In 1966 six teenagers survived 15 months on a deserted island...
The real life Lord of the Flies...
In 1965, six Tongan teenagers embarked on an adventure that would capture imaginations (again) decades later. Bored with their lives at St. Andrews Anglican boarding school in Nuku'alofa, the boys Sione Fataua, Tevita Fatai Latu, Luke Veikoso, Tevita Siola'a, Kolo Fekitoa, and Sione Filipe Totau decided to escape.
They "borrowed" a 24-foot boat and set sail, hoping to reach Fiji or even New Zealand. Their journey quickly took a turn for the worse. On the first night, a violent storm destroyed their rudder and sails.
For eight harrowing days, they drifted without food or water, trying desperately to catch fish and collect rainwater in coconut shells.
Just as hope seemed lost, they spotted land — the uninhabited island of 'Ata, a volcanic rock jutting out of the South Pacific, at the southernmost tip of the Tonga archipelago, about 160 kilometers southwest of Tongatapu.
Perhaps most remarkably, the boys managed to avoid the descent into savagery depicted in William Golding's "Lord of the Flies." Instead, they created a system for resolving conflicts. If arguments arose, those involved would separate to opposite ends of the island to cool off. They would then return, discuss the issue calmly, and pray together.
Sione Fataua, one of the eldest at 17, said when asked what the main reason for their survival was: "I think the culture where we come from. We are close. Really close family. We share everything. We poor, but we love each other."
After 15 months on 'Ata, salvation came in an unexpected form. Australian captain Peter Warner, sailing his fishing boat near the island, noticed burned patches on the cliffsides. As he approached to investigate, he was met with an astonishing sight - six naked, long-haired boys swimming towards his boat.
"My name is Stephen," one called out. "There are six of us here and we reckon we've been here 15 months."
Warner was initially skeptical, but after verifying their story with authorities in Tonga, he realized he had stumbled upon a miracle. The boys had been presumed dead, with funerals already held for them back home.
The tale of the lost boys caused a global sensation, but though their survival initially made headlines, it faded from public memory until author Rutger Bregman revived it in May 2020.
The hilarious twist, for those of you who do not want to read the whole article:
But this wasn’t the end of the boys’ little adventure, because, when they arrived back in Nuku‘alofa police boarded Peter’s boat, arrested the boys and threw them in jail. Mr Taniela Uhila, whose sailing boat the boys had “borrowed” 15 months earlier, was still furious, and he’d decided to press charges.
Here’s a video if you want:
The real life Lord of the Flies. They worked together and took care of each other. One guy got injured, and they cared for him. When they disagreed, they'd basically separate, take a time out, then come back and discuss level-headed…
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Manuel
Thank you! A much needed break from all the craziness going on around us. Hadn’t heard about this. I graduated from high school that year, so am pretty much the same age as those men. Now, THAT was some graduation party. I’ll watch the video later.
Humans are FAR more caring and compassionate than the moneyed psychopaths in control would have Us believe. Most of Us would help out everywhere there was a problem, but for the fact that most of Us cannot afford to, so We send $10 or $50 or what We can afford to "charities," most of which goes to paying staff and not actually helping.
"Charities" would not make so much money if We were not loving, caring Ones.
And that is why abundancism with a solutocracy will work.
Solutocracy – A Way to Govern (article): https://amaterasusolar.substack.com/p/solutocracy-a-way-to-govern
Abundance -> Cooperation; Scarcity -> Competition (article): https://amaterasusolar.substack.com/p/abundance-cooperation-scarcity-competition