[Peace-discuss] Utopian socialist communities

[Bob Illyes]

As Wayne correctly points out, the early utopian socialist communities in 
this area were not crushed, but failed due to internal issues that are 
probably inherent in both pure socialism and utopianism.

The Rappites, like the Shakers, didn't believe in sex, which made it hard 
for them to recruit. They were economically successful, but not much fun. 
They amounted to Protestant monasticism.

The Mormons are quite different. They departed Nauvoo when Joseph Smith was 
killed by a mob after he destroyed a dissenting newspaper. What is seldom 
mentioned is that the paper was published by folks inside of his church who 
were disturbed by his notion that a devout believer not only serves God but 
in a sense becomes God. This was actually a Mormon-Mormon civil war of 
sorts. The more traditionally Protestant Mormons stayed, the rest went 
West. The conflict was not due to persecution by non-Mormons, who were 
utterly outnumbered in Hancock County by the Mormons, who ran the county.

The Amana colonies are an interesting example regarding strict communism, 
i.e., total egalitarianism. The Amana folks didn't approve of marriage, but 
tolerated it. Consequently, the colony had a sustainable population. I 
spoke to an old woman there who was present at the vote to dissolve the 
commune and voted to dissolve it. I asked her if she had ever regretted her 
vote. "No," she said, and explained that some of the older folks were 
extremely upset by the vote, but almost all of the younger ones wanted no 
more commune. The issue was not poverty, which didn't exist in the commune- 
it was lifestyle. Most folks just weren't happy with living in a commune.

New Harmony, Nauvoo and the Amana Colonies are well worth visiting. If you 
go to Nauvoo, be sure to check out the south end of the site, where you 
will find a different kind of Mormon and a substantial bookstore.

Bob