India or around the UK but some local, simple success stories. These would be the freeconomy working within the monetary economy and ensuring that important movements such as seedsaving are highlighted as part of this movement.
shantiatma comments ...
I dont think saoirse is a freeloader, well he is in the mindset of anybody that is unable to escape the perverted paradigm we are all but trapped into, but he is struggling to reach beyond that paradigm and will be labeled a freeloader by people that just cant see the horizon that he does. I and others like me dont care, it is not freeloading, it is a firm rejection of the illusory world of the civilized, it is a statement of belief that humans can again be like birds, fish, trees, and all the other life of the world that exists just fine without money. As a point of constructive criticism, If saoirse wants to take his mission more seriously he needs to do his best to get the vital knowledge that will help him further distance himself from the economy. Its not enough to create a freeconomy, one must resist the economy as much as possible and find ways become more and more independent. This is not easy, even for me, I dont claim to be free of money, but I am searching the avenues available to me. So I hope saoirse will do so too, try to ask people in the area you are visiting, ask them about food sources that are naturally occurring and available to be foraged.
Dont give up saoirse, and take all the comments at face value, dont take any of it personally, just use it to your advantage and learn what you can from the growing pool of voices that have come to support your vision. we are all doing this together and we all love you and eachother, however much or little we know it. Going back to the UK, with the idea of enriching the movement there, BEFORE moving along to France, all the while learning french in preparation, is in my opinion probably the best choice you could have made. There is still time and the movement needs deeper roots for now. go go go!
Christine comments ...
Of course the freeloader comes over strongly as there is no obvious explanation along the way of you being prepared to do anything in exchange for hospitality. That needs looking at. You also need to learn the art of foraging for wild food on your travels, as well as carrying a small cooking facility (one man pack, very light). Oh and you will need more than one language between entering France and getting to India. Of course it’s possible to do - but you need a lot of practicality as well as idealism. I have a feeling that something similar has been done by a busker who worked his way. And there is the secret of it - being seen to be doing something in return.
Catherine comments ...
Life is always more challenging when you have the needs/strengths and weaknesses of others to take into account. Your decision may well have been different if it was only you dealing with the consequences.
A solitary pilgrim attracts a reverence that a group may not, and perhaps having permanent companions would have detracted from your interactions with the people you met.
You did the best you could with the resources you felt you had at the time.
Your journey has caused a stir, and from the comments, largely a positive one. I personally think your ideas are inspirational and that the freeconomy is the only way to save the world from it’s downward spiral into self-destruction.
Please don’t give up spreading your message.
The love you felt is real and there is so much more we can all share to make the world a better place.
Thank you
Mark comments ...
I think you made the right decision in returning to the UK. And I think you’ll be right to return to France, once you have the language, of course. I would say though - don’t leave the E.U. And, really, don’t go any further East than Germany.
The rich nations of the world need your message desperately, not those that we have destroyed and made poor. East of Western Europe lies lands that understand community and giving, people that would readily accept you into their homes and give you some of what little they have (you need only watch Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman’s TV series about Motorbiking around the world to see that.), here in the West are countries that can see nothing but capitalism and suspect that everyone they don’t know personally has a hidden agenda. Stay here and prove them wrong, don’t go where your message is understood.
Mike comments ...
I’m absolutely amazed that you turned around after just one day on French soil. Surely language (Esp Indian, Kurdish, etc) should have entered into the equation somewhere, ideallist or not.
Still more disappointing is the walk around the UK attempt. After so publicly stating your Gandhi styled walk to India and then abandoning it so soon just shows the naivety of your approach, and ultimately, your whole concept.
Im very sorry both for you and the people who have put effort into this venture.
jess comments ...
I was struck by how much my energy levels went down while reading some of the posts yesterday. I felt drained by it. I am surprised you say that both the support and criticism are needed? I really feel that only support is needed, the wave of cynicism is so enormous generally in the world – It’s a destructive force. I think it is important to make a judgement on what holds profound value and what doesn’t - they shouldn’t be equalised, as they are evidently not the same. Dare I say that one is higher and has more potential for humanity to evolve than the other. To be inclusive when it comes to such a serious endeavour as this, seems wrong and you and all of us need to do everything to stay focussed, and aligned with what we know to be fundamentally true at our deepest core. It’s so easy to get distracted, to lose energy and direction. So I think it’s important to set parameters, for all of us. You had an idea and you followed through, which is a big deal. There is so much to be done, I look around me and I see so many ways to make an effect, even a long term one. We are all necessary for this change to happen – so it’s not exclusively your failure or success, but a responsibility we share collectively. Welcome back !
Lots of love and support
Aaron comments ...
Good on you for giving it a go. If you want to walk all the way to India, you will probably have to learn a few more languages than just French though. I hope you can make more progress next time.
Acts 2:44-47 (Freeconomy?)
carlyan2 comments ...
Saoirse what you are doing is remarkable and we have to be realistic - if it was as easy as some people appear to think then the message would not get across - this way you are reaching even more people - as you are highlighting the need to plan carefully, to accept when your in too deep and to be man enough to admit its not going to plan and therefore changes have to be made - lets not lose sight of the fact that the plan IS going ahead, it has just had to be re adjusted - and in fact will bring about a more positive message reaching people who really do need it - right here in the UK. As I have already stated in my eyes this "change" of plan has truly humbled me, and you are a remarkable man who is brave enough to take the most amazing step in an attempt to change this world for the better. I am so looking forward to meeting you - you have made a MASSIVE difference in my family - you have touched so many - your pilgrimage is already reaching many. Much Love
Sunshine and Smiles x
carlyan2 comments ...
Saoirse I have to add that I know you will have expected crticism as anything that is "different" always does. However these people are I am sure reinforcing the need for people like you - please don’t feed on the negative energy - take the positives to keep you going, the negatives can only serve to spur you as the need is truly great.
Sunshine and Smiles x
Mike H comments ...
Frankly, I’m not surprised that you didn’t make it much further than England. I’m sorry you were disappointed, and admire you for even trying, and for making it as far as you did. However, I am not surprised you had to turn back.
The thing helping you was not the ’goodness of human nature’, but the publicity you were getting. This publicity would have been almost nonexistent in France, or the other countries you planned to visit, hence the trek would have been vastly more difficult.
Even in England, if you tried the pilgrimage without any media attention, without any blog, without any publicity - you’d find it a lot more difficult than you did.
People are not fundamentally good. They are fundamentally self-centred, with individuals always on the lookout for number one. Only Jesus can change a person’s attitude from ’fundamentally selfish’ with occasional acts of kindness to ’fundamentally good’ with occasional slips into selfishness.
Jesus Christ Your Lord comments ...
I’m Jesus & I want you to all stop being lost little sheep, it’s getting really boring. Hate to say it but Satan was right all along. Now go &
reassess your life in a mature & responsible manner.
Lucy Firr comments ...
Hey Jesus Christ our Lord, have I not already told you that all of life’s woes are down to the mature and responsible. It is all about having fun. So get out there and let pleasure take hold and laugh heartily at all the positive and negative. Nothing is funnier then all those responsible people who know what is best for everybody else.
Concerned Nurse comments ...
I feel I should state the obvious, it seems to me you are in the process of a nervous breakdown. Your behaviour is a little odd to say the least.
To all of those who continue to support this, I think you should look at what you are actually doing. Idealising a persons crisis and romanticising it into something political is only reaffirming his position and making it harder on him in the lonr run.
Surely, after all that has been said and done, you just need to go home and get your life back on track. There are people who can help and you need not carry this on. Please give NHS direct a call: 0845 46 47 and they will help you get what you need.
Jesus Christ Your Lord comments ...
I completely agree with you Lucy and I was referring to personal responsibility rather than following someone else and letting them take responsibillity for you. You are, of course, absolutely right and life should be all about having fun. We have enough martyrs up here in heaven and we have NO SPACE for any more (to tell you the truth, me and the Almighty are getting a little sick of their sanctimonious preachings - it renders us with nothing to do).
Concerned Nurse, you are spot on with your observation and all I can say is that I hope this young Mark gets himself some help before he commits suicide as our suicide ward up here is getting pretty full, what with all those bombers - YES! We let Muslims into heaven too!!! I can tell you all something; this integration malarkey isn’t what it’s cracked up to be....
fifine comments ...
give the guy a break , at some point we all quesion what lifes about , we all hit that ’is this it’ feeling ... he’s just a guy, a human being who tried something he believed in , whats the big deal, don’t hate on him. the sad truth is that he placed an unrealistic burden on himself, he set himself up , but this website and the promotion of sharing are , in my opinion, enough of an acheivement and he should be very proud of that and its potenial . the days of one person changing the world have gone, putting the information out there ... self help books, tv shows , websites. all that stuff ... its out there . we absolutely no longer live in a messiah culture , and if we’re honest, mark is at the start of his journey and still learning himself and has very bravely revealed how much he still doesnt know, as we can see. there is no shame in that , he has shown more courage , care and commitment than most people do in a lifetime. mark you should concentrate on promoting the idea of community in your own community , no one asks or expects any more of you than that . maybe you have been naive, so what , you’re 28 , you’re allowed to be, you hurt no one and your efforts have not been for nought , theyve made many people think. be happy with that .... give yourself a break ... you’re not alone , there are 6 billion of us out there who are imperfectly human and trying to figure this thing out, i know you are inspired by the big visionaries of the world but its not the only way to go.. you want to make a huge impact, i get it, but you just need to figure out what that means ... it may mean settling for making a big change in a small pond... anything else borders on pure fantasy , but its a fantasy many have had but its a fantasy nevertheless. the world is not depending on you , but perhaps your local community is....
and you can see from this website that there are lots of people out there who can spread the love
and for all of your critics, its so hilarious and courageoous kicking a man when he’s down , you must all be very proud of yourselves.. i’m sure mark feels bad enough already .... how clever of you to go out of your way to make him feel even worse . you may well be funny, you may well have a point but you are also selfish and truly cruel, thats a fact
go home mark, build a comunity there... you have a head and a heart indeed... use both together always, using one exclusively won’t get you where you think you want to go
you are still a good guy , a great guy
everything else is just pie in the sky
fifine comments ...
ps thank you for raising such an interesting debate and for creating an online community and outlet for those who want to share their skills and ideas and live in a more holistic way .every town and city should have such a site ... now theres an idea
avellana comments ...
About community spirit in England:
I was listening to a radio show this morning about three men who decided to travel from Lowestoft to Land’s End in a milk float. As far as I know, they didn’t have any publicity and found that although they were treated with a bit of suspicion when they first arrived in a new town or village, once people started to speak them, they were treated with warmth and friendliness. And it wasn’t that difficult to find people who’d let them charge their milk float battery at their homes or business premises.
At the beginning of journey, one of the men was very cynical about the sense of community in England but by the end of it, his view had completely changed and he felt that it was alive and well in many places. I’m sure that the publicity of Saoirse’s journey helped a lot but I feel that without it, he’d still have met kind, open-hearted and minded people along the way.
Alan comments ...
saiorse has raised a very interesting debate....I too was very dissappointed when he made the decision to turn back, as i was looking forward to reading about his progress especially through the so called \"poorer nations\".....i definately agree with others that maybe the downfall was letting people \"tag along\".....as someone is a lot more approachable when they on their own than in a bigger group and this could have cause many missed opportunities of conversation....However i feel the cause is bigger than just saoirse, and the debate this has raised is much more important.
Are we ruled too much by our money? If Technology failed would we be able to fend for ourselves? Just to make ends meet? In todays society there would be chaos if this happened! (and probably a lot of ray mears books would be sold!)....I like the idea of the freeconomy website in principle, but i think one major problem/barrier to overcome is the Trust issue. Not enough people trust one other (caused by media?)....We need more positive issues like this in the papers and the newspapers. My advice would be for you to definately stick at it saoirse, ignore those who doubt you and just build on it.
REB comments ...
"Only two things are infinite,
the universe and human stupidity,
and I’m not sure about the former." -Albert Einstien
Confused comments ...
Mark, What are you talking about?
"East of Western Europe lies lands that understand community and giving, people that would readily accept you into their homes and give you some of what little they have (you need only watch Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman’s TV series about Motorbiking around the world to see that.), here in the West are countries that can see nothing but capitalism and suspect that everyone they don’t know personally has a hidden agenda."
Uh, I watched the show and they were treated very well wherever they went. They were shown a great deal of hospitality in North America.
I am also quite sure that they paid their way as they went and didn’t take advantage of any hospitality in some of the poor places they visited. Most homes they taped in may have looked poverty stricken to you but most were middle class by local standards.
You should be aware that entertaining tourists in particular white tourists has enormous social status in most developing countries. I am sure Saoirse would have been taken care of and fed well had he made it. Do not for a moment imagine that they would provide the same hospitality to a pennyless traveller from their own country.
Mikey123 comments ...
I’ve been pushing for you and even posted about your journey on my blog since hearing your story on the BBC. I’m not sure how I feel about the Free economy part of your goal but I hugely agree with trying to demonstrate the greatness in people. I think that’s why I’m so disappointed. I had been concerned about the reception you would receive when you left the PR filled environment of Great Britain.
Your failure wasn’t in the walk, it was in the planning for it. I urge you to think through the ENTIRE trip before you try to go on again. Learn, not just the languages but more importantly, the cultures of the people you’ll encounter.
Matt B comments ...
Every project has people there ready to be negative. Sometimes they are just rude, sometimes they are cruel too. That’s humans we’re not very nice sometimes. Never give up because even your darkest moment is a light to others.
Codeye Dave comments ...
Having just read the article on the BBC news site about the journey from Bristol to India being called off at Calais, literally the first location outside of the UK... well I’m not going to get involved in opinions on planning, realism, intelligence etc, but I’ve got to say it was the most funny thing I have read in a good while and I really did laugh out loud! Thanks!
guest comments ...
1 word -Pathetic! go home to bristol and ask mummy and daddy for your old life back!
Paula in Dolphinholme comments ...
Saorose - keep on with the passion and don’t let any of the negativity get you down. You seem to live for something that is beyond your individual self. People should observe your actions, and learn from you, rather than put you down. But isn’t that a never ending battle we have to face? The negativity coming from ourselves and those around us?
All the best from northern england,
Paula
ps: you always have a couch to crash on here!
Chazza comments ...
I only heard this morning (29/02/2008) on Radio 4 about your attempt to get to India on foot surviving just on hospitality. I admire you for the idealistic principle behind this and the attempt it self. It shows a respect for people and humanity that is seldom shown in our society. However I have to say that having respect for cultures is just as important, you don’t need to be fluent in a language to show respect but learning enough words to be polite and be able to explain what you’re doing is essential. Not doing this is disrepectful and I’m not surprised with the reactions you got.
Matt-M comments ...
The first i knew of the attempt was when i saw the link on the BBC website this morning. I clicked the link on the right hoping that justfortheloveofit was a site specifically about it. I read through the info and i registered.
I admire you and see its not dissimilar to something i hoped to do myself in the future. My reasons were to step outside the confines of society as it stands and prove to myself i could do it. Also whilst raising new issues of the journey itself, I could alleviate all of the material concerns which harrass the daily life in modern society.
I acknowledge the comments about the media hype and sadly that is always going to be the case. My concept was to just make the journey and keep both a written and camera record of the trip itself. Upon my return i could share the experience with friends and family and if it proved useful to a community such as this one, i could have aired it quite easily.
Releasing the material after the journey, would to a certain extent control the media’s response and the lack of coverage along the way would not make it so easy for them to paint the wrong picture.
Also i have found that it turns the tables. After the event has been completed the onus is on them to make contact with you so they can cover it, rather than seeming like the individual is trying to get the coverage.
I think i’m rambling a bit on that subject so i’ll stop ;)
All the best for the future and if i you’re forming a party for the next attempt whether its here or abroad, keep us informed :)
Matt
Eddy comments ...
Dude, you will have to learn more than just French on your training walk around the British mainland. Otherwise you will hit another brick wall in Germany or Italy. I would strongly recommend you learn also German (or Italian) and Russian (or Arabic) and Hindi, depending what sort of overland route you will take. Conversational French, German, Russian, Arabic and Hindi should suffice - you will learn so much from sheer experience when you travel through these lands, provided you already have c. 500 words and c. 100 stock phrases. The best way to learn a language is to learn it in the field, learn by doing (sink or swim).
Also, I can really recommend \"A Time of Gifts\" by Patrick Leigh Fermor, who walked (and cycled) from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople in 1933 - 1935, and he had to deal with the language issue too!
Adrienne comments ...
Mark, perhaps a very concrete solution to your problem would have been to assess the languages spoken in the part sof Europe through which you were walking and instead of trying to learn all of them why not use the Internet to get some people to TRANSLATE A SMALL LETTER that explaisn the goal of your venture and asks them to help you out with some food, a few quid, a place to bed down, a lift to another town etc. French people can be very hospitable and very often give sandwiches or food to homeless people so I imagine you would be able to get help no problem.
This would surely solve many problems for you??? I would be pleased to translate some French material for you, I speak French fluently.
fred comments ...
Congratulations, you made FARK:
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3434513
Sport comments ...
Adrienne,
He won’t handle money so he can’t collect small cash donations. He was looking for larger amounts such as one person or a group of people to buy what he needs with their money so he dosn’t have to physically touch the money. It all seems a bit complicated but it seems like other people earning money to buy him stuff is ok he just isn’t willing to earn money himself. He was also travelling with a group so it would have taken an individual with a fair bit of cash to buy them all dinner. Because they wouldn’t take small donations to help them along they couldn’t eat.
Allan Schoenherr comments ...
Having spent a lot of time living in the countries and amongst the people that you were planning to pass through I monitored your progress with interest. From the beginning I was concerned that you would be seen as a ’freeloader’ regardless of whether the accusation would be true or not, and I am still unconvinced. I have to admit the first emotion I felt when I saw that you had given up so soon was relief. Not for you but for the people you would be imposing yourself upon and because you did not get the chance to further ruin the reputation of western travellers in countries such as Pakistan and Iran. Whilst it is quite possible to travel around Europe in the style that you planned, what would you have done once you got to the east of Turkey? Once you were among people who can often not afford to feed and shelter their own family, without having an extra burden thrust upon them.
I have been lucky enough to have been a guest in many households in the region and I know that many people would take you in at a moments notice. However once you told them your plan their opinion of you would likely have changed, although they would not show it. What would you think if you lived in a small village in Pakistan and a guy from the UK, one of the countries they view as a prosperous country (especially if you can afford to not work to take a long holiday), came wandering along and said, I dont believe in money, its evil ,etc? They would think that we are all so rich we don’t even have to worry about money. No matter how much you believe in your ideal, there is no way you can change the perceptions of people brought up in totally different cicumstances, just like that. You would only have further caused embarrassment for the rest of us. You say you were seen as a ’freeloader’ but you are the opposite. DId you never expect you would be seen this way? It has nothing to do with the language either. In many of these countries where English is widely spoken you would have been viewed in the same way. Did you really think it was morally acceptable for somebody who lives in a developed country where he can easily find a job that pays enough to live in comfort to impose himself upon people that would never be in the position to make decisions like these?
I have travelled across Europe several times without my own vehicle and without having to use public transport and I have very poor language skills. It does not take much intelligence to make yourself understood, the problem is your idea was not clear in the original language.
From the start I had some major questions. For example, how did you expect to be granted visas? The last time i applied for an Iranian visa the process just to be granted the right to apply took 9 weeks and some internal help in Tehran. Even then the approval rate for UK passport holders is very low. And it costs. For a Pakistani visa not only must you pay almost $100US for the visa but a letter of introduction is required from the local UK embassy, for which you are charged another £20 or so. Did you think that the embassies of the UK, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India and other countries would waive these official fees in lieu of lessons in tie-dying t-shirts or juggling? Or what if you had lost your passport? Or become ill and in dire need of medical attention? Or found yourself int rouble with the police. Also, how would you have greased the palms of the corrupt officials you would have met along the way? Do you think they would make an exception for you?
What are you going to do now? Learn French, start again and if, and thats a big IF, you get further than Calais, give up when you get to the next language barrier?
You really have disgraced yourself. To give up because you felt a bit hungry in Calais?!
To only get as far as Calais will be taken by many people as evidence that you are nothing more than a chiseling, scrounging, work-shy hippie who feels so morally superior to the rest of the fools. You had a chance to prove you were something else and you failed at the first hurdle.
My advice would be to read all the comments at the major news websites. By reading what other people have to say, and not just those who are as naive as you and follow your ideas without question and post here. By reading everyones comments and advice maybe you will find many problems, loopholes and pitfalls with your original idea and how they can be overcome.
Having just read through what i have written it sounds rather negative and a little rude. I don’t mean it to be. I am sorry if it offends you but I think this is the best thing that could have happened to you. At least next time you will be more realistic and better prepared.