The Shire and "Communities That Abide"

[Extollager]

I ran across these "Thirteen Commandments" (commandments?) for lasting communities, and thought Tolkien folk might enjoy discussing the Shire with reference to the list.

ClubOrlov: Communities that Abide—The XIII Commandments

Would what we know about the Shire tend to bear out Orlov's list?

Would Orlov's list suggest that the Shire will persist or that it won't?

This is an open-ended thread, and congenial digressions are welcome.

 

[hopewrites]

I. You Probably Shouldn't come together willy-nilly
II. You Probably Shouldn't trap people within the community.
III. You Probably Shouldn't carry on as if the community doesn't matter.
IV. You Probably Shouldn't spread out across the landscape
V. You Probably Shouldn't allow creeping privatization
VI. You Probably Shouldn't try to figure out what to do on your own.
VII. You Probably Shouldn't let outsiders order you around.
VIII. You Probably Shouldn't question the wonderful goodness of your community.
IX. You Probably Shouldn't pretend that your life is more important than the life of your children and grandchildren
X. You Probably Shouldn't try to use violence, because it probably won't work.
XI. You Probably Shouldn't let your community get too big.
XII. You Probably Shouldn't let your community get too rich.
XIII. You Probably Shouldn't let your community get too cozy with the neighbors

Some of these I think the Shire gets spot on, others I personally disagree with and could probably find examples of how they didnt (or wouldnt) work out using the Shire as my proof.

5,6,11,and 12 are the ones I disagree with right off.
6 I know I can use a Shire reference on. By not thinking for themselves they let the emissaries of Sauruman come in and reorder them thus violating Guideline 7.
11 and 12 only apply if you follow 5, which are my main reasons for disagreeing with them. That and they promote the kind of non-thinking that 6 proliferates, and I've just proven how that is a problem.
13 I'm not found of, but there is enough evidence to show that the Shire isnt in danger of following my dislike, so I'll pass that over.

my only other quibble is that you cant go around saying "COMMANDMENTS" and then include "probably" in every single one.

 

[farntfar]

But for No. 5, Hope, it was the creeping privatisation of Lotho Pimple buying up all the pipe weed and Sandyman's mill and stuff, and eventually even the Shirriff service that let Sharkey take over as well.

Nationalise pipe weed, I say. The people's collective of South Farthing!

 

[hopewrites]

They already have that museum of sorts (Sorry I forget it's name and my books are packed) the outline under that heading said that nothing should belong to individuals and all should be shared among the community.
The major problem there being the opportunity for corruption. You'll note that they tried to do something like that under Sharkey and what it lead to was a lot of hungry hobbits and store houses of rotting food. The only way to keep check on such corruptions is to keep your community small (and small good it will do) and keep it from getting too wealthy (ha!)
The major problems arising there are how do you keep it small? Kick people out or hand out breeding permits so that numbers never go above a certain level? I say "ew" to both, and highly doubt any hobbit would stand for such things.
And how do you keep a group of people from getting "too wealthy" who even gets to decide what that is!? The very idea goes against the core of #9 where you want to be building a future that will last for generations.