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Are they self sufficient in most parts of Alaska? Do they depend on US or Canada for survival? It seems like the kind of place people can isolate trivially. He

Are they self sufficient in most parts of Alaska? Do they depend on US or Canada for survival? It seems like the kind of place people can isolate trivially. He might end up being right.

rolph 7y ago
it isnt trival to isolate there are suddenly 9 cases blooming over the last couple days. there is a lot of travel in and out and only two major cites anchorage and fairbanks. A ^lot^ of people here are seniors. most alaskans are not actually self sufficient if you look at the difference between anchorage lets say and somewhere like barrow or north pole. its a stretch to just suddenly be self sufficient here, there is some lead time required. oh and about the national dependence thing its US goods that ship in and sell in the costco's and walmarts etc. id estimate about a third of alaskans hunt fish and garden for at least part of the groceries
djmips 7y ago
Anchorage is 300K people, more than enough to experience the pandemic like any other place on Earth.
- rolph 7y ago
  and the way alaska works is everyone that needs gov services has to go to anchorage or fairbanks, they drive if close by or fly in a small charter about half of alaska is isolated in small villages, but the housing is often packed with a generation and a half so the conditions are conducive. three or several people living in close quarters for 6 or 7 months of winter is a usual household, and then every body eventually mingles in a central location at about the same time for grocereries and gov services
Arnt 7y ago
Noone's self-sufficient. IIRC Turkey was close, but these days noone's self-sufficient. Look around you — where was your phone made, where was the material for the clothes you wear vowen, where were the weaving machines made? Your neighbour's kid is still in nappies, your other neighbour has asthma and needs that medicine, where were they made?
- rolph 7y ago
  alaskan self sufficiency is a product of military heritage and pre industrial life style. right now my clothing includes a knit sweater, and trousers sewn from loom cloth. my neighbour built hs wife a loom out of birch it looks really snazzy, and there are a lot of ego cases that dont want medicines they want to go when its time not drag it out. a lot of people here are rough cut and fiercely independent.
  - twomoretime 7y ago
    This is the kind of subculture I was inquiring about. Surely some large minority lives off the land in Alaska? A far larger proportion than the general population in the US, I expect.
    - rolph 7y ago
      there is roughly 350,000 in whats called the rail belt. theres a train line and the ease of transport it brings. outside the railbelt is about 400,000 that live extremely rural lives in villages that you cant get to or leave unless you fly or wait till winter freezes it. people in alaska just live that way if theyre not in the city.

Are they self sufficient in most parts of Alaska? Do they depend on US or Canada for survival? It seems like the kind of place people can isolate trivially. He might end up being right.

rolph 7y ago

it isnt trival to isolate there are suddenly 9 cases blooming over the last couple days. there is a lot of travel in and out and only two major cites anchorage and fairbanks. A ^lot^ of people here are seniors. most alaskans are not actually self sufficient if you look at the difference between anchorage lets say and somewhere like barrow or north pole. its a stretch to just suddenly be self sufficient here, there is some lead time required. oh and about the national dependence thing its US goods that ship in and sell in the costco's and walmarts etc. id estimate about a third of alaskans hunt fish and garden for at least part of the groceries

djmips 7y ago

Anchorage is 300K people, more than enough to experience the pandemic like any other place on Earth.

rolph 7y ago
and the way alaska works is everyone that needs gov services has to go to anchorage or fairbanks, they drive if close by or fly in a small charter about half of alaska is isolated in small villages, but the housing is often packed with a generation and a half so the conditions are conducive. three or several people living in close quarters for 6 or 7 months of winter is a usual household, and then every body eventually mingles in a central location at about the same time for grocereries and gov services

Arnt 7y ago

Noone's self-sufficient. IIRC Turkey was close, but these days noone's self-sufficient. Look around you — where was your phone made, where was the material for the clothes you wear vowen, where were the weaving machines made? Your neighbour's kid is still in nappies, your other neighbour has asthma and needs that medicine, where were they made?

rolph 7y ago
alaskan self sufficiency is a product of military heritage and pre industrial life style. right now my clothing includes a knit sweater, and trousers sewn from loom cloth. my neighbour built hs wife a loom out of birch it looks really snazzy, and there are a lot of ego cases that dont want medicines they want to go when its time not drag it out. a lot of people here are rough cut and fiercely independent.
- twomoretime 7y ago
  This is the kind of subculture I was inquiring about. Surely some large minority lives off the land in Alaska? A far larger proportion than the general population in the US, I expect.
  - rolph 7y ago
    there is roughly 350,000 in whats called the rail belt. theres a train line and the ease of transport it brings. outside the railbelt is about 400,000 that live extremely rural lives in villages that you cant get to or leave unless you fly or wait till winter freezes it. people in alaska just live that way if theyre not in the city.