Zeitgeist Movement: Views

Content deleted from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Zeitgeist_Movement&diff=cur&oldid=492757966

See The Zeitgeist Movement

http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/TZMOfficialChannel

The movement says its mission is “the application of the scientific method for social change.” The movement believes the money-based economy is unsustainable, due to issues such as cyclical consumption, planned obsolescence, corporate malfeasance and poisonous waste, and that the system of monetary exchange is — in the face of advancing technology — completely obsolete, and thus should be discarded. The monetary system, they claim, is outdated, inadequate for our times and harms humanity. Money is actually rolling debt, and the democratic model does not really allow freedom.

Some of the movement's basic themes: modern economics is a fraud; global debt will crush the planet; society itself is dying from the profit motive; and people ought to wise up to the fact that more than legislation — or presidential administrations — needs to change. The movement believes that it would take a grassroots movement and a different value system, including a remodeling of our social values, starting with education based on sustainability --- a restructuring of the mind to actually put such a program into action to change the world into a new global society that has given up money and property in favor of a shared, sustainable, technology-driven community. The movement provides "a wealth of ... information detailing why a new global system is not only preferred, but necessary, and just how we can get there." The members of the movement are mainly engaged in raising awareness on the issues discussed in the films (Wikipedia:Zeitgeist: The Movie and Wikipedia:Zeitgeist: Addendum) regarding the inherent unsustainability and the structural corruption of the current socio-economic system. They endeavor to raise consciousness through, among other things, 'ZDay', the Zeitgeist Day, that the movement holds every year from 2009 to date.

In the view of the movement, the vast majority of crimes in the world are the product of the system itself. The social system is based on a very old, obsolete way of thinking - 'survival of the fittest' - which is based on the assumption that there are not enough resources. The view of the movement is that there are sufficient resources and have always been, but in the past (prior to the industrial revolution, say) we did not have the required technology to realize this. In the view of the movement, we never thought of designing a city where food production would be organic and local, but today it can be done easily using semi-automatic systems which will take care that no one would go hungry. We can employ renewable energy systems on a massive scale (e.g. solar power and geothermal energy that can be converted into electrical energy.) The movement believes that today we can feed all the people in the world, but we do not do it, because of the artificial limits imposed by the monetary-market system: the movement believes that the current global socio-economic system cannot become more efficient, because efficiency is expensive and it will hurt growth; our system operates on inefficiency, because efficiency is the opposite of what leads to GDP growth, new jobs and the movement of cash. In other words, the system is fighting efficiency.

The Zeitgeist movement advocates for a resource-based economy, in which the world's resources would be considered the equal inheritance of all the world's peoples, and would be managed as efficiently and carefully as possible through focusing on the technological potential of sustainable development. It is toward this idea that The Zeitgeist Movement works to educate and inform people. The movement believes that resource preservation is equal to human survival, and all the social ideologies that currently exist are inadequate because they don't address resources as a part of their fundamental principles. The ideal society, proposed by the project, would have a worldwide automated computer system actively monitoring the levels of the world's surveyed resources and ranking them according to factors such as their potential, renewability, and pollution. This computer would intelligently make objective decisions as to the uses of these resources based on empirical fact, not biased legislation. Automated labor would be perfected on a mass scale, eliminating all mundane jobs that insult human capacity when they can instead be relegated to machines that will act more precisely and productively. Anyone would be able to live anywhere they want and do whatever they want without having to work. The machines will work and engineers will govern, not politicians.

From the maximization of resources and efficiency of automated labor, the movement imagines a world of abundance, where everything is available to everyone. According to the movement, the answer for a corrected, civilized society lies in science and technology - and then there will be no more poverty, social gaps and wars. All that technology and science need to do is disconnect from commercial considerations, and provide access to the resources for all human beings, taking into consideration the environment, using renewable energy, and using advanced technology to manage and distribute the resources to enable abundance for everyone.

The movement says that there is currently enough food to feed everyone in the world, but not enough money to pay for it: Approximately one billion people (one-sixth of the world in 2010) are under-nourished. The movement says that in a world where everything is supplied, the majority of today's crimes would be non-existent, as they are primarily related to obtaining money and property, or born of social inequality. The movement believes that the crimes that still exist would be considered symptomatic of mental aberration, and these people would be given treatment and help, not punished, as no prisons would exist. People would be rewarded with an incentive system for contributions based on social relevance. The movement believes that its conceptual ideas and models for sustainable technology, that seem of science fiction, are not unrealistic, and if science and technology were focused on progress instead of consumption, they would all be easily realized.

Wikipedia:The New York Times further described the movement as follows:

(Wikipedia:Peter Joseph's film Wikipedia:Zeitgeist: Addendum is) all but empty of ... conspiratorial notions, directing its rhetoric and high production values toward posing a replacement for the evils of the banking system and a perilous economy of scarcity and debt.

... Mr. Fresco ... (is) an author, lecturer and former aircraft engineer ... who has spent the last six decades working on Wikipedia:the Venus Project, a futuristic society where (adjust your seatbelts, now) machines would control government and industry and safeguard the planet’s fragile resources by means of an Wikipedia:artificially intelligent “earthwide autonomic sensor system” — a super-brain of sorts connected to, yes, all human knowledge.

If this sounds vaguely like a disaster scenario out of “Wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey,” Mr. Fresco did not seem worried in the least. Machines are unemotional and unaggressive, unlike human beings, he (said).

Wikipedia:The Huffington Post further described the movement as follows:

The movement's founder, Wikipedia:Peter Joseph, came to notoriety with his 2007 internet film sensation, Wikipedia:Zeitgeist, the Movie, and it's 2008 successor, Wikipedia:Zeitgeist: Addendum. While many people may find it hard to digest the idea of a world without currency, Joseph's argument that our economic system is the source of our greatest social problems was supported with valuable evidence.

Describing how the margin between upper and lower classes is growing larger every day, Joseph cited (various statistical data). The most startling revelations he divulged, however, were found when he graphed the amount of specific social issues in the world's richest countries against those countries' level of income inequality. The results were astounding ... The strong correlation is difficult to ignore: the higher a country's income inequality, the more social problems that degrade it, regardless of its GDP.

Joseph seemed well prepared for all the naysayers. For those who argue that the free market is an open system where anyone can achieve wealth, he displayed figures showing that America is one of the most socially immobile countries in the world, meaning that those born poor are likely to stay poor, and those born rich are likely to stay rich. For the argument that the competitive nature of capitalism produces more innovation, Joseph showed statistics that the countries with higher income equality filed more patents per million people each year than the United States and similar countries of larger income gaps.

This is aside from the obvious impact on the climate that a capitalist system creates. In a monetary society, Joseph points out, obsolescence is encouraged, as the shorter lifespan a product has, the more profit it generates in the long-term. Excess waste is built into the system, which flourishes from disposability and inefficiency. In a monetary system, Joseph says, change, abundance, sustainability, and efficiency are the enemies of profit. He goes on to add, "Corporations are not in competition with other corporations but with progress itself."

... The members of The Zeitgeist Movement seem to face an intimidating wall of those who decree their goals as unattainable. But with 250 international chapters forming in just one year and the membership count rapidly growing, it's undeniable that many easily identify with the message. The evidence shows that our current system is leading us on a collision course; our present model of society cannot sustain itself. While some deny this, others ignore it, and there are those who still try to profit off of it. The Zeitgeist Movement highlights that there are individuals who believe in a sustainable future where humanity is not united by religious or political ideology, but by the scientific method, venerated as the savior that can develop a system of human equality, thriving from the cooperation and balance of technology and nature.

Wikipedia:Globes further described the movement as follows (from the English translation of the original Hebrew article):

Who will build the buildings? Who will pave the roads?

"There will be machines that would construct the buildings, and humans would oversee the process. This is what actually happens today - I stand on a roof in Tel Aviv and see tall buildings being constructed mostly by machines. The technology already exists and there is no need to invent it, so to a large extent we already are in the Venus Project. The problem is that it's simply expensive for the owners of the companies and there are commercial interests, so it does not materialize. To a large extent, the machines have already liberated us, it is us who have not liberated ourselves. "

It's all good and beautiful, but what would be the incentive for future engineers to put their mind to future developments and innovations if their actions would not have any economic horizons?

"The classic answer to that is Wikipedia:open-source software. We see that today people contribute and develop something new for the benefit of humanity ..."

Who's going to manage this society? Politicians? Mayors?

"No. Our conception of politics today and the payment of taxes is wrong. The reason we elect representative officials, whether for the state government or a municipality, is so that they would serve us, but it's not what happens. What has the Prime Minister done for you lately? Our taxes do not really return to us. It is not the politicians who build our roads, but rather the engineers who are planning and executing. The politicians may make decisions, but none of them is a professional or a scientist. Moreover, even for basic needs such as water and electricity, taxes and politics do not address our needs..."

If we cancel the money, then we would not be required to work for a living. What would the billions of human beings do?

"People do not lack things to do, we all have lots of hobbies, but people forget them because they work all their lives. The Venus Project encourages learning and mastering many areas; a person can learn both music and physics, he or she will have the freedom to do all of these on the road to true self-actualization, and there would still be jobs in society - such as supervising the machines".

But why would we want to work if we do not get rewarded?

"The remuneration we would receive is internal, a feeling that the person gives of himself or herself and as a result society sustains itself. People think it is a naive idea, but the fact is that Israel has tens of thousands of people in non-profit organizations and people get things done and contribute, despite the fact there is no monetary reward. I do not think people will miss the incentive to make money, and in the meantime, until we get there, you can reduce the work hours. "

What does that mean?

"You can see how in plants when new machinery is introduced, which replaces manual labor, they fire half the workers. Why fire? It is possible to keep all the workers and reduce the work hours, to give people freedom. Of course under the model of the Venus Project many professions will disappear from the world because these professions would be superfluous, for example advertising. Then these advertising professionals will perform work that is necessary and needed, and reduce the work burden on others. The media and communication professions will change too, and it is possible to see it happening already today, with the development of the Internet. "

And what about laws, would they all be eliminated?

"Our contention is that in an evolving, developing society there is no need for laws. Laws create negative conditioning, according to studies, and in a society that is truly advanced we should have seen a reduction in the number of laws. The only law I recognize is 'Do not hurt others', in the full variety of all its meanings."

What about wars and conflicts, chaos and anarchy, how do we solve it?

"One of the first things to do is share the wealth, then we will witness a reduction in aggression. Statistically, educated people are less violent, and when the society is more educated the entire society is less inclined to violence. So, first you have to share the abundance, provide food for everyone, and then provide education to all the people who demand it, then, statistically, the rates of violence in society are supposed to decline".

Wikipedia:TheMarker further described the movement as follows (from the English translation of the original Hebrew article): {{quote| Even if you do not agree with everything Joseph says - and large portions of the claims and conclusions of the members of the Zeitgeist movement may sound far-reaching even to particularly radical readers - it is impossible to ignore the underground currents that the movement represented. The Zeitgeist Movement symbolizes the atmosphere of suspicion and doubt in all the government agencies and large businesses with which an entire generation came of age, a generation which witnessed in recent years how reality aligns itself even with the most delusional conspiracies - as the doings of "international bankers", to use the Zeitgeist term, delivered a major blow to the global economy.

Zeitgeist found a following among the tens of millions of people, because it speaks to the two most dominant components in our lives today: the fear of change, and the knowledge that change is certain to come. When the global economy is in an unprecedented crisis caused by the financial industry, and social activists in the West complain of restrictions on democratic rights and corrupt connections between the wealthy elite and politicians, it is understandable how Zeitgeist has become a representative of the spirit of the times.

Today, as discussed earlier, Joseph distances himself as far as possible from conspiracies. "There is no conspiracy," says Joseph. "I'm not interested in conspiracies, because every element of society today is conspiratorial. This is a system based on ruthless competition between individual humans, between countries, between corporations. Every person and every party is competing for contracts, jobs, and resources. This is the world today - one big self interest. This is the major flaw of the system, because everyone is busy surviving and nobody wants to think for the long term. Every political party, every country, every corporation and every person are concerned with their personal survival and fighting others. Each party or each person advances at the expense of someone else. This is theory of the market. No one is willing to work together in a way that is necessary to our survival as a species. To me, this is anti-economics.

"I present information that leads people to understand that we are not being told the truth, that we have problems in our socio-economic system that make the system corrupt in nature. When I talked about the conspiracy to hide the truth about the September 11 attacks, I did not do more than display information, but some people would say that this is a conspiracy theory. To claim 'conspiracy' is an easy way to avoid dealing with the information and to deter people, because no one wants to be associated with the margins of society and to see the film on the conspiracy. It's a great way to control people."

... In June 2011, when the third film Wikipedia:Zeitgeist: Moving Forward was released and criticized the current monetary system, claiming it could lead only to one of two possible scenarios - insolvency or hyper-inflation, Joseph's claims sounded, to many people, less delusional. The European debt crisis was in full swing and the United States, too, seemed to teeter on the brink of insolvency, in the midst of the debt ceiling crisis.

In a certain sense Joseph is also the prophet of the global protest movement that erupted around the world four years after the release of the first Zeitgeist movie, and reflected faithfully the spirit of skepticism of the film regarding the actions of the governing authorities, bankers, and the distorted relationships between them. The third movie also described a scenario of a dramatic global uprising. "I do not know what was the impact of the movies on the protest", he says. "There are all kinds of speculation on the matter. I will not be surprised if the films planted a few seeds here and there".

Last fall, Joseph ... (said): "... I do not want to create a government which would impose its ideas on others. I want to liberate people's consciousness and cause humanity to share a common vision. The only way to do this is to plant seeds and hope they will grow."

The future, he predicts, will do only good for the movement he heads. "... The largest natural disaster imaginable is happening right now before our eyes, and that is the failure of our socio-economic system. The real natural disaster is the human catastrophe which is happening now. This will serve as a tremendous catalyst for the movement. Over a billion people are starving, we are burning through our resources quickly, and instability is increasing. I do not see us continuing in this process for long, unless we are willing to transition from a state of a billion hungry people to a state of 2-3 billion hungry people and widespread environmental destruction."

"... The way in which we operate the movement is by empowering other people all over the world. They all work without a leadership structure. It is very dangerous to be a leader. If there is anything that should disappear from the world, then that is the concept of individual leaders, whether it is a president or a parliament. It is an outdated, obsolete idea that encourages a personality cult, and as it continues people just continue to follow it. I do not want to be seen as a source of authority, I have no power. I'm just explaining what I think and what I do, and hope people will understand".

In addition to Fresco, says Joseph, he was also influenced by the architect, inventor and philosopher Wikipedia:Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the Wikipedia:geodesic dome, who dealt at length with the way humanity needs to manage the earth's resources. "We live today in a system of anti-economics. Our system is not effective, and in fact is driven by lack of efficiency. The physical and mental diseases from which we suffer, the shoddy education, the money that is not invested in education and infrastructure, are all the result of a system collapsing into itself. We're trying to invent a serious social approach, which takes into account all of humanity and the planet, because we cannot continue with our current approach".

What distinguishes the Zeitgeist movement, according to Joseph, is that it aims not only to change the economic system, but to turn upside-down the entire design of society. The Zeitgeist is an extreme voice, both in its ideological background and in its requirements for the future. But it represents, perhaps more than any other movement, the spirit of the general chaos that exists in the world today - a world where current methods are bankrupt, and a new method, even if extreme, may find a foothold in the public discourse. The Zeitgeist films address an audience who knows not to accept everything the movies say as sacrosanct. The goal, he says, is to instill in people the spirit of things, not the facts, so that they would work to change the system.

See also

• Category:Manifestos
• Zeitgeist: The Movie
• Zeitgeist: Addendum
• Zeitgeist: Moving Forward