if a group of people were to head to a developing country
Although not essential to my point, I am not encouraging people to move anywhere. This is under the assumption that the people of that specific country gather to do this, not for people to immigrate for it.
a more concrete arrangement and place within the local economy, etc. would be more ideal (and probably necessary for survival/viability) IMO.
Can you please expand this point? I don’t quite understand what this “more concrete arrangement and…” is exactly, and why it’s needed.
when those with such resources to start such a thing could also genuinely create the foundations for something even more broadly-reaching and potentially, politically/etc. potent.
I don’t necessarily agree with this. A capitalist state is much more likely to persecute someone doing this, but much less likely a commune. And when you’re just starting out, you’re quite vulnerable to the state, especially the mass surveillance and hyper militarized police states of today.
pursue a trade surplus with the wider world
I just don’t see why that’s needed. Capitalists trade to accumulate capital, whereas a commune is interested in growing its ability to produce in a self sufficient manner.
Why not try to create a mini-China?
That’s… Actually kind of what I’m getting at. And maybe you phrased it better than I could have.
but I don’t see why remaining a commune
Not intended to stay that way, which is why I called it a starting point!
They chickened out and didn’t carry through… For now