Word: subsistive
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...that make a society coherent, that hold it together. If they cannot be trusted, then the whole structure begins to wobble. If the air-traffic controllers do not care to recite Frost, they might consider William Murray, Britain's Solicitor General in the 18th century: "No country can subsist a twelvemonth where an oath is not thought binding, for the want of it must necessarily dissolve society." -By Lance Morrow
...consultation we agreed that let whatever would come, we would never draw lots after our food had quite gone for each other's death, but leave all with God. We consented, however, at this time, in case one should die first the others could if they thought proper subsist upon our remains...
...food was gone and finding all must die, and for the sake that their friends should know their fate, Charles Ramsdell made the first proposition to cast lots. Captain Pollard would not listen to it, saying to the others "No, but if I die first you are welcome to subsist on my remains," and [Pollard's nephew Owen] Coffin joined in the entreaty to cast lots. They then cut some blank paper checks, [and] put them in a hat. The lot fell upon Coffin, which he distinctly declared to be a fair lot and that he wished to abide...
Ciskei is an even less likely candidate for self-reliance. Its barren, eroded soil supports few crops or even trees. The pastoral people subsist on beans, maize, goats and a few dairy cattle. A drought last summer was so severe that it took $9.28 million in emergency aid from Pretoria to avert mass starvation. Though the territory is already densely populated, the government, under a "resettlement" program, sends in truckloads of unwanted blacks from urban areas. Once in Ciskei, many of the new arrivals live in stark tent towns with no schools, shops or running water...
...hotels, Mariana, who severely curtailed her competitive career after a frantic year of tournaments in separate cities, washes their tennis whites in the tub. If the couple goes out to dine, they will be swamped by autograph seekers (and often not presented with a check), so they tend to subsist on room service. Says Mariana: "We get up and order breakfast from room service. Then we practice, come back to the hotel and order room service. Then Bjorn practices again, if he's not playing a match, and then we come back and order room service. Very glamorous...