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The Zeitgeist Movement

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Maharishi University of Management  November 15, 2009

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The title of this presentation is "Where Are We Going?"

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This is actually the second part in a two-part series.

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The first one was done in London, called "Where Are We Now?"

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which dealt with the financial system and other attributes you might be familiar with

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if you follow the work that I do with The Zeitgeist Movement

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which is the activist and communication arm

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of another organization called The Venus Project.

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More on these organisations as we go along.

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Part 1: Evolutionary Baggage

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Roughly 10,000 years ago the human species

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stumbled into a new social paradigm

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which is now referred to as the "Neolithic Revolution".

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During this time, it appears we began a transition

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from predominantly egalitarian societies

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consisting of hunters and gatherers

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to an agricultural revolution where deliberate cultivation of food

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replaced the more passive finding of food sources

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hence allowing for much more control over production.

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At the same time, there also seems to be a major push

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in the advancement of what we call "technology" today.

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Stone tools were advancing which eventually set the trend for the Bronze Age

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which used the forging of more malleable copper.

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And then [came] the Iron Age which enabled more strength

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and so on.  I think we know all these patterns.

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Since this period, we can look back and recognize

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a constantly increasing rate of technological development.

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In fact, it appears to be an exponential increase.

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This graph here, made by Ray Kurzweil

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shows an exponential increase in the mass use of inventions

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specifically communication and computer technology.

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Next to it is another chart which shows a history of technological invention

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and the amazing rate of progress in general.

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I think it is safe to say that this evolution of technology

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and hence science itself has been and continues to be

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the fundamental catalyst for progress and change.

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It is by far the primary factor driving the development of human civilization

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not only in the facilitation of achieving specific ends

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but also in the more subtle manifestation of our belief systems, philosophy

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frames of reference and essentially how we interpret the world around us.

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The scientific method itself is a form of technological tool

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and its application has continually advanced our understanding

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of the world around us, facilitating constant change.

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Unfortunately, cultural beliefs (beliefs that we all share

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traditions) are very rarely in tandem

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with the socially progressive nature of science and technology.

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This is termed "culture lag".

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This stems from social identifications with existing traditional values

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and established institutional practices.

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These emotional identifications

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and I apologize for this graphic, but I couldn't resist.

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These emotional identifications are a source of comfort for us.

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In fact, I have an anecdote. When I was coming here from the airport

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I saw the Amish. They evidently live near by

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and they were driving on the street. It was night time. What did they have?

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They had electric lights on their horse and buggy.

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I'm like "Hey! That's cheating!"

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The thing is that it's really difficult for any traditional establishment

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to really keep moving forward without eventually giving in

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to the beauty of the advancement of technology and what it can do for us.

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As a classic example of this phenomenon

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which I'm sure many of you have heard before

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was when the Italian physicist/astronomer Galileo

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first presented evidence to the political institution of his time and region

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regarding the earth revolving around the sun.

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He was met with deep threat and deep opposition by the political

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religious establishment, for it was very much contrary

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to their religious texts and hence traditional identifications.

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In fact the Inquisition banned the reprinting of Galileo's works

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for 76 years after his death.

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The reality is, institutional establishments

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meaning institutions of both traditional codified thought

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and institutions with societal influence and power

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meaning philosophy dogmas on one hand

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and corporations and governments on the other

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each have a high propensity to engage in denial

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dishonesty and corruption to maintain self-preservation

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and self-perpetuation.

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The result is a continuous culture lag

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where social progress by way of incorporating new

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socially helpful scientific advancements is constantly inhibited.

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It is like walking through a brick wall

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as the established power orthodoxies continue to perpetuate themselves

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for their own interests and comforts.

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To illustrate this phenomenon in a modern context

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let's examine one of the oldest established orders still in use today

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the monetary system.

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When I say the monetary system, I don't mean native monetary policy

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interest rates, the fractional reserve policy

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central banks or any other component attribute.

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I refer to the absolute foundation of the concept

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being a system of incentive, aquisition, and exchange.

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So first, let's ask the most fundamental question.

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Why did we invent money?

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Contrary to the attitudes of most of the world's population today

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money is not a natural resource

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nor does it represent resources.

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Money is actually a social convention for managing scarcity

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and rewarding creation.

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If a person grows a food product on a plot of land

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that product is given a value:

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1) Based on how scarce the product is in the region

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hence the level of demand versus supply.

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2) Along with the amount of labor and time spent to produce that product.

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Generally speaking, if a product is rare in this society

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then its value is raised.

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If the skill set needed by a person to cultivate that product

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is also rare in the community, then the value is increased as well.

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This is the basic theory of value, which you'll hear in Economics 101.

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As innocuous as this may seem on the surface

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let's now consider some of the unspoken

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negative retroactions of this system; namely, the profit mechanism

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and its relationship to establishment preservation.

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Very simply, problems and scarcity equals profit.

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Socially negative attributes of society

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become positively rewarded ventures for industry.

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The more problems and scarcity there is the more money

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that can be made off of attempts at solutions.

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The more efficiency created in society

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the less opportunities for monetary acquisition.

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Think about this. In other words

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and this might sound rather pessimistic and abrupt

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but there is very little intrinsic reward, and hence motivation

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to solve any currently profitable problem in existence.

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The very nature of monetary reinforcement condones

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the perpetuation of problems.

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For example, energy is the corner stone of our society.

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You would think that scarce

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and depleted oil supplies which is a common speculation

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at this point in time, "peak oil"

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would be a dire concern, given our current social dependence

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posing nothing but negative connotations.

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No, not in the short term.

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There is nothing the oil companies want more than consistant scarcity.

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The 2007/2008 speculative bubble in oil which shut down schools

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school buses and caused immense hardship for the lower classes

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for both home heating and transportation, is a classic example.

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If oil companies know that they can make more money

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by having their items scarce, the propensity

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to deliberately limit production and disregard social concern

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or simply be dishonest outright about available resources

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is very high.

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The same goes, unfortunately, for every other socially dire problem

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such as environmental pollution.

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The more polluted our water tables and taps become

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the more industry can compensate by offering profitable solutions.

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This creates a perverse reinforcement of indifference

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to environmental concern by industry

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for the more damage there is, the more money that can be made.

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It is simply how the game is set up.

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And the psychological ramifications are sick and profound.

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Let's consider the medical industry

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which should be one of the most altruistic

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and progressive institutions we have

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as our quality of life often depends on it.

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However, we need to realize the simple reality

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that the medical establishment with its millions of employees

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thrives off of the sickness of the population.

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The more problems solved in the realm of disease

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the less money that can be generated.

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For example, [there's] the cancer industry.

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This is a massive, multi-billion dollar a year industry

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a trillion dollar industry with a very large number of people in employment.

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Suppose for a moment, hypothetically, that a cure for all cancers

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was somehow achieved, and the method of treatment

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was simple and easy. In other words, there was no longer a way

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to make all this money off of the illness by the medical establishment.

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Do you realize what would happen to the economy

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to the medical institutions, if that particular problem

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was actually given a viable solution?

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And, when you realize that, do you really think that the intent

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is to cure this illness?

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It's something to think about.

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And it would also lay off tens of thousands of people.

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I mean, keep in mind it's an establishment.

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The moment you have employees and everything

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and even if you're working initially for an altruistic cause

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the moment you're in the position of supporting a group

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and the group relying on the institution

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suddenly, motivations change.

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As another example, what if a company made a car

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that could last 80 years without service

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and also runs without the need for perpetual refueling

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through battery technology?

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The after-market value of that car would be virtually zero

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and billions of dollars would be lost due to the now obsolete

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consumer oil and auto service market industries.

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I'm sure many of you know that we have the technology now

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to create electric cars

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that can go 80 mph for a thousand miles on one charge.

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You might also know as a case in point that the White House

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during the Bush administration which was, in fact, the oil cartel in power

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made sure their corporate constituents in the oil industry

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were safeguarded against this new reality

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by helping to just get rid of the idea itself, squashing it.

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In fact, there is no reason why every single car sold

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could not be electric right now. They aren't

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because social progress and human well-being

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is always second to monetary gain.

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I'll say that again. Social progress and human well-being

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is always second to monetary gain.

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Also, if people cannot make money off of solving social problems

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they simply will not be done.

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Take a look at the horrid, dire destitution in Africa

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or simply the rampant and growing homelessness across the world.

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I think George Carlin actually put it best.

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"Have you ever noticed that the only metaphor we have

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in our public discourse for solving problems is to declare war on it?

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We have the war on crime, the war on cancer, the war on drugs.

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But did you ever notice that we have no war on homelessness?

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You know why? Because there's no money in that problem.

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No money to be made off of the homeless.

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If you can find a solution to homelessness where the corporations

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and politicians can make a few million dollars each

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you will see the streets of America begin to clear up pretty damn quick!"

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Most when they think about these kinds of things

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the word "corruption" comes to mind.

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Most feel that these are ethical issues.

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But, it is really corrupt for an energy establishment

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to want to limit supply, artificially so they can make money?

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Is it really corrupt for a company to seek

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indifferent self-preservation at the expense of social progress?

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Actually no, it isn't. It is simply "business as usual".

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And this is what I'm trying to point out.

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And you should expect nothing less than this tendency.

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The profit mechanism creates established orders

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which constitute the survival and wealth of large groups of people.

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The fact is, no matter how socially beneficial new advents may be

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they will be viewed in hostility if they threaten an established

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financially-driven institution

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meaning social progress can actually be a threat to the establishment.

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To put it into a sentence: Abundance

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sustainability and efficiency are the enemies of profit.

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Progressive advancement in science and technology which can solve

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problems of inefficiency and scarcity once and for all are, in effect

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making the prior establishment's servicing of those issues obsolete.

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Therefore, in a monetary system

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corporations are not just in competition with other corporations

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they are in competition with progress itself.

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That is why social change is so difficult within a monetary system.

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In other words, the established monetary system

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refuses free flowing change.

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You really cannot have a social convention

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where money is made off of inefficiency and scarcity

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and expect a quick incorporation of new advents

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which can relieve those problems.

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I know I'm drilling this in, but most do not see this

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and I want to make sure it is perfectly clear.

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I don't want to spend too much time on the monetary system

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because as I mentioned, it was the focus of a prior presentation.

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However, I would like to quickly point out two important issues.

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The first is the economic reality that the entire global economic system

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is based on what I call "cyclical consumption".

255
00:14:38,774 --> 00:14:43,163
The only way the system can work is if money is perpetually circulating.

256
00:14:43,313 --> 00:14:46,958
Money must be continuously transferred from one party to another

257
00:14:47,096 --> 00:14:50,390
in order to sustain the so-called "economic growth".

258
00:14:50,540 --> 00:14:53,964
This is done through constant or cyclical consumption

259
00:14:54,114 --> 00:14:56,191
by virtually everyone in society.

260
00:14:56,335 --> 00:15:01,349
Jobs are entirely contingent upon demand for production in some form.

261
00:15:01,518 --> 00:15:04,460
If there was no demand for goods and services then there would be no demand

262
00:15:04,604 --> 00:15:08,124
for labor and financial circulation would hence stop.

263
00:15:08,356 --> 00:15:13,103
What this translates into again is that inefficiency equals profit.

264
00:15:13,253 --> 00:15:17,432
The entire system demands problems for it to work.

265
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,946
This is not only paralyzing as we have discussed

266
00:15:21,096 --> 00:15:24,835
but it also creates outrageous amounts of resource waste

267
00:15:24,980 --> 00:15:27,782
irrelevancy and extremity.

268
00:15:29,199 --> 00:15:33,214
The second point I would like to make on this issue, which is much more broad

269
00:15:33,354 --> 00:15:36,169
has to do with the holistic nature of the monetary game

270
00:15:36,309 --> 00:15:40,281
in historical practice and the fundamental intent.

271
00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:44,419
All societies today, whether termed capitalist or socialist

272
00:15:44,559 --> 00:15:48,105
or even communist are fundamentally based on money.

273
00:15:48,475 --> 00:15:52,338
Money is the enabler of possibility within the system itself.

274
00:15:52,973 --> 00:15:55,426
Free market capitalism as it is often called

275
00:15:55,566 --> 00:15:58,804
is now the dominant economic religion of the day.

276
00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,900
I say religion, because when it comes to the cultural perception

277
00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,203
of this methodology, few today seem to have the ability

278
00:16:05,343 --> 00:16:09,254
to even ponder any other options for social operation.

279
00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,374
They are fully indoctrinated. The free market in practice

280
00:16:12,514 --> 00:16:15,714
can be defined as: A market in which supply and demand

281
00:16:15,856 --> 00:16:19,875
are unregulated except by a country's competition policy

282
00:16:20,044 --> 00:16:23,554
and rights and physical and intellectual property are upheld.

283
00:16:23,723 --> 00:16:25,841
You'll notice it says "Unregulated, except

284
00:16:25,981 --> 00:16:28,292
by the country's competition policy."

285
00:16:28,432 --> 00:16:32,102
In other words, there is no such thing as a pure free market.

286
00:16:32,265 --> 00:16:35,227
I know most of us know this, but I want to make the point

287
00:16:35,371 --> 00:16:38,702
for nor could there ever be such a thing as a pure free market

288
00:16:38,852 --> 00:16:43,617
without the system despotically self-destructing beyond repair.

289
00:16:43,761 --> 00:16:47,017
Why? Because the basis of the free market pursuit

290
00:16:47,161 --> 00:16:49,898
meaning the self-interest based pursuit

291
00:16:50,041 --> 00:16:52,114
and strategic acquisition of market share

292
00:16:52,254 --> 00:16:56,823
(the gaming strategy) can only lead to monopolies and cartels.

293
00:16:56,967 --> 00:17:00,683
That is the basis of the entire motivation

294
00:17:00,833 --> 00:17:04,884
and it's funny how economists today will deny that up and down.

295
00:17:05,028 --> 00:17:07,803
For example, let's say I want to open an electronics store

296
00:17:07,946 --> 00:17:11,396
in a relatively small town. Say here in Fairfield, Iowa

297
00:17:11,547 --> 00:17:14,707
and at that time there are three other stores in this same area

298
00:17:14,847 --> 00:17:17,094
and therefore, I have to compete with them.

299
00:17:17,234 --> 00:17:20,359
As time moves forward, I work to streamline my competitive strategies

300
00:17:20,499 --> 00:17:24,510
and reduce overhead in such a way that my store becomes the dominant

301
00:17:24,661 --> 00:17:27,783
most affordable distributor of a certain set of items.

302
00:17:27,923 --> 00:17:32,285
And everyone in the town flocks to my store, over the others, for such items.

303
00:17:32,442 --> 00:17:34,873
Due to this, two of the other three stores

304
00:17:35,013 --> 00:17:37,333
go out of business and leave town.

305
00:17:37,471 --> 00:17:39,545
So at that point it's just my store

306
00:17:39,685 --> 00:17:42,676
and the other competitor in the region: dual competition.

307
00:17:42,816 --> 00:17:46,853
Since my profits have been so good, I make an executive decision.

308
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,777
I decide to attempt to acquire or buy

309
00:17:49,921 --> 00:17:52,002
the other competing store in town.

310
00:17:52,139 --> 00:17:54,896
Seems reasonable, right? Acquisitions happen all the time.

311
00:17:55,036 --> 00:17:57,496
And they agree. So I purchase that store

312
00:17:57,636 --> 00:18:02,099
put my logo on it and boom! I have a regional monopoly.

313
00:18:03,509 --> 00:18:06,560
Likewise, let's assume I didn't purchase the other store

314
00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:10,895
but rather just become friends and in turn partners with them

315
00:18:11,052 --> 00:18:13,299
and we figure out a way to work together and flourish

316
00:18:13,439 --> 00:18:16,323
in a non-competitive way. Seems logical, right?

317
00:18:16,460 --> 00:18:19,753
Well, guess what? Now I have a cartel.

318
00:18:19,910 --> 00:18:23,822
In other words, business is based, in part, on a gaming strategy

319
00:18:23,966 --> 00:18:26,041
to win market share and hence profit;

320
00:18:26,181 --> 00:18:28,072
therefore, it is a natural gravitation

321
00:18:28,212 --> 00:18:30,771
to seek dominance in your sector or industry

322
00:18:30,914 --> 00:18:33,777
and the highest level is monopoly and cartel.

323
00:18:33,927 --> 00:18:36,383
It is a natural progression of the free market system

324
00:18:36,523 --> 00:18:40,249
to become as dominant and powerful as possible

325
00:18:41,842 --> 00:18:44,071
but it doesn't stop there. And I'm sure most in this room

326
00:18:44,211 --> 00:18:48,198
understand the practice of congressional lobbying by corporations

327
00:18:48,348 --> 00:18:52,539
considered absolutely normal. What is financial lobbying?

328
00:18:52,733 --> 00:18:55,327
Lobbying is the prostitution of the state

329
00:18:55,464 --> 00:18:59,584
to grant further powers or positions of ease to corporate industries.

330
00:18:59,722 --> 00:19:02,096
In other words, if you pay off a few congressmen to support

331
00:19:02,236 --> 00:19:04,681
your company's agenda, then you have further secured

332
00:19:04,821 --> 00:19:09,392
your position economically. The same thing goes for campaign contributions.

333
00:19:09,541 --> 00:19:11,868
Now people say that's corruption.

334
00:19:12,012 --> 00:19:15,293
No, it's not. It's the free market at work.

335
00:19:15,437 --> 00:19:18,528
What else do you expect? There is no such thing

336
00:19:18,675 --> 00:19:22,178
as an objective government in a monetary system.

337
00:19:22,817 --> 00:19:24,992
It is impossible. The whole society

338
00:19:25,132 --> 00:19:27,733
is based on money and income, so why do you think

339
00:19:27,873 --> 00:19:30,472
any lines would ever be drawn and respected?

340
00:19:30,616 --> 00:19:33,669
We see this BS ethic argument all day long, and guess what

341
00:19:33,809 --> 00:19:36,586
it has never worked, it never will work.

342
00:19:36,737 --> 00:19:40,477
Influence and hence corruption is a natural by-product of our system.

343
00:19:40,617 --> 00:19:43,000
It should be expected.

344
00:19:44,472 --> 00:19:47,189
In fact, let's take this train of thought even further.

345
00:19:47,329 --> 00:19:50,835
Throughout history there has been one empire after another

346
00:19:50,979 --> 00:19:54,530
each working to secure global land and resource domination.

347
00:19:54,674 --> 00:19:58,256
The central reason for war is for resources

348
00:19:58,399 --> 00:20:02,376
profit, empire power and trade monopolies.

349
00:20:02,538 --> 00:20:05,476
Governments are fundamentally no different in function

350
00:20:05,616 --> 00:20:08,621
than corporations when it comes to self-interest.

351
00:20:08,759 --> 00:20:11,352
The United States' invasion of Iraq could be considered

352
00:20:11,492 --> 00:20:14,022
a hostile corporate take-over in effect

353
00:20:14,166 --> 00:20:16,820
for even the most naive individuals today know

354
00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,190
it had nothing to do with weapons, freedom or democracy for the people.

355
00:20:20,330 --> 00:20:23,753
I don't even want to belabor that issue for it's just considered passe

356
00:20:23,893 --> 00:20:26,141
to even talk about it. It's not even in style.

357
00:20:26,281 --> 00:20:28,281
We're so used to this level of corruption

358
00:20:28,421 --> 00:20:30,521
that we just look the other way these days.

359
00:20:30,661 --> 00:20:32,759
However, I do want to clearly point out what war really

360
00:20:32,899 --> 00:20:35,132
has to do with, if you have any inhibitions.

361
00:20:35,283 --> 00:20:38,157
It is for the conquering of resources, industrial profit

362
00:20:38,297 --> 00:20:41,198
and empire expansion fundamentally.

363
00:20:41,548 --> 00:20:44,108
In the words of two-time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient

364
00:20:44,248 --> 00:20:47,636
Major General Smedley D. Butler "War is a racket.

365
00:20:47,786 --> 00:20:51,541
It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable

366
00:20:51,681 --> 00:20:55,213
surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope.

367
00:20:55,353 --> 00:20:58,163
And it is the only one where the profits are reckoned in dollars

368
00:20:58,313 --> 00:21:00,549
and the losses in lives."

369
00:21:04,439 --> 00:21:06,283
It's important to point out

370
00:21:06,423 --> 00:21:10,178
that today the pursuit of profit in the market system

371
00:21:10,335 --> 00:21:13,691
is generating a different form of empire

372
00:21:13,954 --> 00:21:16,272
a corporate empire

373
00:21:16,547 --> 00:21:20,242
based on merging economies through trade agreements.

374
00:21:20,667 --> 00:21:23,171
It's called "Globalisation".

375
00:21:23,323 --> 00:21:26,514
I think Jim Garrison, President of the State of the World Forum

376
00:21:26,654 --> 00:21:29,302
put it quite succinctly

377
00:21:30,647 --> 00:21:34,127
"Taken cumulatively, the integration of the world as a whole

378
00:21:34,267 --> 00:21:36,764
particularly in terms of economic globalization

379
00:21:36,904 --> 00:21:39,733
and the mythic qualities of "free market" capitalism

380
00:21:39,873 --> 00:21:42,999
represents a veritable "empire" in its own right.

381
00:21:43,141 --> 00:21:45,571
Few have been able to escape the "structural adjustments"

382
00:21:45,711 --> 00:21:49,377
and "conditionalities" of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund

383
00:21:49,517 --> 00:21:52,063
or the arbitrations of the World Trade Organization

384
00:21:52,203 --> 00:21:56,228
those international financial institutions that, however inadequate

385
00:21:56,379 --> 00:21:59,540
still determine what economic globalization means.

386
00:21:59,684 --> 00:22:02,802
Such is the power of globalization that within our lifetime

387
00:22:02,940 --> 00:22:06,088
we are likely to see the integration, even if unevenly

388
00:22:06,228 --> 00:22:09,453
of all national economies in the world into a single global

389
00:22:09,596 --> 00:22:12,693
free market system."  Hence empire.

390
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,997
To put it gesturally, the propensity of this system

391
00:22:16,137 --> 00:22:18,891
is to create world monopoly.

392
00:22:19,035 --> 00:22:22,104
That is the gestural, natural gravitation

393
00:22:22,248 --> 00:22:25,872
of the methodology and philosophy of the free market ideology itself.

394
00:22:26,012 --> 00:22:28,646
That is what the psychology sets up. I hope that's clear.

395
00:22:28,786 --> 00:22:31,483
It is based on strategic domination and I think it's time

396
00:22:31,623 --> 00:22:34,063
people finally awakened to this. It isn't based on freedom.

397
00:22:34,208 --> 00:22:35,912
It's based on conquering.

398
00:22:36,052 --> 00:22:40,945
The core basis of social functionality in our society is inherently despotic.

399
00:22:41,091 --> 00:22:44,397
There is no such thing as an ethical transaction.

400
00:22:44,541 --> 00:22:47,422
Ethics and competition are incompatible

401
00:22:47,573 --> 00:22:51,469
for the basis of seeking differential advantage for personal gain

402
00:22:51,632 --> 00:22:55,032
is wholly unethical in any civilization

403
00:22:55,182 --> 00:22:58,845
leading perpetually to conflict and exploitation.

404
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,934
Dishonesty is the mode of operation at every level

405
00:23:02,074 --> 00:23:04,595
whether you realize it or not. And frankly

406
00:23:04,735 --> 00:23:08,420
how anyone in their right mind could ever rationalize

407
00:23:08,564 --> 00:23:12,283
that a balanced, peaceful, sustainable and productive world

408
00:23:12,426 --> 00:23:17,431
could ever come out of open competition, hence open warfare

409
00:23:18,251 --> 00:23:21,186
from individuals competing against each other for work

410
00:23:21,326 --> 00:23:24,586
to corporations battling against each other for market share

411
00:23:24,726 --> 00:23:28,731
to governments competing against each other for global economic dominance

412
00:23:28,871 --> 00:23:30,864
is beyond me.

413
00:23:31,008 --> 00:23:34,479
We live in a paralizing, detachment-promoting

414
00:23:34,611 --> 00:23:39,594
self-serving system which generates parasites and prostitutes.

415
00:23:40,241 --> 00:23:42,926
Each one of us, due to the very nature of the monetary game

416
00:23:43,066 --> 00:23:46,160
is forced into a position of submission

417
00:23:46,329 --> 00:23:50,224
either to an employer or a client.

418
00:23:50,443 --> 00:23:53,015
The basic goal is monetary acquisition

419
00:23:53,155 --> 00:23:55,898
not service to social progress.

420
00:23:56,392 --> 00:23:59,749
We leech and exploit. Sadly, the only cooperation

421
00:23:59,893 --> 00:24:02,515
you'll tend to find these days

422
00:24:02,653 --> 00:24:04,931
or actually ever since the system was created

423
00:24:05,071 --> 00:24:06,802
was when there was a common enemy

424
00:24:06,947 --> 00:24:09,828
meaning when a particular group works to fight against another.

425
00:24:09,968 --> 00:24:13,985
hence one corporation working to fight against another corporation.

426
00:24:14,149 --> 00:24:16,688
Advantage is dishonesty.

427
00:24:16,841 --> 00:24:20,063
I hope everyone thoroughly understands that.

428
00:24:20,220 --> 00:24:22,150
Moving on

429
00:24:23,892 --> 00:24:26,995
I would like to address some other culturally common attributes

430
00:24:27,139 --> 00:24:30,796
of modern society both institutional and ideological

431
00:24:30,956 --> 00:24:34,199
which are rarely thought about in a holistic sense.

432
00:24:34,356 --> 00:24:37,345
This is going to be a little bit abstract, but I would like to show

433
00:24:37,485 --> 00:24:41,285
how the integrity of these current conventions are either outdated

434
00:24:41,443 --> 00:24:44,089
polluted by the monetary system and self-interest

435
00:24:44,229 --> 00:24:47,202
or are simply ignoring the root causes of the problems

436
00:24:47,342 --> 00:24:50,535
which these conventions are attempting to solve.

437
00:24:51,724 --> 00:24:53,341
The 4 points are:

438
00:24:53,491 --> 00:24:56,625
1) Laws, rights and paper proclamations

439
00:24:56,775 --> 00:24:59,250
2) Security

440
00:24:59,394 --> 00:25:02,112
3) Government as we know it today, and

441
00:25:02,250 --> 00:25:06,119
4) Activism and so-called "ethics"

442
00:25:06,263 --> 00:25:09,367
Laws, rights and paper proclamations

443
00:25:09,554 --> 00:25:12,892
In society today, government attempts to control human behavior

444
00:25:13,036 --> 00:25:16,079
by way of threat in the form of laws.

445
00:25:16,229 --> 00:25:18,756
Little regard is given to the reasoning behind causes

446
00:25:18,896 --> 00:25:22,855
for these so-called criminal acts or socially offensive acts.

447
00:25:23,005 --> 00:25:25,770
If a person is arrested for stealing, very little regard is given

448
00:25:25,910 --> 00:25:28,076
to the environmental conditions that generated

449
00:25:28,216 --> 00:25:32,031
the interest to steal to begin with, the motivation.

450
00:25:32,275 --> 00:25:37,039
Is a mother who steals food to feed her starving family a criminal?

451
00:25:37,505 --> 00:25:41,384
No, she's simply doing what she has to do.

452
00:25:42,529 --> 00:25:45,557
When we reflect on this reality, that we as human beings

453
00:25:45,697 --> 00:25:49,281
are really nothing more and nothing less than animals

454
00:25:49,425 --> 00:25:53,125
and operate with the same basic behavioral reinforcement

455
00:25:53,263 --> 00:25:56,883
(sorry for this graphic, but I had to use it to make the comparison)

456
00:25:57,027 --> 00:26:00,743
the fact is we operate with the same basic behavioral reinforcements

457
00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:04,597
survival tendencies as most other species.

458
00:26:06,146 --> 00:26:09,068
We see then that it is illogical and irresponsable

459
00:26:09,208 --> 00:26:12,405
to consider any human behavior outside of the realm

460
00:26:12,543 --> 00:26:15,480
of the social condition.

461
00:26:17,501 --> 00:26:21,358
In the early 90's, a study was done called "The Merva Fowles" study

462
00:26:21,502 --> 00:26:25,742
which found that a 1% rise in unemployment in major US cities

463
00:26:25,886 --> 00:26:29,371
resulted in a relatively substantial increase in crime.

464
00:26:29,515 --> 00:26:31,774
This shows how so-called "criminal" behavior

465
00:26:31,914 --> 00:26:35,426
is directly related to the socio-economic circumstances.

466
00:26:35,583 --> 00:26:38,599
It should be no surprise that the great majority of people in prisons

467
00:26:38,739 --> 00:26:43,388
come from deprived socio-economic positions.

468
00:26:43,876 --> 00:26:46,175
Society is producing the behavior

469
00:26:46,319 --> 00:26:48,920
particularly scarcity, if you pay attention.

470
00:26:49,070 --> 00:26:52,107
And year after year, the number of people in prison rises

471
00:26:52,245 --> 00:26:54,632
along with the number of laws on the books.

472
00:26:54,782 --> 00:26:57,205
Therefore, obviously something isn't working right.

473
00:26:57,345 --> 00:26:59,439
Something is not working. Something is wrong.

474
00:26:59,579 --> 00:27:02,460
If society was progressively managed with the intent

475
00:27:02,604 --> 00:27:04,644
of collective human well-being

476
00:27:04,788 --> 00:27:06,999
then we should be seeing a constant decrease

477
00:27:07,136 --> 00:27:11,277
in crime and prison populations, a decrease in laws.

478
00:27:13,599 --> 00:27:17,149
In fact, the goal of a productive, stabilizing society

479
00:27:17,293 --> 00:27:21,088
would be the intent to eliminate the need for prisons, police

480
00:27:21,238 --> 00:27:24,697
and everything we have just mentioned altogether.

481
00:27:28,403 --> 00:27:31,710
I think Lisa Simpson put it best.

482
00:27:31,873 --> 00:27:35,292
- And that's the drunk tank. And this is Mommy's desk.

483
00:27:35,448 --> 00:27:38,126
- Mom, I know your intentions are good but aren't the police

484
00:27:38,266 --> 00:27:41,619
a protective force that maintains the status quo for the wealthy elite?

485
00:27:41,759 --> 00:27:43,996
Don't you think we ought to attack the roots of social problems

486
00:27:44,136 --> 00:27:47,779
instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?

487
00:27:48,298 --> 00:27:51,963
-Look Lisa! It's McGriff, the crime dog!

488
00:27:58,591 --> 00:28:01,999
This brings us to the concept of security now.

489
00:28:02,131 --> 00:28:04,888
Since 9/11, security measures across the world

490
00:28:05,028 --> 00:28:07,862
have gone berserk with irrationality.

491
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,463
The public at large, especially in America, is now neurotically obsessed

492
00:28:11,616 --> 00:28:14,028
with security.

493
00:28:15,053 --> 00:28:19,173
The solution to violent human behavior is evidently more police

494
00:28:19,323 --> 00:28:22,599
more cameras and less freedom and liberty.

495
00:28:22,855 --> 00:28:24,774
I hate to break it to everybody

496
00:28:24,914 --> 00:28:27,458
but if somebody really wants to kill you

497
00:28:27,598 --> 00:28:30,783
or blow up an airplane, blow up a shopping mall

498
00:28:31,834 --> 00:28:36,270
or do anything they want, essentially in the form of violence

499
00:28:36,414 --> 00:28:38,514
release toxic gas in the subway

500
00:28:38,681 --> 00:28:40,810
they will find a way to do it.

501
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,291
No form of security will ever stop that

502
00:28:43,435 --> 00:28:45,999
therefore the logic is wrong.

503
00:28:46,144 --> 00:28:50,057
It is impossible, and the whole basis of security as we know it

504
00:28:50,208 --> 00:28:52,317
is the absolute reverse of the application

505
00:28:52,457 --> 00:28:55,509
that's required to solve these types of issues.

506
00:28:55,666 --> 00:29:00,098
True security comes from solving social problems

507
00:29:00,643 --> 00:29:03,127
addressing the environment, the reasons

508
00:29:03,267 --> 00:29:06,464
for the neuroses and distortion of the human being.

509
00:29:07,091 --> 00:29:10,878
This is a chart covering the last 200 years.

510
00:29:11,022 --> 00:29:13,028
The Y-axis shows life expectancy

511
00:29:13,203 --> 00:29:16,527
and the X-axis shows income adjusted for inflation.

512
00:29:16,765 --> 00:29:18,433
Each bubble is a country.

513
00:29:18,573 --> 00:29:21,918
The size shows the population and the color shows the continent.

514
00:29:22,058 --> 00:29:25,089
The key is in the top right-hand corner.

515
00:29:25,227 --> 00:29:27,473
You will notice that in 1800, life expectancy

516
00:29:27,613 --> 00:29:30,189
was under 40 years of age in all countries

517
00:29:30,329 --> 00:29:33,709
and income was less than $3000.

518
00:29:33,909 --> 00:29:37,321
Now, what I want you to pay attention to is the trend of disparity

519
00:29:37,461 --> 00:29:41,831
particularly in income as we view this chart through time.

520
00:30:00,803 --> 00:30:03,249
You will notice that life expectancy has basically risen

521
00:30:03,389 --> 00:30:07,246
along with wealth in general, but what do we see mostly?

522
00:30:07,390 --> 00:30:09,331
What do we see, what stands out?

523
00:30:09,475 --> 00:30:13,417
We see a tremendous and growing economic disparity.

524
00:30:13,567 --> 00:30:16,473
Africa, for example, is just left in the dust

525
00:30:16,614 --> 00:30:19,185
by the Western nations.

526
00:30:20,541 --> 00:30:24,204
We went from this, to this.

527
00:30:24,803 --> 00:30:28,873
Economic disparity is obviously growing. Now why am I bringing this up?

528
00:30:29,777 --> 00:30:32,083
There is some research that's been done by a few parties.

529
00:30:32,221 --> 00:30:37,434
One being Richard Wilkinson, of the University of Nottingham in the UK

530
00:30:38,473 --> 00:30:43,296
which has shown a strong correlation between crime and income inequality

531
00:30:43,446 --> 00:30:46,923
not absolute income, but inequality itself.

532
00:30:47,139 --> 00:30:49,964
It's psychological. For example, in the United States

533
00:30:50,104 --> 00:30:53,087
which has the largest income gap in the world.

534
00:30:53,729 --> 00:30:56,125
(Of course, we're also the wealthiest in the world.)

535
00:30:56,265 --> 00:31:00,140
I wonder why we have the largest prison population in the world.

536
00:31:00,284 --> 00:31:03,325
Why is there so much distortion?

537
00:31:03,901 --> 00:31:08,634
It's possibly because of this tremendous, economic stratification.

538
00:31:10,001 --> 00:31:12,710
Here is the chart showing the growing disparity

539
00:31:12,850 --> 00:31:15,722
divided into the upper and lower classes.

540
00:31:15,860 --> 00:31:18,999
While the lower classes stay poor on average

541
00:31:19,134 --> 00:31:22,594
the gap between them and the upper middle classes

542
00:31:22,747 --> 00:31:24,881
continues to grow extensively.

543
00:31:25,024 --> 00:31:27,614
I believe this is the basic source of the increase

544
00:31:27,754 --> 00:31:30,245
in crime across this planet holistically.

545
00:31:30,394 --> 00:31:33,785
There seems to be a correlation between growing disparity

546
00:31:33,928 --> 00:31:36,947
and prison population and hence crime.

547
00:31:37,129 --> 00:31:40,782
The more income inequality, the more crime.

548
00:31:40,933 --> 00:31:45,456
It comes from what some people refer to as "psycho-social stress".

549
00:31:47,342 --> 00:31:49,468
Coming back to my original point, when it comes

550
00:31:49,608 --> 00:31:53,209
to the concept of security, I think one of the most important things

551
00:31:53,349 --> 00:31:56,996
we should be considering is reducing the global income gap.

552
00:31:57,134 --> 00:32:01,861
In other words, I think that the more this inequality in the world grows

553
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:06,432
the more world conflicts that will arise on multiple levels.

554
00:32:06,751 --> 00:32:10,164
Now we're going to move on to paper proclamations.

555
00:32:10,308 --> 00:32:13,027
Today we use paper proclamations, as we call them

556
00:32:13,167 --> 00:32:15,595
to denote a person's so-called rights.

557
00:32:15,798 --> 00:32:18,941
And just like laws, they are culturally biased

558
00:32:19,081 --> 00:32:22,969
artificial concoctions, which attempt to solve reoccurring problems

559
00:32:23,110 --> 00:32:27,890
by simply declaring something with words on paper usually.

560
00:32:28,253 --> 00:32:31,453
Rights, infact, have been invented to protect ourselves

561
00:32:31,606 --> 00:32:35,232
from the negative by-products of the social system itself.

562
00:32:35,432 --> 00:32:39,018
And once again, instead of seeking a true solution to a problem

563
00:32:39,158 --> 00:32:42,878
we invent these patches by way of paper proclamations

564
00:32:43,016 --> 00:32:45,428
in an attempt to resolve them.

565
00:32:45,572 --> 00:32:48,275
This does not work. It has never worked.

566
00:32:48,430 --> 00:32:51,798
There is really no such thing as an unalienable right

567
00:32:51,936 --> 00:32:54,300
outside of the culture in which it is assumed.

568
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,842
We are making this up!

569
00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:01,914
Therefore, liberties need to be inherent in a social system by design

570
00:33:02,052 --> 00:33:05,439
not alluded to ambiguously on paper.

571
00:33:06,058 --> 00:33:09,708
As a classic example of this, let's take the notion of divine law

572
00:33:09,848 --> 00:33:12,436
the famed Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not steal.

573
00:33:12,576 --> 00:33:15,720
Thou shalt not murder". Why?

574
00:33:15,876 --> 00:33:17,962
These are surface notion cop-outs

575
00:33:18,087 --> 00:33:21,043
created by men who didn't have any real information

576
00:33:21,183 --> 00:33:25,422
who did not understand that we live in a cause-and-effect reality.

577
00:33:25,951 --> 00:33:30,096
Telling people this does virtually nothing, as history has proven.

578
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:35,192
Morality is an empty idea that has no empirical referent.

579
00:33:35,451 --> 00:33:38,245
An intelligent commandment would be something like:

580
00:33:38,401 --> 00:33:41,962
"Thou shalt continually re-orient thyself and society

581
00:33:42,105 --> 00:33:46,290
to reduce reactionary propensities that lead to aberrated consequences

582
00:33:46,435 --> 00:33:49,374
such as stealing and murder."

583
00:33:49,512 --> 00:33:51,575
(The gospel of Peter Joseph)

584
00:33:51,700 --> 00:33:55,520
[applause]

585
00:33:57,066 --> 00:34:00,435
The same surface irrelevancy applies to any Constitution

586
00:34:00,579 --> 00:34:03,120
or Bill of Rights of any country on this planet.

587
00:34:03,260 --> 00:34:05,989
In the Bill of Rights of the United States, there is an attempt to secure

588
00:34:06,129 --> 00:34:09,880
certain freedoms and protections by way again of mere text on paper.

589
00:34:10,012 --> 00:34:12,324
Now, while I understand the value of this document

590
00:34:12,464 --> 00:34:16,419
and the temporal brilliance of it in the context of the period of its creation

591
00:34:16,559 --> 00:34:19,033
that does not excuse the fact that it is a product

592
00:34:19,173 --> 00:34:22,129
of social inefficiency and nothing more.

593
00:34:22,272 --> 00:34:24,712
In other words, declarations of laws and rights

594
00:34:24,852 --> 00:34:29,255
are actually an acknowledgment of failures of the social design.

595
00:34:29,399 --> 00:34:32,634
There are many people today in the so-called "Patriot" and "Liberty" movements.

596
00:34:32,774 --> 00:34:35,665
I know many people like this. I'm a fan of many people

597
00:34:35,805 --> 00:34:39,100
who are proponents of this, in part, because I think there's a place for it.

598
00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:42,617
But this document is not the "savior" of America.

599
00:34:42,768 --> 00:34:45,242
Some people seem to believe that

600
00:34:45,386 --> 00:34:48,744
the United States had some magical position at one point or another

601
00:34:48,888 --> 00:34:51,916
perhaps where we slaughtered all the Mexicans and Indians to steal the land

602
00:34:52,056 --> 00:34:55,119
or the fact that when the Constitution was written, only white

603
00:34:55,259 --> 00:34:58,754
property owning males which was about 10% of the whole population

604
00:34:58,894 --> 00:35:00,912
of the nation, could actually vote.

605
00:35:01,052 --> 00:35:03,913
This is government by the people?

606
00:35:05,524 --> 00:35:08,872
Moving on. Let me demonstrate what I'm talking about here.

607
00:35:09,012 --> 00:35:11,685
The Fourth Amendment details how people have

608
00:35:11,829 --> 00:35:15,278
"Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures".

609
00:35:15,422 --> 00:35:18,731
This statement is basically qualified by the termed notion

610
00:35:18,871 --> 00:35:22,306
of "probable cause" in the amendment.

611
00:35:22,481 --> 00:35:24,435
What is "probable cause"?

612
00:35:24,573 --> 00:35:27,553
The only way to figure this out is to find a legal working definition

613
00:35:27,693 --> 00:35:29,647
that is culturally accepted.

614
00:35:29,778 --> 00:35:32,860
A common definiton of probable cause in this context is:

615
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,951
A reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime.

616
00:35:37,107 --> 00:35:40,996
So the qualifier is now reasonable, right?

617
00:35:41,177 --> 00:35:44,665
Reasonable: This is often defined as "fair"

618
00:35:44,809 --> 00:35:47,026
not excessive or extreme.

619
00:35:47,164 --> 00:35:51,243
Then I guess we have to move on to the word "excessive".

620
00:35:51,550 --> 00:35:53,737
You see my point, I hope.

621
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,985
It is meaningless semantically, therefore it cannot be trusted.

622
00:35:58,129 --> 00:36:00,172
None of them can.

623
00:36:00,309 --> 00:36:03,113
In other words, legal definitions are not empirical.

624
00:36:03,253 --> 00:36:06,663
All the amendments are subject to the whims of interpretation

625
00:36:06,803 --> 00:36:09,388
which is why they are abused by the police

626
00:36:09,528 --> 00:36:12,933
Homeland Security and the IRS on a daily basis.

627
00:36:13,084 --> 00:36:14,999
Therefore, back to my original point:

628
00:36:15,130 --> 00:36:17,179
There is no such thing as rights

629
00:36:17,319 --> 00:36:20,672
as the reference can be altered at will.

630
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,707
The Fourth Amendment is an attempt to protect people

631
00:36:23,847 --> 00:36:26,414
from State power abuse. That is clear.

632
00:36:26,557 --> 00:36:28,974
But it avoids the real issue, and that is:

633
00:36:29,114 --> 00:36:32,700
Why would the state have an interest to search and seize to begin with?

634
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,317
How do you remove the mechanisms that generate such behavior?

635
00:36:36,461 --> 00:36:38,886
We need to focus on the real cause.

636
00:36:39,030 --> 00:36:42,098
To be clear again, I'm not saying that laws, rights

637
00:36:42,242 --> 00:36:45,347
are not needed at this time. They certainly are

638
00:36:45,497 --> 00:36:49,888
but we need to hone our focus to resolving the actual problem.

639
00:36:50,402 --> 00:36:52,589
And by the way, for all the nationalists out there

640
00:36:52,729 --> 00:36:56,253
I am not attacking the US Constitution once again.

641
00:36:56,404 --> 00:36:59,622
However, it is not the answer and it's naive to think

642
00:36:59,766 --> 00:37:03,179
that this document really has that much relevance.

643
00:37:03,335 --> 00:37:06,935
Again, I am a fan of people like Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.

644
00:37:07,078 --> 00:37:09,561
I believe there's a place for the work that they do

645
00:37:09,701 --> 00:37:12,034
but it's not the answer.

646
00:37:12,185 --> 00:37:15,147
The history of America is just like the history of any other country

647
00:37:15,287 --> 00:37:19,102
on this planet. It is a history of deception, fraud and corruption.

648
00:37:19,242 --> 00:37:21,447
There is nothing to return to

649
00:37:21,585 --> 00:37:23,712
for the integrity was never there to begin with.

650
00:37:23,850 --> 00:37:27,143
We must move forward, not backwards.

651
00:37:29,329 --> 00:37:32,598
And this brings us to government.

652
00:37:33,455 --> 00:37:36,527
All governments in existence today, whether you recognize it or not

653
00:37:36,667 --> 00:37:39,617
are institutional dictatorships.

654
00:37:39,754 --> 00:37:43,480
They are publicly sanctioned power monopolies

655
00:37:43,624 --> 00:37:47,935
and democracy as it is practiced today is simply a game that is played.

656
00:37:48,085 --> 00:37:51,205
I'm sorry, but it's simply a game that's played

657
00:37:51,349 --> 00:37:54,518
to give the public the illusion of control.

658
00:37:55,462 --> 00:38:00,030
[applause]

659
00:38:02,323 --> 00:38:04,333
People think they have choice in our current system

660
00:38:04,473 --> 00:38:07,083
because they can press a button on a voting machine

661
00:38:07,223 --> 00:38:09,863
and put a pre-selected person into power.

662
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,040
However, once that person is in power

663
00:38:12,180 --> 00:38:15,067
the public then has virtually no say.

664
00:38:15,224 --> 00:38:18,700
Did you vote for the bank bailout? [No]

665
00:38:18,825 --> 00:38:20,927
Did you vote for the cabinet of a new president?

666
00:38:21,067 --> 00:38:23,176
Did you vote for the tax increase?

667
00:38:23,316 --> 00:38:27,690
Do you vote for where highways, power grids or any infrastructure goes?

668
00:38:27,834 --> 00:38:32,833
Did you vote for the wars in Afganistan and Iraq? [No, we didn't]

669
00:38:32,971 --> 00:38:36,099
So where is your real participation?

670
00:38:36,243 --> 00:38:40,266
In Part Three, we will discuss how a true democracy actually would work

671
00:38:40,417 --> 00:38:45,418
and it's not the election of people. It's the election of ideas.

672
00:38:46,823 --> 00:38:49,133
We have to understand the government as we know it today

673
00:38:49,273 --> 00:38:51,976
is not in place for the well-being of the public

674
00:38:52,116 --> 00:38:55,882
but rather for the perpetuation of their establishment and their power

675
00:38:56,022 --> 00:38:59,115
just like every other institution within a monetary system.

676
00:38:59,266 --> 00:39:01,862
Government is a monetary invention for the sake of economic

677
00:39:02,002 --> 00:39:04,266
and social control. Its methods are based

678
00:39:04,406 --> 00:39:07,234
on self-preservation, first and foremost.

679
00:39:07,416 --> 00:39:10,972
All the government can really do is create laws to compensate

680
00:39:11,116 --> 00:39:14,999
for an inherent lack of integrity in the social order.

681
00:39:15,137 --> 00:39:19,833
It's also worth pointing out that most politicians are lawyers.

682
00:39:19,983 --> 00:39:23,242
Most players in goverment come from the world of law.

683
00:39:23,386 --> 00:39:27,479
And in reality they have absolutely no real education

684
00:39:27,619 --> 00:39:31,583
or understanding about the true foundation of social operation.

685
00:39:31,727 --> 00:39:34,237
Can a lawyer come fix your home heating system?

686
00:39:34,377 --> 00:39:38,284
Can a lawyer go and organize a power grid for a particular area? No.

687
00:39:38,422 --> 00:39:41,170
Lawyers and hence polititians, are simply not trained

688
00:39:41,310 --> 00:39:44,554
in any tangible way to solve real problems.

689
00:39:44,691 --> 00:39:48,062
They're trained to solve artificial, nonsensical problems

690
00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:52,645
that are culminated by-products of our nonsensical society.

691
00:39:53,346 --> 00:39:57,097
In other words, society is in fact a technical creation.

692
00:39:57,241 --> 00:40:00,222
I'll say that again. Society is a technical creation

693
00:40:00,366 --> 00:40:04,193
consisting of infrastructure, resources and management.

694
00:40:04,337 --> 00:40:06,893
Society is a technological construct.

695
00:40:07,037 --> 00:40:11,207
Republican, Democrat, it doesn't mean a damn thing.

696
00:40:12,202 --> 00:40:14,596
If you really want to see a society that works

697
00:40:14,736 --> 00:40:17,768
you have to begin to realize that science and technology

698
00:40:17,908 --> 00:40:20,356
is the overarching element that governs

699
00:40:20,496 --> 00:40:24,178
the entire mechanism of social organization

700
00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:27,786
and therefore, those who study those attributes should be given

701
00:40:27,924 --> 00:40:31,998
not control, but should be given the forefront to participation.

702
00:40:32,426 --> 00:40:35,906
Forefront of influence to say "We can feed and clothe

703
00:40:36,050 --> 00:40:38,732
all the impoverished people in Africa and in the third world.

704
00:40:38,872 --> 00:40:41,208
We can technically do it". But unfortunately

705
00:40:41,348 --> 00:40:44,860
they go to their corporate bureaucracy, and hence, government bureaucracy

706
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,900
and the governments say "We don't have the money for that."

707
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,374
The question has never been "Do we have the money?"

708
00:40:51,514 --> 00:40:54,296
The question has always been "Do we have the resources

709
00:40:54,436 --> 00:40:57,386
and technological know-how?"

710
00:40:58,346 --> 00:41:02,234
Now, the final issue I would like to cover in this section

711
00:41:02,414 --> 00:41:05,698
has to do with activism and the traditional patterns of activism

712
00:41:05,838 --> 00:41:08,315
we have seen historically across the world.

713
00:41:08,472 --> 00:41:11,258
In the world today, there are countless well-intentioned people

714
00:41:11,398 --> 00:41:15,434
and activist organizations making a lot of noise about the rampant problems

715
00:41:15,574 --> 00:41:17,739
and injustices in our world.

716
00:41:17,870 --> 00:41:20,392
Yet unfortunately, as you tend to find

717
00:41:20,539 --> 00:41:24,606
very few offer any real, tangible long-term solutions.

718
00:41:24,881 --> 00:41:27,111
Those that do offer solutions, however

719
00:41:27,251 --> 00:41:30,316
almost universally frame those solutions

720
00:41:30,461 --> 00:41:34,071
within the pre-existing social establishment.

721
00:41:35,016 --> 00:41:38,811
Their tactics tend to involve new legislation, and of course

722
00:41:38,948 --> 00:41:42,787
they always demand ethics and accountability.

723
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:46,860
Very little regard is given to the root structure of our system.

724
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,895
Battling and protesting

725
00:41:50,039 --> 00:41:53,581
corrupt corporate organizations and seeking money from society

726
00:41:53,721 --> 00:41:57,875
in an attempt to curtail such trends is a typical path that is taken.

727
00:41:58,026 --> 00:42:00,285
It is a very respectable path in general.

728
00:42:00,425 --> 00:42:03,770
However, it is not going to create long-term change.

729
00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:07,027
I'm nothing but pleased to see something like this

730
00:42:07,164 --> 00:42:09,864
but does that really do anything?

731
00:42:10,020 --> 00:42:13,494
When it comes to social corruption, poverty, environmental disregard

732
00:42:13,634 --> 00:42:18,915
human exploitation and most personal and social turmoil in the world today

733
00:42:19,061 --> 00:42:21,583
the great realization is that most of these problems

734
00:42:21,723 --> 00:42:24,494
are not the result of a particular company

735
00:42:24,632 --> 00:42:29,311
some nefarious elite group or some government legislation.

736
00:42:29,462 --> 00:42:33,353
These are symptoms of the foundational problem.

737
00:42:35,505 --> 00:42:37,948
The real issue is human behavior

738
00:42:38,092 --> 00:42:41,494
and human behavior is largely created and reinforced

739
00:42:41,638 --> 00:42:44,189
by the social patterns required for survival

740
00:42:44,329 --> 00:42:48,423
as necessitated by the social system of that period in time.

741
00:42:48,573 --> 00:42:51,814
We are products of our society, and the fact of the matter is

742
00:42:51,954 --> 00:42:55,291
it is the very foundation of our socio-economic system

743
00:42:55,435 --> 00:42:57,934
and hence our environmental condition

744
00:42:58,071 --> 00:43:02,187
which has created the sick cultural climate you see around you.

745
00:43:03,310 --> 00:43:07,678
Very rarely do any activist organizations today consider the possibility

746
00:43:07,829 --> 00:43:12,443
that maybe it is the social system itself that is the problem.

747
00:43:12,737 --> 00:43:15,401
The bottom line is that we can spend the rest of our existences

748
00:43:15,541 --> 00:43:18,033
attempting to stomp on the ants that mysteriously

749
00:43:18,173 --> 00:43:22,957
wander out from underneath our refrigerator, setting traps, or laws

750
00:43:23,297 --> 00:43:25,239
or we can get rid of the spoiled food behind it

751
00:43:25,379 --> 00:43:29,089
which is causing the infestation to begin with.

752
00:43:30,823 --> 00:43:34,000
Part 2: Project Earth

753
00:43:37,852 --> 00:43:40,156
There is a concept in electrical engineering called

754
00:43:40,296 --> 00:43:42,402
the signal to noise ratio

755
00:43:42,546 --> 00:43:46,062
which has to do with the ratio of a signal power

756
00:43:46,217 --> 00:43:49,428
to a noise power which corrupts the signal.

757
00:43:49,578 --> 00:43:52,395
It's like listening the music on the radio on a car

758
00:43:52,535 --> 00:43:55,643
which is receiving a great deal of interference

759
00:43:55,781 --> 00:43:58,783
and the music is becoming clouded and distorted.

760
00:43:58,958 --> 00:44:02,573
I think this is a great metaphor for our current social practices

761
00:44:02,724 --> 00:44:05,471
the signal being the foundational aspects of importance

762
00:44:05,611 --> 00:44:09,805
and relevance to a given field with the noise being the outdated

763
00:44:09,943 --> 00:44:12,558
traditionalized, inefficient methods

764
00:44:12,702 --> 00:44:15,423
which cloud, confuse, delay and distort

765
00:44:15,564 --> 00:44:17,913
our intents and abilities.

766
00:44:21,122 --> 00:44:23,559
I want everyone to forget

767
00:44:23,699 --> 00:44:27,468
pretty much everything I've just talked about. Take a massive step back

768
00:44:27,618 --> 00:44:31,427
and consider a very simple thought exercise that I want to walk through

769
00:44:31,567 --> 00:44:35,457
in regard to how we conduct our operations on this planet.

770
00:44:35,908 --> 00:44:38,614
Let's assume for a moment that we are interstellar travelers

771
00:44:38,754 --> 00:44:41,870
originating from Earth, as it is known today;

772
00:44:42,014 --> 00:44:44,612
and in our journey we stumble upon, amazingly enough

773
00:44:44,756 --> 00:44:47,184
an exact replica of our planet.

774
00:44:47,328 --> 00:44:49,473
The only difference between the current state of this new planet

775
00:44:49,613 --> 00:44:52,148
versus our own is that there are no human beings.

776
00:44:52,288 --> 00:44:54,966
Human evolution has not occurred.

777
00:44:55,110 --> 00:44:58,345
Hence, there is no establishment orders, no social arrogance

778
00:44:58,485 --> 00:45:02,260
no money of course, nothing to limit our possibility.

779
00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,454
Given the advanced scientific knowledge we have today

780
00:45:05,594 --> 00:45:07,876
how would we go about redesigning

781
00:45:08,021 --> 00:45:10,635
our social infrastructure from the ground up

782
00:45:10,786 --> 00:45:14,644
with the goal to create nothing less than the most efficient

783
00:45:14,788 --> 00:45:18,727
conscientious and sustainable society as possible.

784
00:45:20,875 --> 00:45:23,058
What is the first step?

785
00:45:23,202 --> 00:45:27,277
A full survey of Earth's natural resources would make sense, correct?

786
00:45:27,421 --> 00:45:30,124
I think it would be illogical to begin any other way.

787
00:45:30,264 --> 00:45:32,679
We must first understand the full range and capacity

788
00:45:32,819 --> 00:45:35,428
of the earthly components in order to derive inference

789
00:45:35,578 --> 00:45:38,159
as to our capabilities.

790
00:45:39,159 --> 00:45:41,379
Natural resources come in many classifications:

791
00:45:41,519 --> 00:45:43,939
just biotic, meaning those obtained from the biosphere

792
00:45:44,079 --> 00:45:47,159
such as forests, maritime organisms, mineral fuels

793
00:45:47,303 --> 00:45:50,275
and then there is abiotic, such as arable land, water

794
00:45:50,415 --> 00:45:52,893
gold, iron ore, and other such raw materials.

795
00:45:53,033 --> 00:45:55,515
There are many natural resources to be considered, of course

796
00:45:55,655 --> 00:45:58,970
but for the sake of simplicity we're going to consider just one area

797
00:45:59,110 --> 00:46:01,421
and this will serve as the prototype for all the others

798
00:46:01,561 --> 00:46:04,452
and this area is energy.

799
00:46:05,797 --> 00:46:09,568
Energy is the fuel of society, I think most people would agree.

800
00:46:09,706 --> 00:46:13,529
Energy appears to be the lowest common denominator of modern civilization

801
00:46:13,660 --> 00:46:16,923
and it has been the basic facilitator of progress

802
00:46:17,067 --> 00:46:20,649
and the expansions of our standards of living

803
00:46:22,041 --> 00:46:25,586
so I think it's a good place to begin. OK, so what do we do?

804
00:46:25,736 --> 00:46:28,855
We simply scan the Earth and analyze it

805
00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:32,818
listing all relevant energy locations and potentials.

806
00:46:33,012 --> 00:46:35,840
Of course, the potentials, to clarify a little bit

807
00:46:35,984 --> 00:46:38,477
is always going to be based on the current state of technology

808
00:46:38,617 --> 00:46:40,378
for harnessing.

809
00:46:40,528 --> 00:46:43,549
For example, solar energy today has a dramatic potential

810
00:46:43,689 --> 00:46:46,556
but it is still greatly underutilized as the technology

811
00:46:46,696 --> 00:46:49,004
has been inefficient so far

812
00:46:49,141 --> 00:46:51,757
but with the advent of nanotechnology we are seeing

813
00:46:51,897 --> 00:46:55,259
a possible exponential increase in this potential.

814
00:46:55,409 --> 00:46:58,916
So it's contingent upon the quality of our methods is my point.

815
00:46:59,073 --> 00:47:01,697
Also, I don't want to spend much time on the issue of nanotechnology

816
00:47:01,837 --> 00:47:06,016
but if you research these trends as applied to solar radiation harnessing

817
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:08,609
it becomes clear that solar energy alone in time

818
00:47:08,749 --> 00:47:11,957
could power the entire world a thousand times over.

819
00:47:12,101 --> 00:47:15,047
Unfortunately, you are not going to see this anytime soon. Why?

820
00:47:15,185 --> 00:47:17,685
Because it is too efficient for the market system

821
00:47:17,822 --> 00:47:22,380
and the absorption process would take many, many years

822
00:47:22,524 --> 00:47:24,900
if seriously pursued.

823
00:47:26,862 --> 00:47:29,418
So, back to our original thought exercise.

824
00:47:29,558 --> 00:47:32,733
Once we have this raw data of energy sources

825
00:47:32,877 --> 00:47:36,204
we need to rate each source based on its renewability

826
00:47:36,355 --> 00:47:39,071
pollution output and everything that factors in

827
00:47:39,211 --> 00:47:42,350
to decide the degree of sustainability.

828
00:47:42,506 --> 00:47:45,066
Those sources that have the most negative retroactions

829
00:47:45,206 --> 00:47:47,895
are given the least priority of utilization, and by the way

830
00:47:48,035 --> 00:47:51,986
this is an arbitrary chart. Don't take it too seriously obviously.

831
00:47:52,677 --> 00:47:56,252
For example, fossil fuels are mostly non-renewable

832
00:47:56,390 --> 00:47:58,356
and can pollute the environment.

833
00:47:58,496 --> 00:48:01,029
Given the tremendous power of geothermal

834
00:48:01,147 --> 00:48:04,194
wave, wind, and solar combined

835
00:48:04,344 --> 00:48:07,203
I would say that there is absolutely no reason to even bother

836
00:48:07,340 --> 00:48:09,355
with fossil fuels at all.

837
00:48:09,505 --> 00:48:13,942
And to clarify this, I would like to run down these renewable mediums.

838
00:48:14,502 --> 00:48:17,251
According to a 2005 Stanford University study

839
00:48:17,395 --> 00:48:20,765
if 20% of the known potential of wind energy was harnessed

840
00:48:20,908 --> 00:48:23,567
it would power all the world's needs.

841
00:48:23,724 --> 00:48:26,808
We already mentioned solar energy. The radiation hitting the Earth's surface

842
00:48:26,952 --> 00:48:30,124
is about 10,000 times the planet's usage, in fact.

843
00:48:30,299 --> 00:48:33,618
This issue comes down to technology, nanotechnology, as we denoted.

844
00:48:33,762 --> 00:48:37,147
Lesser known is tidal power. As a regional example, in a recent study

845
00:48:37,287 --> 00:48:41,341
it has been found that 34% of all of the United Kingdom's energy

846
00:48:41,485 --> 00:48:43,622
could come from tidal power alone.

847
00:48:43,759 --> 00:48:47,483
But more effectively, as far as the ocean, is wave power

848
00:48:47,614 --> 00:48:49,620
which has been found to have a global potential

849
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:52,004
of 80,000 terawatt hours a year

850
00:48:52,154 --> 00:48:55,091
meaning 50% of the entire planet's energy usage

851
00:48:55,229 --> 00:48:57,747
could come from tidal power alone.

852
00:48:57,922 --> 00:49:00,707
However, most effectively, is geothermal energy

853
00:49:00,847 --> 00:49:05,032
which, according to a recent MIT analysis, contains enough energy

854
00:49:05,182 --> 00:49:09,097
to meet the world's needs for the next 4,000 years.

855
00:49:09,241 --> 00:49:11,751
In other words, energy is nothing but abundant

856
00:49:11,891 --> 00:49:14,663
on this planet and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

857
00:49:14,813 --> 00:49:18,584
Back to our exercise. Once this data is established

858
00:49:18,728 --> 00:49:22,657
we compare the potentials to consumption and adjust accordingly.

859
00:49:22,807 --> 00:49:26,115
Fortunately, as we've just analyzed we do have more than enough energy

860
00:49:26,262 --> 00:49:28,503
to meet our needs, so we can eliminate

861
00:49:28,643 --> 00:49:31,856
the least efficient sources, such as oil and everything else

862
00:49:31,996 --> 00:49:36,579
and there we have our pool of supportive energy resources to utilize.

863
00:49:36,835 --> 00:49:39,991
Step 3: Distribution and Monitoring

864
00:49:40,135 --> 00:49:42,516
Energy distribution would be logically formulated

865
00:49:42,656 --> 00:49:46,883
based on technological possibility and proximity to sources.

866
00:49:47,021 --> 00:49:49,409
In other words, if we had wind energy utilized in Asia

867
00:49:49,549 --> 00:49:52,149
we're not going to deliver that energy to Latin America.

868
00:49:52,289 --> 00:49:54,574
Distribution parameters will be self-evident

869
00:49:54,714 --> 00:49:57,189
based on the current state of distribution technology

870
00:49:57,329 --> 00:50:00,148
and proximity practicality.

871
00:50:00,317 --> 00:50:04,075
Likewise, active resource monitoring done through earth sensors

872
00:50:04,218 --> 00:50:06,622
and computers, would allow for a constant awareness

873
00:50:06,762 --> 00:50:09,982
of the rate of use, the rate of depletion, the rate of renewal

874
00:50:10,122 --> 00:50:12,269
and any other parameter relevant to know

875
00:50:12,409 --> 00:50:16,043
in order to maintain, of course, a balanced load.

876
00:50:16,187 --> 00:50:18,559
If the scarcity of any resource is going to occur

877
00:50:18,699 --> 00:50:22,300
we can forecast this in advance through trend analysis

878
00:50:22,444 --> 00:50:25,267
and proper action to be taken to adjust accordingly.

879
00:50:25,407 --> 00:50:28,022
This idea is nothing new. It's used every day in our lives

880
00:50:28,162 --> 00:50:30,709
in detached ways

881
00:50:30,871 --> 00:50:33,860
such as the ink level notification on your personal printer

882
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,821
connected to your home computer.

883
00:50:37,966 --> 00:50:40,563
Let's review. What do we have so far?

884
00:50:40,707 --> 00:50:43,304
We have the locations of our energy resources.

885
00:50:43,444 --> 00:50:46,707
We have the output potentials and distribution qualifiers

886
00:50:46,847 --> 00:50:51,716
which are based on strategic use, technological harnessing and proximity.

887
00:50:51,860 --> 00:50:55,466
And finally, we have a system of active resource monitoring

888
00:50:55,623 --> 00:50:57,999
which reports the state of energy supply

889
00:50:58,142 --> 00:51:01,486
rates of usage and any other relevant trends.

890
00:51:02,575 --> 00:51:04,575
In other words, we've created a system

891
00:51:04,715 --> 00:51:08,771
a "system's approach" to energy management on the planet.

892
00:51:08,922 --> 00:51:11,862
The system is comprised of real time data and statistics.

893
00:51:12,002 --> 00:51:14,651
The process of unfolding is based

894
00:51:14,808 --> 00:51:17,286
not on a person or group's opinion

895
00:51:17,430 --> 00:51:20,275
not on the whims of a corporation or government

896
00:51:20,415 --> 00:51:22,696
but on natural law and reason.

897
00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:25,374
In other words, once we establish the interest and goal

898
00:51:25,514 --> 00:51:29,814
that survival, and hence sustainability, is our goal as a species

899
00:51:29,965 --> 00:51:32,469
(which I hope everybody in this room agrees)

900
00:51:32,609 --> 00:51:36,662
then each parameter to consider in regard to resource management

901
00:51:36,812 --> 00:51:39,175
becomes completely self-evident.

902
00:51:39,319 --> 00:51:43,011
It is called arriving at decisions as opposed to making them

903
00:51:43,149 --> 00:51:46,170
which is a subjective act based on incomplete information

904
00:51:46,310 --> 00:51:49,081
and very often cultural biases.

905
00:51:49,219 --> 00:51:53,273
The planet is a holistic system with resources all over it.

906
00:51:53,423 --> 00:51:56,957
Therefore, the efficiency of human society can only come

907
00:51:57,107 --> 00:51:59,211
from an integrated systems approach

908
00:51:59,349 --> 00:52:02,883
to the management of those resources and hence social processes.

909
00:52:03,023 --> 00:52:05,096
The planet demands it.

910
00:52:05,384 --> 00:52:10,209
The only government that exists in the planetary operations, is natural law.

911
00:52:10,373 --> 00:52:13,278
It is inherently negligent, illogical and irresponsible

912
00:52:13,422 --> 00:52:17,784
to function in a detached manner, as we require a holistic system.

913
00:52:18,178 --> 00:52:21,043
Using this energy model as our procedural example

914
00:52:21,183 --> 00:52:23,504
this systems approach could be applied to every other

915
00:52:23,644 --> 00:52:26,128
earthly resource and quantifier.

916
00:52:26,272 --> 00:52:30,485
We survey, find potential, qualify for negative retroactions

917
00:52:30,629 --> 00:52:34,322
and apply modern technology to harness, distribute and monitor

918
00:52:34,479 --> 00:52:37,513
in the most logically-advanced holistic way possible.

919
00:52:37,650 --> 00:52:40,383
Naturally, a computer database management program

920
00:52:40,523 --> 00:52:43,532
would be the logical method to navigate these issues

921
00:52:43,672 --> 00:52:45,770
where all the attributes we have discussed are fed in

922
00:52:45,910 --> 00:52:48,062
with strategic computation applied

923
00:52:48,212 --> 00:52:51,423
and since the goal is holistic maximum efficiency

924
00:52:51,579 --> 00:52:54,885
the automation of adjustments also becomes very simple.

925
00:52:55,029 --> 00:52:57,281
For example, let's say we have two geothermal power plants

926
00:52:57,421 --> 00:52:59,977
in the same region, each outputting in tandem

927
00:53:00,117 --> 00:53:02,661
the required amount of energy for that region.

928
00:53:02,801 --> 00:53:06,588
One day there is a problem and the output of one plant drops by 30%.

929
00:53:06,728 --> 00:53:08,751
This would be seen by the monitoring system

930
00:53:08,891 --> 00:53:13,229
and the other power plant's output would be automatically adjusted by 30%.

931
00:53:13,366 --> 00:53:18,808
It is reactive, just like the nervous system in your body, automatic.

932
00:53:18,948 --> 00:53:22,241
No reason to vote for it, no reason to debate it in Congress.

933
00:53:22,381 --> 00:53:25,463
It's automatic because it's self-evident.

934
00:53:25,619 --> 00:53:27,860
To summarize this approach:

935
00:53:28,010 --> 00:53:32,175
All planetary resources, from energy to minerals to maritime life

936
00:53:32,308 --> 00:53:35,963
are managed by a strategically active, statistical processes

937
00:53:36,103 --> 00:53:39,250
in a single global system

938
00:53:39,390 --> 00:53:41,418
which is programmed to adjust automatically

939
00:53:41,558 --> 00:53:44,187
to the changing environment. That's it.

940
00:53:44,327 --> 00:53:47,505
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm afraid there is no other way

941
00:53:47,645 --> 00:53:50,783
to achieve peak efficiency of our resource usage.

942
00:53:50,923 --> 00:53:54,860
It is a technical process. It's also very simple, when you think about it

943
00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:58,700
even though these specifics of implementation would seem complex

944
00:53:58,852 --> 00:54:02,972
for most of us, who are untrained in systems engineering.

945
00:54:03,998 --> 00:54:08,005
So we have a global resource management monitoring system now

946
00:54:08,145 --> 00:54:10,286
utilizing programming and feedback to maintain

947
00:54:10,426 --> 00:54:14,536
what we call dynamic equilibrium and peak efficiency.

948
00:54:14,872 --> 00:54:19,619
So how does the same logical systems approach to management apply

949
00:54:19,759 --> 00:54:23,164
in regard to seemingly more complex mediums of social operation

950
00:54:23,304 --> 00:54:27,772
such as the production of tangible goods for everyday human consumption?

951
00:54:27,912 --> 00:54:31,022
We have a clear picture of our pool of useful resources

952
00:54:31,162 --> 00:54:34,865
so the question then becomes "What do people need?"

953
00:54:35,005 --> 00:54:38,865
This is actually quite an elusive question.

954
00:54:39,005 --> 00:54:41,967
On one side of the spectrum you have the immutable necessities of life

955
00:54:42,107 --> 00:54:45,307
such us food, clean air, water and the like.

956
00:54:45,447 --> 00:54:48,704
While at the other extreme, we approach issues of vanity

957
00:54:48,844 --> 00:54:51,958
material tools, leisure goods and other issues

958
00:54:52,098 --> 00:54:54,933
which basically vary from region to region

959
00:54:55,073 --> 00:54:58,875
culture to culture and generation to generation.

960
00:54:59,015 --> 00:55:04,000
This latter part, regarding value-based needs will be addressed somewhat later

961
00:55:04,140 --> 00:55:07,634
but for now we're going to focus on the former: the basic necessities of life

962
00:55:07,774 --> 00:55:09,914
for all of us.

963
00:55:10,054 --> 00:55:11,917
Food and Water

964
00:55:12,057 --> 00:55:15,414
Naturally consumable water supplies or fresh water

965
00:55:15,554 --> 00:55:18,851
would be sourced as part of our initial global survey

966
00:55:18,991 --> 00:55:21,889
and regulated and monitored as we discussed.

967
00:55:22,029 --> 00:55:25,401
When it comes to food, the first to consider is agriculture

968
00:55:25,541 --> 00:55:27,656
and then hence, arable land.

969
00:55:27,796 --> 00:55:31,678
So we survey and locate all available arable land on the planet.

970
00:55:31,818 --> 00:55:35,975
Then we establish consumption statistics based on the population's usage.

971
00:55:36,115 --> 00:55:38,546
Now, obviously analysis would become much more complex

972
00:55:38,686 --> 00:55:41,363
than what I am denoting here because there are many things to consider

973
00:55:41,503 --> 00:55:44,216
such as the growth propensity for certain crops

974
00:55:44,356 --> 00:55:46,975
the methods used for cultivation

975
00:55:47,592 --> 00:55:52,705
the need to counter negative retroactions and many other fine points.

976
00:55:52,845 --> 00:55:55,583
However, once again, each one of these issues can be isolated

977
00:55:55,723 --> 00:55:59,881
recognized and quantified to one degree or another, systematically.

978
00:56:00,021 --> 00:56:04,042
I want to continue to address the process. That's the most important point.

979
00:56:04,182 --> 00:56:07,697
To extend this point, the conventions used for cultivation

980
00:56:07,837 --> 00:56:12,054
and preservation of food and water right now only takes us so far.

981
00:56:12,194 --> 00:56:14,404
This is an area where technology becomes critical

982
00:56:14,544 --> 00:56:17,012
in light of our growing population.

983
00:56:17,152 --> 00:56:19,581
In society today, food and water scarcity

984
00:56:19,721 --> 00:56:22,102
is massive in developing nations.

985
00:56:22,242 --> 00:56:24,602
Here is a projection done by the IRRC

986
00:56:24,742 --> 00:56:27,858
regarding water scarcity by 2025.

987
00:56:27,998 --> 00:56:31,232
In turn, as of now one billion people are starving on this planet

988
00:56:31,372 --> 00:56:34,245
according to the United Nations. It's probably a lot more than that

989
00:56:34,385 --> 00:56:36,818
considering how the United Nations tends to whitewash

990
00:56:36,958 --> 00:56:41,521
such issues, if you pay attention. But nevertheless, it's still insane

991
00:56:41,661 --> 00:56:45,422
and anyone who is paying attention knows that the problems of food scarcity

992
00:56:45,562 --> 00:56:49,765
and water scarcity are 100% economic.

993
00:56:49,905 --> 00:56:53,057
The technical resolution of the problem can happen

994
00:56:53,197 --> 00:56:56,206
with the mere application of existing methods:

995
00:56:56,346 --> 00:57:00,502
desalinization and hydroponic agriculture.

996
00:57:01,837 --> 00:57:05,000
Technological advancements such as desalinization processes

997
00:57:05,140 --> 00:57:09,409
can make fresh water both from sea water and even brackish water sources.

998
00:57:09,549 --> 00:57:13,035
Using reverse osmosis along with other developing methods.

999
00:57:13,175 --> 00:57:15,248
This is yet another example of how technology

1000
00:57:15,388 --> 00:57:19,860
is just as much a part of resource management as resources themselves.

1001
00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:23,332
The idea that usable water is scarce is only true in relationship

1002
00:57:23,472 --> 00:57:25,709
to the limited methods we are currently using

1003
00:57:25,849 --> 00:57:30,357
compounded by the economic nonsense we have already mentioned.

1004
00:57:30,497 --> 00:57:33,755
The same goes for hydroponics which is a method of growing plants

1005
00:57:33,895 --> 00:57:37,536
using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil.

1006
00:57:37,676 --> 00:57:40,553
In fact, we could theoretically grow food in the middle of the Sahara Desert

1007
00:57:40,693 --> 00:57:44,091
with proper irrigation, by simply tapping down to the water table.

1008
00:57:44,231 --> 00:57:47,494
I believe it's about half a mile to a mile down, it might sound like a long way

1009
00:57:47,634 --> 00:57:51,102
but again many things that seem extreme to us today

1010
00:57:51,242 --> 00:57:54,351
become commonplace through time.

1011
00:57:55,819 --> 00:57:58,092
By the way, I hate to sound negative

1012
00:57:58,232 --> 00:58:00,440
but if the United Nations was truly concerned

1013
00:58:00,580 --> 00:58:03,170
about the well-being of the third world

1014
00:58:03,310 --> 00:58:06,416
if they really cared at all frankly

1015
00:58:07,042 --> 00:58:10,205
they would be facilitating the building of desalinization plants

1016
00:58:10,345 --> 00:58:12,707
along the coasts of every suffering nation

1017
00:58:12,847 --> 00:58:16,013
to convert ocean water to consumable, usable water

1018
00:58:16,153 --> 00:58:19,513
and then they would filter organic nutrients from the ocean itself

1019
00:58:19,653 --> 00:58:22,225
into hydroponic greenhouses.

1020
00:58:22,365 --> 00:58:24,746
That would solve the problem.

1021
00:58:24,957 --> 00:58:27,860
[applause]

1022
00:58:29,593 --> 00:58:31,569
The bottom line is that food, air and water

1023
00:58:31,709 --> 00:58:34,340
are only as scarce as we decide they are.

1024
00:58:34,480 --> 00:58:36,747
If we choose to become intelligent and strategic

1025
00:58:36,887 --> 00:58:38,943
with our production and preservation methods

1026
00:58:39,083 --> 00:58:42,570
while taking full advantage of technology, there is no reason

1027
00:58:42,710 --> 00:58:45,450
why we can't provide for the Earth's people many times over.

1028
00:58:45,590 --> 00:58:47,471
The starving children of the world today are not so

1029
00:58:47,611 --> 00:58:49,637
because of a lack of available food and water.

1030
00:58:49,777 --> 00:58:53,204
It is their lack of purchasing power, the failure of their economies

1031
00:58:53,344 --> 00:58:58,238
not true scarcity, which causes the needless deaths of millions a year.

1032
00:58:58,378 --> 00:59:02,207
In the world today one person dies of hunger every second

1033
00:59:02,347 --> 00:59:04,824
because of poverty.

1034
00:59:06,526 --> 00:59:08,303
Back to our original exercise.

1035
00:59:08,443 --> 00:59:12,123
These technological advances I've just spoken of, along with many others

1036
00:59:12,263 --> 00:59:14,713
would be coupled in with traditional methods

1037
00:59:14,853 --> 00:59:17,622
and thus, monitored and regulated in our systems approach

1038
00:59:17,762 --> 00:59:19,441
as we have already expressed.

1039
00:59:19,581 --> 00:59:23,131
The point is that new efficiency-increasing technologies

1040
00:59:23,271 --> 00:59:26,818
would be quickly incorporated into the system based on qualifiers.

1041
00:59:26,958 --> 00:59:30,443
You will notice once again that choice becomes self-evident.

1042
00:59:30,583 --> 00:59:33,037
As long as the integrity of our methods of evaluation

1043
00:59:33,177 --> 00:59:36,584
which is the scientific method, is strictly followed

1044
00:59:36,724 --> 00:59:40,334
coupled with the goal of maximum efficiency and sustainability

1045
00:59:40,474 --> 00:59:43,568
the process of social construction and organisation

1046
00:59:43,708 --> 00:59:46,529
becomes almost entirely self-evident.

1047
00:59:46,669 --> 00:59:50,111
We are arriving at decisions based on this simple goal

1048
00:59:50,251 --> 00:59:54,432
of maximizing efficiency in whatever way we can.

1049
00:59:56,660 --> 00:59:59,901
And this pattern of thought, this commitment

1050
01:00:00,041 --> 01:00:02,879
to the objective observation of natural processes

1051
01:00:03,019 --> 01:00:05,697
and loyalty to the scientific methodology

1052
01:00:05,837 --> 01:00:09,263
utilizing hypotheses and testing

1053
01:00:09,403 --> 01:00:13,303
leads us to Part 3, with the introduction of an organization called

1054
01:00:13,448 --> 01:00:16,025
The Venus Project

1055
01:00:16,165 --> 01:00:20,787
[applause]

1056
01:00:20,927 --> 01:00:23,584
Everything we've just talked about are the basic attributes

1057
01:00:23,724 --> 01:00:27,864
of a social design called a Resource-Based Economy.

1058
01:00:28,676 --> 01:00:31,860
This term was coined by industrial designer and social engineer

1059
01:00:32,000 --> 01:00:34,998
Jacque Fresco, who is the director of The Venus Project

1060
01:00:35,138 --> 01:00:39,681
which he runs with his associate Roxanne Meadows out of Venus, Florida.

1061
01:00:39,821 --> 01:00:42,752
Mr. Fresco has been focusing on the concept of sustainability

1062
01:00:42,892 --> 01:00:45,547
in culture for the past 70 years.

1063
01:00:45,687 --> 01:00:48,383
He is 93 years old now. This is all he's ever done

1064
01:00:48,523 --> 01:00:50,974
and the majority of the things you're seeing in this presentation

1065
01:00:51,114 --> 01:00:53,600
come from his world view.

1066
01:00:55,405 --> 01:00:57,567
The Venus Project recognises that the Earth

1067
01:00:57,707 --> 01:01:02,046
is, indeed, abundant with resources and that our outdated methods

1068
01:01:02,186 --> 01:01:04,841
of rationing resources through monetary control

1069
01:01:04,981 --> 01:01:08,662
are no longer relevant; and, in fact, very counter-productive

1070
01:01:08,802 --> 01:01:12,456
to the efficiency of society and hence our survival.

1071
01:01:12,596 --> 01:01:15,005
The monetary system was created thousands of years ago

1072
01:01:15,145 --> 01:01:18,404
during periods of great scarcity and has no legitimate relationship

1073
01:01:18,544 --> 01:01:22,589
to our true capacity to produce goods and services on this planet

1074
01:01:22,729 --> 01:01:25,407
in this day and age.

1075
01:01:25,547 --> 01:01:29,552
We know now that with a unified systems approach to global management

1076
01:01:29,692 --> 01:01:32,339
as we've just described, that the human species

1077
01:01:32,479 --> 01:01:35,102
will be able to express its full potential.

1078
01:01:35,242 --> 01:01:38,727
In fact, I will say explicitly that that is the only way

1079
01:01:38,867 --> 01:01:41,860
you could ever maximize the efficiency of the planet

1080
01:01:42,000 --> 01:01:46,651
and hence our usage of it, is a global systems approach.

1081
01:01:46,791 --> 01:01:49,639
Modern developments in science and technology, as we've just discussed

1082
01:01:49,779 --> 01:01:53,885
can now allow for this approach to become a reality.

1083
01:01:54,643 --> 01:01:57,582
To summarize a Resource-Based Economy:

1084
01:01:57,722 --> 01:02:01,122
First, it utilities existing resources rather than commerce.

1085
01:02:01,262 --> 01:02:04,611
All goods and services are available without the use of currency

1086
01:02:04,751 --> 01:02:09,633
credit, no barter, no debt, no servitude.

1087
01:02:09,773 --> 01:02:13,267
The aim of this new social design is to not only free humanity

1088
01:02:13,407 --> 01:02:17,456
from the repetitive, mundane and arbitrary occupational roles

1089
01:02:17,596 --> 01:02:20,848
many of which hold no true relevance for social development

1090
01:02:20,988 --> 01:02:22,989
but also encourage a new incentive system

1091
01:02:23,129 --> 01:02:26,381
that is focused on self-fulfillment, symbiotic awareness

1092
01:02:26,521 --> 01:02:30,129
education, social awareness and creativity

1093
01:02:30,269 --> 01:02:33,224
as opposed to the contrived, shallow, self-centered

1094
01:02:33,364 --> 01:02:37,100
corruption-generating goals of wealth, property and power

1095
01:02:37,240 --> 01:02:40,344
which are not only dominant today, but abhorrently

1096
01:02:40,484 --> 01:02:44,536
actually praised by the population.

1097
01:02:44,676 --> 01:02:46,342
The great realization of this concept

1098
01:02:46,482 --> 01:02:49,846
is that through the intelligent management of the Earth's resources

1099
01:02:49,986 --> 01:02:53,746
along with the liberal application of modern technology and science

1100
01:02:53,886 --> 01:02:57,743
we have the ability to create a near global abundance on this planet

1101
01:02:57,883 --> 01:03:01,454
and thus escape the detrimental consequences, both physical

1102
01:03:01,594 --> 01:03:06,189
and psychological, generated by the real and artificial scarcity and waste

1103
01:03:06,329 --> 01:03:08,717
which is prevalent today.

1104
01:03:08,857 --> 01:03:13,224
The end goal isn't just about physical sustainability in and of itself, in fact.

1105
01:03:13,364 --> 01:03:16,893
It's also about the larger goal of cultural change.

1106
01:03:17,033 --> 01:03:20,558
The values of humanity are created by the social system

1107
01:03:20,698 --> 01:03:24,946
and we feel this approach would not only bring us in line with natural law

1108
01:03:25,086 --> 01:03:30,204
enabling a high standard of living, but will ease social stress

1109
01:03:30,344 --> 01:03:33,364
dramatically and allow for people to flourish

1110
01:03:33,504 --> 01:03:37,630
without the aberrant consequences we see over and over today.

1111
01:03:37,770 --> 01:03:41,395
We're being poisoned by our social system.

1112
01:03:42,215 --> 01:03:46,365
War, poverty, and 95% of all crime

1113
01:03:46,505 --> 01:03:50,036
are essentially monetary-related if you look carefully.

1114
01:03:50,176 --> 01:03:53,578
The Venus Project recognizes this and if we can adapt

1115
01:03:53,718 --> 01:03:59,111
to this new approach, I think we can completely eliminate these issues.

1116
01:03:59,662 --> 01:04:03,971
[applause]

1117
01:04:08,820 --> 01:04:11,935
To further understand this Resource-Based Economy

1118
01:04:12,075 --> 01:04:17,150
we need to consider a new approach to our core social institutions

1119
01:04:17,681 --> 01:04:22,000
namely, industry and government.

1120
01:04:24,665 --> 01:04:27,527
Industry, in our use of the word, has to do with the methods

1121
01:04:27,667 --> 01:04:31,337
of production and distribution of goods and services in a society.

1122
01:04:31,477 --> 01:04:34,532
This includes, of course, labor.

1123
01:04:34,672 --> 01:04:38,486
The first step, as we've already alluded to, is an objective survey

1124
01:04:38,626 --> 01:04:40,998
and strategic resource allocation

1125
01:04:41,138 --> 01:04:44,238
based on location, potential and demand.

1126
01:04:44,378 --> 01:04:48,489
We've already discussed how such parameters make the process self-evident

1127
01:04:48,629 --> 01:04:51,473
as you go along and gain new information.

1128
01:04:51,613 --> 01:04:55,419
The only variable is the value-based social needs

1129
01:04:55,559 --> 01:04:59,309
which range from bare necessities such as food, water and shelter

1130
01:04:59,449 --> 01:05:02,441
to utility-based production items such as tools

1131
01:05:02,581 --> 01:05:06,230
automation machines, technological development

1132
01:05:06,370 --> 01:05:09,160
to items used for non-utility based purposes

1133
01:05:09,300 --> 01:05:11,630
such as televisions, radios

1134
01:05:11,770 --> 01:05:15,199
and entertainment, leisurely oriented issues.

1135
01:05:15,339 --> 01:05:19,219
We will address how products are invented in a moment.

1136
01:05:19,359 --> 01:05:22,485
The second step is then the optimization of production itself

1137
01:05:22,625 --> 01:05:25,047
with the focus on maximum efficiency.

1138
01:05:25,187 --> 01:05:27,860
The only way to achieve maximum efficiency in all sectors

1139
01:05:28,000 --> 01:05:31,451
is by removing human involvement

1140
01:05:31,591 --> 01:05:35,478
in as many areas as possible.

1141
01:05:35,618 --> 01:05:39,000
We want to focus on labor automation.

1142
01:05:39,140 --> 01:05:42,645
As most of you know, automation or mechanization has been replacing

1143
01:05:42,785 --> 01:05:46,527
labor in all sectors continually since the Industrial Revolution.

1144
01:05:46,667 --> 01:05:48,807
While there is a constant debate about what this means

1145
01:05:48,947 --> 01:05:52,094
for labor in the future and the very real possibility

1146
01:05:52,234 --> 01:05:55,812
that technological displacement known as technological unemployment

1147
01:05:55,952 --> 01:05:59,942
will slowly overcome the integrity of the employment market itself

1148
01:06:00,082 --> 01:06:02,746
one thing we do know for sure and that is the reality

1149
01:06:02,886 --> 01:06:06,345
that the more we mechanize the more productive things become.

1150
01:06:06,485 --> 01:06:09,709
Here is a chart of the G7 advanced industrialized countries

1151
01:06:09,849 --> 01:06:12,943
showing how employment in manufacturing has been dropping

1152
01:06:13,083 --> 01:06:15,860
while manufacturing output has risen substantially.

1153
01:06:16,000 --> 01:06:20,472
Productivity is now inverse to employment in most sectors.

1154
01:06:21,842 --> 01:06:25,722
The most advanced form of mechanization is called cybernation

1155
01:06:25,862 --> 01:06:28,675
which combines robotics and computerization.

1156
01:06:28,815 --> 01:06:31,044
Essentially, the computer is the brain of the machine

1157
01:06:31,184 --> 01:06:33,254
and instructs the machine what to do.

1158
01:06:33,394 --> 01:06:36,341
Cybernated machines today are probably the most powerful

1159
01:06:36,481 --> 01:06:39,599
and influential invention humanity has ever created.

1160
01:06:39,739 --> 01:06:42,731
The possibilities of these tools are on pace to changing the society

1161
01:06:42,871 --> 01:06:47,041
in profound ways, including the freeing of the human labor force

1162
01:06:47,181 --> 01:06:50,860
and exponentially increasing production efficiency.

1163
01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:54,309
The fact is, there is very little in the way of basic labor

1164
01:06:54,449 --> 01:06:56,523
that cannot be automated.

1165
01:06:56,663 --> 01:06:59,993
It is really a simple matter of our social intent.

1166
01:07:00,133 --> 01:07:03,097
These machines do not need breaks, vacations, insurance

1167
01:07:03,237 --> 01:07:05,800
and they are not subject to the emotional inconsistency

1168
01:07:05,940 --> 01:07:08,490
that we humans tend to fall into that makes us

1169
01:07:08,630 --> 01:07:11,223
less consistent in our performance.

1170
01:07:11,363 --> 01:07:14,296
Here are some examples of this technology:

1171
01:07:14,436 --> 01:07:17,350
dynamic catching and holding

1172
01:07:20,725 --> 01:07:23,537
my favorite, dribbling

1173
01:07:32,765 --> 01:07:35,303
optical tracking, of course

1174
01:07:35,443 --> 01:07:38,091
throwing

1175
01:07:38,231 --> 01:07:40,919
tweezer manipulation

1176
01:07:44,083 --> 01:07:48,221
I like this one, the dynamic catching of a cell phone.

1177
01:07:52,544 --> 01:07:56,028
Here is an automated kitchen in Japan.

1178
01:08:08,077 --> 01:08:12,722
Here is a fully automated wait staff in Germany.

1179
01:08:20,849 --> 01:08:23,200
The possibilities are truly profound.

1180
01:08:23,340 --> 01:08:27,061
Even as unintuitive as it may seem, I think

1181
01:08:27,201 --> 01:08:31,078
complex surgery is on pace to full automation, and based on the pattern

1182
01:08:31,218 --> 01:08:34,902
will likely become much more reliable than the human hand.

1183
01:08:35,042 --> 01:08:38,200
The bottom line is that it is socially irresponsible

1184
01:08:38,340 --> 01:08:41,486
for us not to recognize this pattern and maximize the potential.

1185
01:08:41,626 --> 01:08:45,970
We must disregard the traditionalized emotional whims we might have.

1186
01:08:46,110 --> 01:08:49,192
For example, I was reading in a book about technological development

1187
01:08:49,332 --> 01:08:52,356
in the early 20th Century and there was a story of a woman

1188
01:08:52,496 --> 01:08:56,191
who refused to buy a new refrigerator because she liked the ice man.

1189
01:08:56,331 --> 01:09:00,400
She liked the ice man who came and brought ice to put in the ice box

1190
01:09:00,540 --> 01:09:03,052
which is a wonderful, quaint notion

1191
01:09:03,192 --> 01:09:06,011
but it isn't progress. That's romanticism

1192
01:09:06,151 --> 01:09:09,628
and I'm not putting down romanticism. I'm a romantic in many ways

1193
01:09:09,768 --> 01:09:13,958
but I also recognize that progress means we have to change our values.

1194
01:09:14,098 --> 01:09:16,630
Life is about adapting.

1195
01:09:16,770 --> 01:09:20,247
If our scientific ingenuity can create mechanisms that can increase

1196
01:09:20,387 --> 01:09:23,278
the efficiency of production and overcome scarcity, and in turn

1197
01:09:23,418 --> 01:09:28,498
give us more free time to pursue larger interests, then we have no choice

1198
01:09:28,638 --> 01:09:32,693
but to fall in line and change our values accordingly.

1199
01:09:32,833 --> 01:09:37,044
Machines are extensions of human attributes. They are tools

1200
01:09:37,184 --> 01:09:39,685
and not only can they allow for greater productivity

1201
01:09:39,825 --> 01:09:43,134
they can also relieve us, as we've seen, of trivial, monotonous labor

1202
01:09:43,274 --> 01:09:48,568
enabling, possibly, a cultural paradigm shift that we can't even imagine.

1203
01:09:50,036 --> 01:09:52,959
Now it's usually about this time that someone says

1204
01:09:53,099 --> 01:09:55,467
"Wait a minute, but what will I do?

1205
01:09:55,607 --> 01:09:58,654
What will I do with myself if machines are doing things?"

1206
01:09:58,794 --> 01:10:01,074
This is an amazing question if you think about it.

1207
01:10:01,214 --> 01:10:05,378
It goes to show how conditioned we have really become.

1208
01:10:05,682 --> 01:10:09,352
I will express what people will do as far as production is concerned.

1209
01:10:09,492 --> 01:10:12,648
Humans will basically be supervisors and researchers.

1210
01:10:12,788 --> 01:10:15,976
We would oversee these systems.

1211
01:10:16,116 --> 01:10:18,843
The end result is a fully integrated, autonomous

1212
01:10:18,983 --> 01:10:21,061
cybernated industrial complex

1213
01:10:21,201 --> 01:10:23,741
which is patched into the resource management system

1214
01:10:23,881 --> 01:10:28,076
we have already described, enabling observation and adaption.

1215
01:10:28,216 --> 01:10:30,417
In turn, it is simply a matter of updating this system

1216
01:10:30,557 --> 01:10:32,650
and making sure the system is in order.

1217
01:10:32,790 --> 01:10:36,086
People will function as supervisors, researchers, and innovators

1218
01:10:36,226 --> 01:10:38,907
while again, allowing for a world of personal freedom

1219
01:10:39,047 --> 01:10:42,238
and intellectual pursuits that are reminiscent of the ideals

1220
01:10:42,378 --> 01:10:44,815
of early Greek society.

1221
01:10:44,955 --> 01:10:47,553
Furthermore, without the monetary system to impede

1222
01:10:47,693 --> 01:10:51,123
with its childish immature basis in competition

1223
01:10:51,263 --> 01:10:54,392
the entire structure of production can be streamlined.

1224
01:10:54,532 --> 01:10:58,129
For example, no longer will there be perpetual duplication of goods

1225
01:10:58,269 --> 01:11:01,724
with resources being wasted for the sake of preserving market share.

1226
01:11:01,864 --> 01:11:04,669
We all know that more minds are better than one when it comes to design.

1227
01:11:04,809 --> 01:11:07,104
Imagine the progress if the technical teams

1228
01:11:07,244 --> 01:11:11,709
of the top 10 competing cell phone companies decided to work together

1229
01:11:11,849 --> 01:11:16,111
to build the best product they could, together. Imagine.

1230
01:11:16,251 --> 01:11:18,011
Likewise, planned obsolescence

1231
01:11:18,151 --> 01:11:21,244
and inferior products will become a thing of the past.

1232
01:11:21,384 --> 01:11:23,470
When companies compete, as they do today

1233
01:11:23,610 --> 01:11:27,366
they must cut their initial cost basis as strategically as possible

1234
01:11:27,506 --> 01:11:30,132
in turn cutting quality.

1235
01:11:30,272 --> 01:11:33,181
This is how they stay competitive and keep their prices affordable.

1236
01:11:33,321 --> 01:11:36,679
This hindrance is gone, therefore the best and most efficient

1237
01:11:36,819 --> 01:11:39,740
sustainable, long-lasting products technically possible

1238
01:11:39,880 --> 01:11:41,911
can finally be created.

1239
01:11:42,051 --> 01:11:44,677
This is an attribute of our current system that no one talks about:

1240
01:11:44,817 --> 01:11:48,018
the perpetual creation of inferior products in order to maintain

1241
01:11:48,158 --> 01:11:50,654
differential advantage.

1242
01:11:50,794 --> 01:11:54,232
(Audience Member) "You're suggesting a monopoly and earlier you were against a monopoly."

1243
01:11:54,372 --> 01:11:57,860
- There's no money, there's no power control; it's not a monopoly.

1244
01:11:58,000 --> 01:12:02,031
It's a systems approach. Money is equated with monopoly

1245
01:12:02,171 --> 01:12:05,507
and I can answer more questions later. This has nothing to do with that approach.

1246
01:12:05,647 --> 01:12:08,851
This is an integrated system. It has nothing to do with monopoly.

1247
01:12:08,991 --> 01:12:12,223
Monopoly is an invention of propensities.

1248
01:12:12,363 --> 01:12:14,749
Excuse me, it's a propensity of the market system for groups

1249
01:12:14,889 --> 01:12:18,216
to seek dominance; and as I will relay later in this presentation

1250
01:12:18,356 --> 01:12:21,845
I will talk about how the management of this system works.

1251
01:12:25,099 --> 01:12:27,928
And this brings us to Step Three: Distribution.

1252
01:12:28,068 --> 01:12:30,507
Distribution has a wide range of logical options

1253
01:12:30,647 --> 01:12:33,616
the most practical being automated distribution centers

1254
01:12:33,756 --> 01:12:36,780
along with pneumatic tube transport systems for your home.

1255
01:12:36,920 --> 01:12:41,443
No more mailmen, no more delivery services; again, society is designed.

1256
01:12:41,583 --> 01:12:44,686
The distribution center might look similar to the stores as you know them today

1257
01:12:44,826 --> 01:12:48,370
except you go in, and you simply get what you need and leave.

1258
01:12:48,510 --> 01:12:51,123
There's no reason to hoard anything, for nothing has monetary value;

1259
01:12:51,263 --> 01:12:54,634
therefore, it can't be sold or used for personal gain.

1260
01:12:54,774 --> 01:12:57,389
As far as stock and inventory, consumption patterns

1261
01:12:57,529 --> 01:13:01,215
are constantly monitored to gauge demand levels just as they are today.

1262
01:13:01,355 --> 01:13:05,204
Resource and raw material acquisition and the production of goods

1263
01:13:05,344 --> 01:13:09,492
are then adjusted in order to maintain a balanced-load economy.

1264
01:13:09,632 --> 01:13:13,392
Here, shortages and overruns will become a thing of the past.

1265
01:13:13,532 --> 01:13:16,860
This again can be done from our central database program.

1266
01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:22,076
I hate to use lingo like central database program. It sounds so cold

1267
01:13:22,216 --> 01:13:25,646
but it's really just a unified form of management.

1268
01:13:25,786 --> 01:13:29,248
It's very simplistic, just so we can adjust things.

1269
01:13:29,388 --> 01:13:32,081
To obtain a product a person could also just go online

1270
01:13:32,221 --> 01:13:34,598
search for an item's function, select it and request it.

1271
01:13:34,879 --> 01:13:37,201
It would be available for pickup at a distribution center

1272
01:13:37,341 --> 01:13:42,250
or automatic delivery soon after. No money, no trade, just access.

1273
01:13:43,093 --> 01:13:47,432
(We'll talk about the concept of 'property' in a moment.)

1274
01:13:47,572 --> 01:13:50,887
Step Four: Optimized Recycling of Products

1275
01:13:51,027 --> 01:13:53,682
that become outdated or inoperable.

1276
01:13:53,822 --> 01:13:56,785
This step actually begins at the production stage, for each product design

1277
01:13:56,925 --> 01:14:00,298
has had incorporated into it the consideration of recycling.

1278
01:14:00,438 --> 01:14:02,676
Nothing ever used in production would be unsustainable

1279
01:14:02,816 --> 01:14:06,674
or unrecyclable in any way, unless there was simply no other option

1280
01:14:06,814 --> 01:14:10,128
and the product was absolutely dire.

1281
01:14:10,633 --> 01:14:12,634
This is strategically considered to make sure

1282
01:14:12,774 --> 01:14:15,390
all older products are re-used to the maximum amount

1283
01:14:15,530 --> 01:14:18,158
enabled by known methods, reducing waste.

1284
01:14:18,298 --> 01:14:21,085
The negative retroactions of all production processes

1285
01:14:21,225 --> 01:14:25,016
are taken into account and adjusted accordingly

1286
01:14:25,156 --> 01:14:27,565
at the production level initially.

1287
01:14:27,705 --> 01:14:30,825
No more landfills, no more dumps and waste.

1288
01:14:30,965 --> 01:14:34,404
We re-use as much as possible, deliberately.

1289
01:14:35,010 --> 01:14:38,539
Now we're going to take all the concepts we've just mentioned

1290
01:14:38,679 --> 01:14:43,083
and put them into the larger context of so-called government.

1291
01:14:43,349 --> 01:14:46,574
I think Dr. Ralph Linton put it best:

1292
01:14:46,714 --> 01:14:50,072
"The tremendous and still accelerating development of science and technology

1293
01:14:50,212 --> 01:14:52,514
has not been accompanied by an equal development

1294
01:14:52,654 --> 01:14:55,473
in social, economic and political patterns.

1295
01:14:55,613 --> 01:14:58,171
It is safe to predict that such social inventions

1296
01:14:58,311 --> 01:15:01,860
such as modern-type capitalism, fascism and communism

1297
01:15:02,000 --> 01:15:04,928
will be regarded as primitive experiments directed towards

1298
01:15:05,068 --> 01:15:08,600
the adjustment of modern society to modern methods."

1299
01:15:08,740 --> 01:15:12,404
So first, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves the question:

1300
01:15:12,544 --> 01:15:14,909
What is the point of governments?

1301
01:15:15,049 --> 01:15:18,502
What is truly relevant to the integrity and fluidity of society?

1302
01:15:18,642 --> 01:15:21,154
If you break the chain of conditioning regarding everything

1303
01:15:21,294 --> 01:15:23,839
that you have been taught about the concepts of government

1304
01:15:23,979 --> 01:15:27,275
which includes power, laws, money, budgets, politicians

1305
01:15:27,415 --> 01:15:30,952
defense, and so-called democratic elections

1306
01:15:31,092 --> 01:15:33,585
you realize that social organization is much more simple.

1307
01:15:33,725 --> 01:15:35,961
It could be so much more simplistic

1308
01:15:36,101 --> 01:15:39,642
and with substantially less stress and concern.

1309
01:15:39,782 --> 01:15:43,225
Government should be simply a process

1310
01:15:43,365 --> 01:15:45,743
centered around what matters to maintain society

1311
01:15:45,883 --> 01:15:48,261
and the well-being of the human population.

1312
01:15:48,401 --> 01:15:52,242
Very simply this would be: resource and environmental management

1313
01:15:52,382 --> 01:15:54,656
the production and distribution of goods

1314
01:15:54,796 --> 01:15:58,471
along with a system of decision-making, research and invention.

1315
01:15:58,815 --> 01:16:01,154
That is really it.

1316
01:16:01,294 --> 01:16:04,479
Society is, as I've said before, a technological convention

1317
01:16:04,619 --> 01:16:07,206
and thus, our orientation towards so-called governments

1318
01:16:07,346 --> 01:16:09,634
should be purely scientific.

1319
01:16:09,774 --> 01:16:12,477
As far as the first two components, we have already accomplished this

1320
01:16:12,617 --> 01:16:14,554
with our central database program.

1321
01:16:14,694 --> 01:16:17,983
It is again, an earth-wide, autonomic sensor system

1322
01:16:18,123 --> 01:16:21,315
with environmental sensors in all relevant areas of the planet

1323
01:16:21,455 --> 01:16:24,978
monitoring and generating industrial electronic feedback

1324
01:16:25,118 --> 01:16:29,135
regarding resources and production-distribution operations.

1325
01:16:29,473 --> 01:16:31,542
I know it sounds massive and science-fiction oriented

1326
01:16:31,682 --> 01:16:34,774
but it can be done. It's done every day in detached ways.

1327
01:16:34,914 --> 01:16:37,476
It's just not applied on a larger scale.

1328
01:16:37,616 --> 01:16:39,834
So then, with the first two issues covered, we're then left

1329
01:16:39,974 --> 01:16:43,980
with the issue of research, contributions and decisions.

1330
01:16:44,120 --> 01:16:47,181
When we finally understand that everything in regard to social operation

1331
01:16:47,321 --> 01:16:50,772
is a technical process, we then see there is little reason

1332
01:16:50,912 --> 01:16:53,882
for political subjectivity in the solving of any problem

1333
01:16:54,022 --> 01:16:57,758
for our technical insight can now arrive at most conclusions

1334
01:16:57,898 --> 01:17:02,732
using the scientific method. It is based on information.

1335
01:17:04,388 --> 01:17:07,013
If a person reads one page of a book and closes it

1336
01:17:07,153 --> 01:17:10,287
he or she can easily have an opinion on that book as a whole.

1337
01:17:10,427 --> 01:17:13,458
If another person reads the whole book, they also have an opinion.

1338
01:17:13,598 --> 01:17:16,442
Whose opinion would you value more? The person who read the full book

1339
01:17:16,582 --> 01:17:19,842
or the person who read only one page?

1340
01:17:21,185 --> 01:17:23,936
In other words, the more data taken into account in the process

1341
01:17:24,076 --> 01:17:27,045
of decision making, the more accurate that decision will be.

1342
01:17:27,185 --> 01:17:29,795
As we have previously explored, computers now can access

1343
01:17:29,935 --> 01:17:34,341
trillions of bits of information per second across vast informational databases.

1344
01:17:34,481 --> 01:17:37,177
Because of the limitations of our sensory and cortical equipment

1345
01:17:37,317 --> 01:17:39,719
in our body and mind, no person or group

1346
01:17:39,859 --> 01:17:42,558
can know everything there is to know in this world.

1347
01:17:42,698 --> 01:17:44,784
Our senses are limited in range

1348
01:17:44,924 --> 01:17:48,492
our eyes can only see a fraction of the electromagnetic field

1349
01:17:48,632 --> 01:17:52,609
therefore again, it is only logical to begin delegation

1350
01:17:52,749 --> 01:17:56,398
of decision-making processes, specifically technical processes

1351
01:17:56,538 --> 01:18:00,551
to computers for evaluation and efficient outcomes.

1352
01:18:00,691 --> 01:18:02,778
They do not have the restrictions that we have.

1353
01:18:02,918 --> 01:18:05,321
These are tools that we have created.

1354
01:18:05,461 --> 01:18:07,405
We have already shown that this is possible

1355
01:18:07,545 --> 01:18:10,121
with resource management, production and distribution.

1356
01:18:10,261 --> 01:18:14,498
So now we're going to explore what we can call "information processes".

1357
01:18:14,638 --> 01:18:17,927
This is a rather complex point, and falls in the realm

1358
01:18:18,067 --> 01:18:20,592
of what can be called "artificial intelligence"

1359
01:18:20,732 --> 01:18:22,979
or machines programmed to run processes

1360
01:18:23,119 --> 01:18:26,151
that mimic the procedural processes of human thought.

1361
01:18:26,291 --> 01:18:28,165
Artificial intelligence is subject

1362
01:18:28,305 --> 01:18:30,921
to some tremendously silly assumptions today.

1363
01:18:31,061 --> 01:18:33,510
The most common being portrayed in movies

1364
01:18:33,650 --> 01:18:36,584
where the intelligent machines invariably decide

1365
01:18:36,724 --> 01:18:40,131
to take over humanity or some other biased notion of contempt.

1366
01:18:40,271 --> 01:18:42,973
[Clips from finale of film "I, Robot"]

1367
01:18:45,282 --> 01:18:48,211
The suicidal reign of mankind has finally come to its end.

1368
01:18:48,663 --> 01:18:50,802
- You have been deemed hazardous. Will you comply?

1369
01:18:50,942 --> 01:18:53,020
- You can kiss my ass, metal dick!

1370
01:18:54,388 --> 01:18:57,181
In fact I would say that science-fiction seems to get off exclusively

1371
01:18:57,321 --> 01:18:59,470
on showing the world being overcome by machines

1372
01:18:59,610 --> 01:19:01,935
and the human beings enslaved.

1373
01:19:02,075 --> 01:19:04,283
In the words of Arthur C. Clarke:

1374
01:19:04,423 --> 01:19:06,589
"The popular idea fostered by comic strips

1375
01:19:06,729 --> 01:19:09,773
and the cheaper forms of science-fiction that intelligent machines

1376
01:19:09,913 --> 01:19:13,474
must be malevolent entities hostile to man is so absurd

1377
01:19:13,614 --> 01:19:16,371
that it is hardly worth wasting energy to refute it.

1378
01:19:16,511 --> 01:19:18,252
I am almost tempted to argue that only

1379
01:19:18,392 --> 01:19:20,649
un-intelligent machines can be malevolent.

1380
01:19:20,789 --> 01:19:22,929
Those who picture machines as active enemies

1381
01:19:23,069 --> 01:19:26,860
are merely projecting their own aggressiveness.

1382
01:19:27,000 --> 01:19:30,332
The higher the intelligence, the greater the degree of cooperativeness.

1383
01:19:30,472 --> 01:19:32,859
If there is ever a war between men and machines

1384
01:19:32,999 --> 01:19:35,948
it's easy to guess who will start it."

1385
01:19:37,181 --> 01:19:40,734
The interest is to create an active informational database

1386
01:19:40,874 --> 01:19:43,406
containing literally all known technical knowledge

1387
01:19:43,546 --> 01:19:47,163
ranging from the properties, combinations and applications of every element

1388
01:19:47,303 --> 01:19:50,340
of the periodic table, to even the complete history

1389
01:19:50,480 --> 01:19:52,860
of technological invention.

1390
01:19:53,000 --> 01:19:56,098
A system of associations needs to be created and codified

1391
01:19:56,238 --> 01:19:58,239
to enable such a thing, but there are plenty of projects

1392
01:19:58,379 --> 01:20:00,249
that are working on this right now.

1393
01:20:00,389 --> 01:20:02,911
Thought is indeed a technical process

1394
01:20:03,051 --> 01:20:07,276
and once the associations emerge that can combine multiple disciplines

1395
01:20:07,416 --> 01:20:10,193
we will have at our grasp an amazing database program

1396
01:20:10,333 --> 01:20:13,990
that we can interact with and gain feedback from.

1397
01:20:14,130 --> 01:20:16,537
It could likely come in the form of a simple website.

1398
01:20:16,677 --> 01:20:19,240
You would pose a problem or question to the database

1399
01:20:19,380 --> 01:20:21,472
and it would give the best possible feedback

1400
01:20:21,612 --> 01:20:24,044
based on the current state of knowledge at that point in time.

1401
01:20:24,184 --> 01:20:26,975
No different than interfacing with a calculator, but this new calculator

1402
01:20:27,115 --> 01:20:31,381
has a powerful associative system and an extensive database of knowledge

1403
01:20:31,521 --> 01:20:34,882
that can not only understand and compute math, it can integrate physics

1404
01:20:35,022 --> 01:20:39,990
biology and other aspects into a unified, concentrated awareness.

1405
01:20:40,794 --> 01:20:44,778
If I had an idea for aeronautics, I would enter in my schematics

1406
01:20:44,918 --> 01:20:47,521
in language codified that the machine would understand.

1407
01:20:47,661 --> 01:20:50,639
The machine would say "This has already been done."

1408
01:20:50,779 --> 01:20:53,834
We don't have the materials for this," as it checks the central database.

1409
01:20:53,974 --> 01:20:56,710
"The efficiency of this is not applicable because of the wind resistance

1410
01:20:56,850 --> 01:21:00,451
this coefficient, etc." You get the point.

1411
01:21:01,365 --> 01:21:03,616
If this sounds like science fiction, rest assured

1412
01:21:03,756 --> 01:21:06,328
that the US military's Pentagon likely already has

1413
01:21:06,468 --> 01:21:09,567
similar database reference and decision making programs

1414
01:21:09,707 --> 01:21:12,381
which it uses to create war strategies.

1415
01:21:12,521 --> 01:21:14,591
It is important to point out that in the world today

1416
01:21:14,731 --> 01:21:16,831
we consider participation in government

1417
01:21:16,971 --> 01:21:20,816
a task of electing various personalities to a position of power.

1418
01:21:20,956 --> 01:21:24,925
This is now obsolete. In a resource-based global economy

1419
01:21:25,065 --> 01:21:28,387
where industry and government are combined into a cybernated system

1420
01:21:28,527 --> 01:21:31,681
that incorporates advanced problem-solving computer databases

1421
01:21:31,821 --> 01:21:36,328
with vast planetary-wide observation sensors, again it's very simple

1422
01:21:36,468 --> 01:21:39,109
the traditional concept of politics and election

1423
01:21:39,249 --> 01:21:41,323
has no basis or relevance.

1424
01:21:41,463 --> 01:21:44,740
While this notion scares a lot of traditionally-minded people

1425
01:21:44,880 --> 01:21:48,412
it must be reiterated that our problems in life are technical

1426
01:21:48,552 --> 01:21:52,026
and are relative only to humanity as a whole.

1427
01:21:52,166 --> 01:21:55,565
We don't want to elect people. We want to elect ideas.

1428
01:21:55,705 --> 01:21:57,834
This would be a true democracy

1429
01:21:57,974 --> 01:22:03,000
where technology enables each person to contribute in an organized way.

1430
01:22:05,590 --> 01:22:07,870
Such participation in any society

1431
01:22:08,010 --> 01:22:10,954
would entail understanding how society technically worked

1432
01:22:11,094 --> 01:22:13,755
and then constructively proposing ideas or innovations

1433
01:22:13,895 --> 01:22:16,621
to be implemented, created or altered.

1434
01:22:16,761 --> 01:22:19,511
As of now, this is long-lost. Very few people have any idea

1435
01:22:19,651 --> 01:22:23,032
how anything operates. As things are just going on around them

1436
01:22:23,172 --> 01:22:26,332
they have no idea what's going on; people can't contribute to anything

1437
01:22:26,472 --> 01:22:30,489
unless they understand what comprises what they want to contribute to.

1438
01:22:30,629 --> 01:22:32,990
This is something governments have known for a long time

1439
01:22:33,130 --> 01:22:35,523
which is why you tend to find that there is a lot of "dumbing-down"

1440
01:22:35,663 --> 01:22:37,961
going on in the world.

1441
01:22:38,101 --> 01:22:39,944
As far as interaction:

1442
01:22:40,084 --> 01:22:42,396
First, one would interact with the informational database

1443
01:22:42,536 --> 01:22:46,872
which is available to everyone and could input their proposal.

1444
01:22:47,012 --> 01:22:49,799
Then, the database with its historical knowledge databases

1445
01:22:49,939 --> 01:22:53,089
and data integration would analyze the concept for its scientific

1446
01:22:53,229 --> 01:22:56,741
and technical integrity, along with optimizing the materials required

1447
01:22:56,881 --> 01:23:00,855
if applicable, based on current understandings and availabilities.

1448
01:23:00,995 --> 01:23:03,074
Again, it's unified.

1449
01:23:03,214 --> 01:23:05,889
If the proposal is initially accepted by the central database

1450
01:23:06,029 --> 01:23:08,979
after cross-checking it to make sure the integrity is intact

1451
01:23:09,119 --> 01:23:11,249
then it would either be immediately put into production

1452
01:23:11,389 --> 01:23:13,894
as would be the case of the desired invention

1453
01:23:14,034 --> 01:23:19,298
or it would be turned over to a group of rotating interdisciplinary teams

1454
01:23:19,438 --> 01:23:22,232
that oversee the implementation of the new proposal

1455
01:23:22,372 --> 01:23:25,700
and orient it into the social system.

1456
01:23:25,840 --> 01:23:28,533
These are simply technicians who maintain the system

1457
01:23:28,673 --> 01:23:31,728
no different than how people maintain anything today.

1458
01:23:31,868 --> 01:23:34,375
The person or group who submitted the proposal in question

1459
01:23:34,515 --> 01:23:37,261
would then be invited to participate and become a part

1460
01:23:37,401 --> 01:23:41,961
of the interdisciplinary team relevant to the idea if they choose to.

1461
01:23:42,101 --> 01:23:45,219
These interdisciplinary teams of technicians oversee the system

1462
01:23:45,359 --> 01:23:48,094
and also help orient research projects to continue growth

1463
01:23:48,234 --> 01:23:50,315
efficiency and social evolution.

1464
01:23:50,455 --> 01:23:52,521
They would do research in scientific fields relevant

1465
01:23:52,661 --> 01:23:54,593
to the functionality of society.

1466
01:23:54,733 --> 01:23:57,248
In an optimized version of this system, I think it is safe to predict

1467
01:23:57,388 --> 01:23:59,722
that no more than 5% of the world's population

1468
01:23:59,862 --> 01:24:01,486
would be needed to run the show.

1469
01:24:01,626 --> 01:24:04,224
The more optimized and powerful our technological capabilities

1470
01:24:04,364 --> 01:24:07,584
and methods become, the more that number decreases.

1471
01:24:07,724 --> 01:24:10,514
I think it's important to mention, a lot of people

1472
01:24:10,654 --> 01:24:14,139
read too much science fiction. They take books like "Brave New World"

1473
01:24:14,279 --> 01:24:18,415
and "1984" a little bit too seriously, and they see something like this

1474
01:24:18,555 --> 01:24:21,689
as a power consolidation in some amazing way

1475
01:24:21,829 --> 01:24:25,433
but you have to understand that we're removing the mechanism.

1476
01:24:26,166 --> 01:24:29,688
We have to remember that we entrust our lives to science and technology

1477
01:24:29,828 --> 01:24:33,550
every single day and to the people that work with this technology.

1478
01:24:33,690 --> 01:24:35,905
When you have a problem with your car, you don't take a vote

1479
01:24:36,045 --> 01:24:38,479
from your neighbors as to the solution. You go to somebody

1480
01:24:38,619 --> 01:24:42,309
that works in that particular field who knows what they're doing, education.

1481
01:24:42,449 --> 01:24:45,563
This is the type of orientation we need to begin to have.

1482
01:24:45,703 --> 01:24:48,386
The fear of traditional corruption has very little basis

1483
01:24:48,526 --> 01:24:50,479
for there is no reward for it.

1484
01:24:50,619 --> 01:24:53,672
The interdisciplinary teams do not get paid in any way.

1485
01:24:53,812 --> 01:24:57,558
Their reward is the fruits of the society as a whole

1486
01:24:57,698 --> 01:25:01,142
and they contribute because it is in their best interest to do so

1487
01:25:01,282 --> 01:25:03,619
just as everyone can contribute.

1488
01:25:03,759 --> 01:25:08,199
Self-interest becomes integrated with social interest. They become one.

1489
01:25:08,339 --> 01:25:10,849
In order to help yourself, you must help society explicitly.

1490
01:25:10,989 --> 01:25:13,769
Everything is for the greater good. Frankly I believe our survival

1491
01:25:13,909 --> 01:25:18,067
as a species is absolutely contingent upon this world view.

1492
01:25:18,207 --> 01:25:21,199
Moreover, these teams would not be fixed, but constantly revolving

1493
01:25:21,339 --> 01:25:24,711
based on who wants to participate, who contributes in any given field.

1494
01:25:24,851 --> 01:25:28,086
Abstractly speaking, this would actually be a true democracy, wouldn't it?

1495
01:25:28,226 --> 01:25:31,477
Arbitrary voting for politicians is now replaced by the logical review

1496
01:25:31,617 --> 01:25:34,391
of given concepts, based on social merit

1497
01:25:34,531 --> 01:25:36,554
with the creators brought in to help

1498
01:25:36,694 --> 01:25:41,745
not "I'm going to reduce taxes" and "Here comes change!"

1499
01:25:44,625 --> 01:25:48,737
and all this nonsensical stuff we deal with today.

1500
01:25:50,454 --> 01:25:52,599
In a Resource-Based Economy, as I've said

1501
01:25:52,739 --> 01:25:55,284
participation is open to everyone.

1502
01:25:55,424 --> 01:25:58,818
Because again, all issues are fundamentally recognized as technical

1503
01:25:58,958 --> 01:26:00,895
and I'm going to keep drilling this in.

1504
01:26:01,035 --> 01:26:04,759
The degree to which a person contributes is based on that person's education

1505
01:26:04,899 --> 01:26:06,906
and ability to create and problem-solve.

1506
01:26:07,046 --> 01:26:09,345
This is why expanded education is critical.

1507
01:26:09,485 --> 01:26:11,490
In society today, you will find the public

1508
01:26:11,630 --> 01:26:14,449
is essentially kept distracted and uninformed.

1509
01:26:14,589 --> 01:26:18,258
I hate to say it, but this is the way governments maintain control.

1510
01:26:18,398 --> 01:26:23,319
If you review history, you will find that power is maintained by ignorance.

1511
01:26:23,459 --> 01:26:26,397
In a Resource-Based Economy, the goal of the educational system

1512
01:26:26,537 --> 01:26:30,506
is to produce the most intelligent, aware human beings as possible.

1513
01:26:30,646 --> 01:26:33,702
Why? Because everyone then becomes a contributor

1514
01:26:33,842 --> 01:26:37,370
greatly affecting our collective social evolution for the better

1515
01:26:37,510 --> 01:26:39,525
and improving the lives of all.

1516
01:26:39,665 --> 01:26:42,728
Intelligence will no longer be a threat to the establishment

1517
01:26:42,868 --> 01:26:45,297
for there is no power establishment.

1518
01:26:45,437 --> 01:26:48,285
There would be no budget restrictions or unethical agendas

1519
01:26:48,425 --> 01:26:50,385
to deter progress.

1520
01:26:50,525 --> 01:26:52,673
Also, people will have a high propensity to become

1521
01:26:52,813 --> 01:26:55,318
generalists, not specialists.

1522
01:26:55,458 --> 01:26:57,538
Specialization is a limitation.

1523
01:26:57,678 --> 01:26:59,694
The monetary system promotes specialization

1524
01:26:59,834 --> 01:27:02,481
as a form of labor distribution for income.

1525
01:27:02,621 --> 01:27:05,782
It's kind of built-in, and it's a colossal hindrance.

1526
01:27:05,922 --> 01:27:09,415
I believe Buckminster Fuller put it quite well on this issue

1527
01:27:09,555 --> 01:27:12,094
"Our failures are a consequence of many factors

1528
01:27:12,234 --> 01:27:15,572
but possibly one of the most important is the fact that society operates

1529
01:27:15,712 --> 01:27:19,680
on the theory that specialization is the key to success

1530
01:27:19,820 --> 01:27:24,117
not realizing that specialization precludes comprehensive thinking.

1531
01:27:24,257 --> 01:27:28,959
This means that the potentially integratable techno-economic advantages

1532
01:27:29,099 --> 01:27:34,146
are not comprehended integratively, and therefore are not realized."

1533
01:27:34,286 --> 01:27:36,679
In other words, people need to be broadly educated

1534
01:27:36,819 --> 01:27:41,208
not refined and isolated. This leads to detached thinking.

1535
01:27:41,348 --> 01:27:44,860
To recap this section, who makes the decisions in a Resource-Based Economy?

1536
01:27:45,000 --> 01:27:48,730
In effect, no one does. Decisions are arrived at.

1537
01:27:48,870 --> 01:27:52,076
The very sentence to ask the question "Who makes decisions?"

1538
01:27:52,216 --> 01:27:54,771
is devoid of all logic. It's not "who makes decisions".

1539
01:27:54,911 --> 01:27:58,232
It's "By what method are decisions arrived at?"

1540
01:27:58,372 --> 01:28:01,114
The question of who makes decisions is a biased attribute

1541
01:28:01,254 --> 01:28:05,588
that we have concocted because of our irrationally-founded fear

1542
01:28:05,728 --> 01:28:09,060
of each other in groups which continue to jockey for power

1543
01:28:09,200 --> 01:28:12,037
based on monetary gain using the monetary system

1544
01:28:12,177 --> 01:28:16,020
as their tool to continue to maintain control.

1545
01:28:16,160 --> 01:28:18,866
In a Resource-Based Economy, decisions are arrived at by the use

1546
01:28:19,006 --> 01:28:21,693
of the scientific method utilizing computers that gain

1547
01:28:21,833 --> 01:28:24,947
real time feedback from the environment and our central database program

1548
01:28:25,087 --> 01:28:28,498
coupled in with the central information database of all technical knowledge

1549
01:28:28,638 --> 01:28:31,151
maintained by revolving interdisciplinary teams

1550
01:28:31,291 --> 01:28:35,438
which assist in aspects of society that basically cannot yet be automated.

1551
01:28:35,578 --> 01:28:38,925
The goal is to increase objective decision-making as much as possible

1552
01:28:39,065 --> 01:28:41,489
and when we understand that our problems in life are technical

1553
01:28:41,629 --> 01:28:44,341
the merit of this approach is without parallel. People see this and they say

1554
01:28:44,481 --> 01:28:49,430
"This is far too idealistic". No this is nothing but pure practicality.

1555
01:28:52,279 --> 01:28:56,342
In the end, the only real relevance to so-called government

1556
01:28:56,482 --> 01:29:00,698
is 1: The production of goods and services that are equally available to all

1557
01:29:00,838 --> 01:29:04,680
2: Research projects and educational systems to expand our knowledge

1558
01:29:04,820 --> 01:29:07,514
understanding and applications, and 3:

1559
01:29:07,654 --> 01:29:10,886
The constant monitoring of the Earth's resources and atmosphere

1560
01:29:11,026 --> 01:29:13,985
for feedback and possible environmental problems

1561
01:29:14,125 --> 01:29:18,979
enabling us to restore and maintain a clean, pristine environment.

1562
01:29:19,119 --> 01:29:21,765
Not to mention without the wasted energy and resources

1563
01:29:21,905 --> 01:29:24,604
of going to war every 5 or 6 years

1564
01:29:24,744 --> 01:29:26,864
and other aspects of the monetary system

1565
01:29:27,004 --> 01:29:29,826
we could actually look at true threats to humanity.

1566
01:29:29,966 --> 01:29:33,565
What are the true threats to humanity? Earthquakes and asteroids

1567
01:29:33,705 --> 01:29:36,957
diseases, environmental issues that we can't control yet

1568
01:29:37,097 --> 01:29:40,502
but, eventually through science and technology, I think we will.

1569
01:29:40,642 --> 01:29:43,278
The only real problems in life are the problems

1570
01:29:43,418 --> 01:29:45,956
that are common to all human beings.

1571
01:29:46,096 --> 01:29:50,797
[applause]

1572
01:29:50,937 --> 01:29:54,589
Cities and Lifestyle: In this section we are going to extend the tenets

1573
01:29:54,729 --> 01:29:58,666
of a Resource-Based Economy into one of our most fundamental social inventions

1574
01:29:58,806 --> 01:30:02,781
the city, specifically the Venus Project's circular city.

1575
01:30:02,921 --> 01:30:06,081
We will also discuss how people's lifestyle in a Resource-Based Economy

1576
01:30:06,221 --> 01:30:08,998
might manifest, often with profoundly different values

1577
01:30:09,138 --> 01:30:11,691
and goals than we see today.

1578
01:30:11,831 --> 01:30:14,716
A specific focus of the Venus Project and Jacque Fresco

1579
01:30:14,856 --> 01:30:18,144
has been the optimization of city systems themselves

1580
01:30:18,284 --> 01:30:21,005
which relates to everything that we've just described.

1581
01:30:21,145 --> 01:30:23,252
The following is a short video exploration of some

1582
01:30:23,392 --> 01:30:25,994
of Jacque Fresco's ideas in this regard.

1583
01:30:26,894 --> 01:30:30,224
The Venus Project

1584
01:30:32,067 --> 01:30:35,036
A society without a vision of what the future can be

1585
01:30:35,176 --> 01:30:39,059
is bound to repeat past errors over and over again.

1586
01:30:39,199 --> 01:30:44,070
This brief video will outline a vision designed to avoid old mistakes.

1587
01:30:44,547 --> 01:30:48,722
This vision of efficiency, sustainability and intelligent planning

1588
01:30:48,862 --> 01:30:52,542
can lead us into a world of unlimited, human potential.

1589
01:30:52,682 --> 01:30:56,236
Designing The Future

1590
01:30:59,263 --> 01:31:01,511
This vision could be a showcase of what the world

1591
01:31:01,651 --> 01:31:04,314
can be in our cybernated age.

1592
01:31:04,454 --> 01:31:08,113
Science and technology could be used for human betterment

1593
01:31:08,253 --> 01:31:11,355
and the restoration and protection of the environment.

1594
01:31:11,495 --> 01:31:14,735
Serving as an example of the intelligent application

1595
01:31:14,875 --> 01:31:17,429
of the systems approach.

1596
01:31:17,569 --> 01:31:22,232
While some people advocate the restoration of existing, worn-out cities

1597
01:31:22,372 --> 01:31:25,860
these efforts fall short of the potentials of modern technology.

1598
01:31:26,000 --> 01:31:30,690
Modifying outmoded cities simply delays the inevitable problems.

1599
01:31:31,041 --> 01:31:34,499
It is actually much easier in the long run to build newer cities

1600
01:31:34,639 --> 01:31:39,130
from the ground up than to restore and maintain the old ones.

1601
01:31:39,341 --> 01:31:42,405
A total city system approach requires overall planning

1602
01:31:42,545 --> 01:31:46,332
to attain a higher standard of living for the occupants.

1603
01:31:46,472 --> 01:31:50,300
The circular arrangement efficiently permits the most sophisticated use

1604
01:31:50,440 --> 01:31:53,302
of available resources and construction techniques

1605
01:31:53,442 --> 01:31:56,232
within minimum expenditure of energy.

1606
01:31:56,372 --> 01:31:59,624
The outer perimeter will be part of the recreational area

1607
01:31:59,764 --> 01:32:04,722
with golf courses, hiking and biking trails and other outdoor activities.

1608
01:32:05,292 --> 01:32:08,982
Inside this area, a waterway surrounds the agricultural belt

1609
01:32:09,122 --> 01:32:12,081
with indoor and outdoor agriculture.

1610
01:32:12,221 --> 01:32:15,241
Continuing towards the city center, eight green sectors

1611
01:32:15,381 --> 01:32:17,895
provide clean, renewable sources of energy

1612
01:32:18,035 --> 01:32:21,434
using wind, solar and heat concentrators.

1613
01:32:21,574 --> 01:32:24,405
The residential district would include unique landscaping

1614
01:32:24,545 --> 01:32:26,840
lakes and winding streams.

1615
01:32:26,980 --> 01:32:29,775
A wide range of creative and innovative apartment buildings

1616
01:32:29,915 --> 01:32:34,474
and individual homes will provide many options for the occupants.

1617
01:32:34,794 --> 01:32:38,831
New and innovative methods of fast, mass construction for housing

1618
01:32:38,971 --> 01:32:43,373
and building systems will inject composite materials into the mold

1619
01:32:43,513 --> 01:32:46,115
and then extrude the form upward.

1620
01:32:46,255 --> 01:32:49,342
In some cases, multiple city apartments can be produced

1621
01:32:49,482 --> 01:32:52,937
as continuous extrusions which are then separated

1622
01:32:53,077 --> 01:32:55,154
into individual units.

1623
01:32:55,294 --> 01:32:58,346
The apartments are lightweight and high strength.

1624
01:32:58,486 --> 01:33:02,909
All of the dwellings are designed as self-contained residences.

1625
01:33:03,049 --> 01:33:05,154
The outer surface of these efficient structures

1626
01:33:05,294 --> 01:33:08,636
serve as photo voltaic generators converting solar radiation

1627
01:33:08,776 --> 01:33:13,681
directly into electricity for heating, cooling and other needs.

1628
01:33:14,407 --> 01:33:18,979
The thermocouple effect will also be used for generating energy.

1629
01:33:19,580 --> 01:33:21,717
These individual homes are prefabricated

1630
01:33:21,857 --> 01:33:24,893
and relatively maintenance free, fire resistant

1631
01:33:25,033 --> 01:33:27,376
and impervious to weather.

1632
01:33:27,516 --> 01:33:30,209
With this type of construction, there would be minimal damage from

1633
01:33:30,349 --> 01:33:33,295
floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.

1634
01:33:33,435 --> 01:33:36,846
Their thin shell construction can be mass produced efficiently

1635
01:33:36,986 --> 01:33:40,273
with little environmental restriction.

1636
01:33:40,656 --> 01:33:44,019
Adjacent to the residential district are the planning, science

1637
01:33:44,159 --> 01:33:46,651
and research centers.

1638
01:33:46,791 --> 01:33:49,259
The eight domes surrounding the central dome

1639
01:33:49,399 --> 01:33:53,920
house the art, music, exhibition, entertainment and conference centers.

1640
01:33:55,920 --> 01:33:59,531
The central dome houses schools, health care

1641
01:33:59,671 --> 01:34:02,986
access centers, communications networking.

1642
01:34:03,126 --> 01:34:06,418
It is also the core for most transportation services

1643
01:34:06,558 --> 01:34:10,810
which move people by transveyors horizontally, vertically and radially

1644
01:34:10,950 --> 01:34:13,183
anywhere in the city.

1645
01:34:13,323 --> 01:34:16,387
This minimizes the need for automobile transportation

1646
01:34:16,527 --> 01:34:19,116
except for emergency vehicles.

1647
01:34:19,256 --> 01:34:24,158
Transportation between cities would be by monorail or maglev.

1648
01:34:25,064 --> 01:34:28,590
Waste recycling and other services are beneath the city.

1649
01:34:28,730 --> 01:34:31,322
The plan will use the best of clean technology

1650
01:34:31,462 --> 01:34:35,031
in harmony with the surrounding environment.

1651
01:34:35,624 --> 01:34:39,214
The central dome also houses the cybernated complex

1652
01:34:39,354 --> 01:34:43,721
which serves as the brain and the nervous system of the entire city.

1653
01:34:43,861 --> 01:34:46,668
It might project a 3D virtual image of earth

1654
01:34:46,808 --> 01:34:49,127
using satellite communication systems

1655
01:34:49,267 --> 01:34:52,388
which provide information on weather, agriculture

1656
01:34:52,528 --> 01:34:55,817
transportation and overall functionality.

1657
01:34:55,957 --> 01:34:59,216
This cybernated system will use environmental sensors

1658
01:34:59,356 --> 01:35:02,372
to help maintain a balanced-load economy

1659
01:35:02,512 --> 01:35:05,819
which avoids overruns and shortages.

1660
01:35:05,959 --> 01:35:08,241
For example, in the agricultural belt

1661
01:35:08,381 --> 01:35:11,786
electronic probes monitor and maintain the water table

1662
01:35:11,926 --> 01:35:14,912
soil conditions, nutrients, and more.

1663
01:35:15,052 --> 01:35:17,904
This method of electronic feedback can be applied

1664
01:35:18,044 --> 01:35:20,693
to the entire city system.

1665
01:35:20,833 --> 01:35:25,319
With computers now able to process trillions of bits of information per second

1666
01:35:25,459 --> 01:35:29,068
they are vital for arriving at more appropriate decisions

1667
01:35:29,208 --> 01:35:31,860
for the management of the cities.

1668
01:35:34,412 --> 01:35:39,654
Colonization of the oceans is one of the last frontiers remaining on Earth.

1669
01:35:39,794 --> 01:35:43,652
Prodigious ocean city communities will evolve as artificial islands

1670
01:35:43,792 --> 01:35:48,206
floating structures, undersea observatories and more.

1671
01:35:48,346 --> 01:35:51,089
These large marine structures are designed to explore

1672
01:35:51,229 --> 01:35:53,938
the relatively untapped riches of the oceans

1673
01:35:54,078 --> 01:35:58,737
provide improved mariculture, freshwater production, energy and mining.

1674
01:35:58,877 --> 01:36:02,824
They could also provide almost unlimited riches in pharmaceuticals

1675
01:36:02,964 --> 01:36:07,065
chemicals, fertilizers, minerals and other energies.

1676
01:36:07,205 --> 01:36:09,534
Ocean cities would be resistant to earthquakes

1677
01:36:09,674 --> 01:36:13,410
and greatly relieve land-based population pressures.

1678
01:36:14,308 --> 01:36:17,574
Unsinkable floating sea domes would provide for those who prefer

1679
01:36:17,714 --> 01:36:20,324
unique, offshore or island living.

1680
01:36:20,464 --> 01:36:23,964
In the event of inclement weather, they can easily be towed ashore

1681
01:36:24,104 --> 01:36:28,074
mounted and anchored to elevated support structures.

1682
01:36:28,668 --> 01:36:33,006
Mariculture and sea farming systems are used to cultivate and raise fish

1683
01:36:33,146 --> 01:36:37,292
and other forms of marine life to help meet nutritional needs.

1684
01:36:37,432 --> 01:36:41,567
These marine enclosures are designed as non-contaminating integral parts

1685
01:36:41,707 --> 01:36:44,323
of the ocean system.

1686
01:36:44,463 --> 01:36:46,504
A sustainable environment can be achieved

1687
01:36:46,644 --> 01:36:49,334
through the infusion of technology and cybernetics

1688
01:36:49,474 --> 01:36:52,887
applied with human and environmental concern to secure

1689
01:36:53,027 --> 01:36:56,446
protect and encourage a more humane future.

1690
01:36:56,586 --> 01:36:59,524
In the final analysis, we are one people

1691
01:36:59,664 --> 01:37:02,447
and we share one planet.

1692
01:37:09,192 --> 01:37:13,067
Moving forward, I would like to talk about lifestyles.

1693
01:37:13,207 --> 01:37:15,280
In regard to lifestyle, it's important to point out

1694
01:37:15,420 --> 01:37:19,061
that in our current system, the traditional family is broken

1695
01:37:19,201 --> 01:37:22,020
with both parents having to work in order to survive.

1696
01:37:22,160 --> 01:37:25,860
Monetary economics undermines family cohesion and child care.

1697
01:37:26,000 --> 01:37:28,746
Stress is always very high due to medical bills, insurance

1698
01:37:28,886 --> 01:37:33,967
education costs, employment, insecurity and living costs in general.

1699
01:37:34,107 --> 01:37:37,565
In a Resource-Based Economy the integrity of a family would be returned.

1700
01:37:37,705 --> 01:37:40,583
Concurrently, the cultural values of society as a whole

1701
01:37:40,723 --> 01:37:42,996
would undergo a profound change

1702
01:37:43,136 --> 01:37:46,494
with the monetary system outgrown and the world working together

1703
01:37:46,634 --> 01:37:49,508
to produce an abundance and a sustainable practice

1704
01:37:49,648 --> 01:37:51,648
for all the citizens of Earth.

1705
01:37:51,788 --> 01:37:54,211
Activities we appreciate will greatly expand

1706
01:37:54,351 --> 01:37:57,374
for the amount of human freedom will be unlike anything we know today

1707
01:37:57,514 --> 01:38:00,698
not to mention our motivation will be dramatically altered

1708
01:38:00,838 --> 01:38:04,276
from taking to giving to society.

1709
01:38:04,416 --> 01:38:06,901
That is what's rewarded.

1710
01:38:07,689 --> 01:38:11,831
One of the more in depth changes in values and lifestyle

1711
01:38:11,971 --> 01:38:14,886
will be the way people think about property

1712
01:38:15,026 --> 01:38:17,620
and I know this is a sensitive point.

1713
01:38:17,760 --> 01:38:20,698
In most of the world today property is a powerful concept

1714
01:38:20,838 --> 01:38:25,490
with people often associating their social status to what they own.

1715
01:38:27,015 --> 01:38:31,632
As stated before, the monetary system requires cyclical consumption to function.

1716
01:38:31,772 --> 01:38:34,218
This naturally leads to the need for people

1717
01:38:34,358 --> 01:38:37,129
to be manipulated into thinking they want

1718
01:38:37,269 --> 01:38:39,893
or need a particular good or service.

1719
01:38:40,033 --> 01:38:42,379
With the powerful tactics of modern advertising

1720
01:38:42,519 --> 01:38:46,295
most in the world support an artificial materialistic value-system

1721
01:38:46,435 --> 01:38:49,631
that entails wanting more and more goods and services

1722
01:38:49,771 --> 01:38:52,982
often regardless of necessity or utility.

1723
01:38:53,122 --> 01:38:55,717
This influence will no longer exist.

1724
01:38:55,857 --> 01:39:00,042
There is no reason for us to manipulate each other any more

1725
01:39:06,224 --> 01:39:08,789
not to mention that in the Resource-Based Economy

1726
01:39:08,929 --> 01:39:12,224
there is no reason for property.

1727
01:39:12,364 --> 01:39:14,839
You can throw out labels about this system

1728
01:39:14,979 --> 01:39:18,177
in regards to social ideas that have existed in the past

1729
01:39:18,317 --> 01:39:22,065
but until you address the reasoning that these ideas came from

1730
01:39:22,205 --> 01:39:25,393
until you look at the train of thought, the arrival of conclusions

1731
01:39:25,533 --> 01:39:29,020
based on tangible unfolding intellectual inference

1732
01:39:29,160 --> 01:39:31,481
then there's no point even to consider

1733
01:39:31,621 --> 01:39:34,860
that this has anything to do with anything else.

1734
01:39:36,513 --> 01:39:40,628
Back to my point: There is no reason for property in a Resource-Based Economy.

1735
01:39:40,768 --> 01:39:43,107
Property is an outgrowth of scarcity.

1736
01:39:43,247 --> 01:39:47,293
People who had to work very hard to create or obtain a product or resource

1737
01:39:47,433 --> 01:39:51,033
protected it because it had value relative to the labor entailed

1738
01:39:51,173 --> 01:39:53,281
along with the scarcity associated.

1739
01:39:53,421 --> 01:39:57,081
Property is not an American or capitalist idea.

1740
01:39:57,221 --> 01:39:59,729
It is a primitive mental perspective

1741
01:39:59,869 --> 01:40:02,620
generated from generations of scarcity.

1742
01:40:02,760 --> 01:40:07,618
People claim ownership because it is simply a legal form of protection.

1743
01:40:09,039 --> 01:40:12,764
In fact, it's a form of controlled restriction.

1744
01:40:12,904 --> 01:40:15,807
In a systems approach designed to produce efficiency and abundance

1745
01:40:15,947 --> 01:40:18,652
without the need for money, the idea of ownership becomes

1746
01:40:18,792 --> 01:40:22,157
absolutely irrelevant and extremely impractical.

1747
01:40:22,297 --> 01:40:24,465
In this new system no one owns anything.

1748
01:40:24,605 --> 01:40:27,230
Instead, everyone has access to everything.

1749
01:40:27,370 --> 01:40:31,193
Ownership is a massive burden. No longer will you need to live in one place.

1750
01:40:31,333 --> 01:40:35,216
You could travel the world constantly, getting what you need as you go along.

1751
01:40:35,356 --> 01:40:37,927
Anything that's needed is obtained without restriction.

1752
01:40:38,067 --> 01:40:40,412
We hoard things in our current culture.

1753
01:40:40,552 --> 01:40:44,335
We have houses and apartments full of junk that we are afraid to get rid of

1754
01:40:44,475 --> 01:40:47,201
because we know they have some kind of monetary value.

1755
01:40:47,341 --> 01:40:51,775
There's no reason for abuse in such a system because there's nothing to gain.

1756
01:40:51,915 --> 01:40:55,898
You can't steal things that no one owns and you certainly couldn't sell them.

1757
01:40:56,038 --> 01:40:59,062
In this system without the need for money the idea of ownership

1758
01:40:59,202 --> 01:41:02,932
becomes irrelevant. It is a shared system.

1759
01:41:03,510 --> 01:41:07,907
In this model the city complex or, in fact, the entire world

1760
01:41:08,047 --> 01:41:10,069
is really your home.

1761
01:41:10,209 --> 01:41:12,743
If you require an automobile, for whatever reason

1762
01:41:12,883 --> 01:41:15,664
the car is made available to you. When you get to your destination

1763
01:41:15,804 --> 01:41:18,443
the satellite-based driving system, which we do have today

1764
01:41:18,583 --> 01:41:21,927
we can drive cars with satellite.

1765
01:41:22,067 --> 01:41:24,366
The car will automatically be made available to you

1766
01:41:24,506 --> 01:41:26,997
and to others after you're finished

1767
01:41:27,137 --> 01:41:29,673
as opposed to sitting in some parking lot

1768
01:41:29,813 --> 01:41:33,208
for likely 80% of the life of the automobile.

1769
01:41:33,700 --> 01:41:37,678
This is what we do: We waste so many resources and so much space

1770
01:41:37,818 --> 01:41:41,433
with this primitive concept of personal ownership.

1771
01:41:41,573 --> 01:41:44,168
To put it into a phrase: The resources of the planet

1772
01:41:44,308 --> 01:41:47,860
become common heritage to all the world's people.

1773
01:41:48,000 --> 01:41:51,000
[applause]

1774
01:41:53,298 --> 01:41:55,866
It's important to point out as we previously denoted

1775
01:41:56,006 --> 01:41:58,035
that in society today the need for property

1776
01:41:58,175 --> 01:42:00,772
results in extreme product overlap

1777
01:42:00,912 --> 01:42:04,092
planned obsolescence, and redundant waste.

1778
01:42:04,232 --> 01:42:06,913
There are many people today that criticize what we talk about

1779
01:42:07,053 --> 01:42:11,147
without giving any reference to how sick the current establishment really is.

1780
01:42:11,287 --> 01:42:14,529
It is much more intelligent, much more logical

1781
01:42:14,669 --> 01:42:17,849
and utterly much more responsible and practical

1782
01:42:17,989 --> 01:42:20,488
to create a universal shared system

1783
01:42:20,628 --> 01:42:22,936
for it would dramatically reduce waste, redundancy

1784
01:42:23,076 --> 01:42:26,089
and increase efficiency and space exponentially

1785
01:42:26,229 --> 01:42:29,258
compared to what we are doing today.

1786
01:42:29,398 --> 01:42:34,053
And this leads us to our final section, Part 4: The Transition.

1787
01:42:35,364 --> 01:42:39,309
Unfortunately, regardless of how well-reasoned

1788
01:42:39,449 --> 01:42:42,223
clear and obvious any new idea may be

1789
01:42:42,363 --> 01:42:45,099
the public today still maintains on average

1790
01:42:45,239 --> 01:42:48,899
a tremendous fear of any form of social change.

1791
01:42:49,039 --> 01:42:52,275
This is largely due to the propaganda and indoctrination

1792
01:42:52,415 --> 01:42:55,490
which has been pushed upon them by the various establishment powers

1793
01:42:55,630 --> 01:42:58,497
which prefer to maintain their power.

1794
01:42:58,637 --> 01:43:01,471
It really isn't the technical understandings

1795
01:43:01,611 --> 01:43:03,860
and implementation of the physical attributes

1796
01:43:04,000 --> 01:43:07,078
that comprise a Resource-Based Economy which is the problem.

1797
01:43:07,218 --> 01:43:08,976
What we are describing is nothing more than

1798
01:43:09,116 --> 01:43:11,661
the practical application of known methods

1799
01:43:11,801 --> 01:43:14,201
and even if we couldn't do certain things right now

1800
01:43:14,341 --> 01:43:18,350
it's the reasoning that's important. It's the methodology we should be using

1801
01:43:18,490 --> 01:43:21,137
that I hope everyone here thoroughly understands.

1802
01:43:21,277 --> 01:43:25,298
The problem, in fact, is the opposing cultural values of society.

1803
01:43:25,438 --> 01:43:28,151
That is what stands in the way: The ingrained patterns

1804
01:43:28,291 --> 01:43:31,032
and uninformed nature of the conditioned culture.

1805
01:43:31,172 --> 01:43:33,903
This is the most difficult aspect to consider when we talk about

1806
01:43:34,043 --> 01:43:37,127
moving from point A to point B.

1807
01:43:37,267 --> 01:43:39,321
And this is where The Zeitgeist Movement

1808
01:43:39,461 --> 01:43:41,742
an organization I work with, comes in.

1809
01:43:41,882 --> 01:43:45,540
We are the activist communication arm of The Venus Project.

1810
01:43:45,680 --> 01:43:47,515
We are here to spread statistical information

1811
01:43:47,655 --> 01:43:50,810
and socially positive value identifications

1812
01:43:50,950 --> 01:43:53,424
in the hope of bringing people into an awareness

1813
01:43:53,564 --> 01:43:57,588
of the incredibly positive possibilities the future can hold.

1814
01:43:57,728 --> 01:43:59,860
Once these understandings are fully realized

1815
01:44:00,000 --> 01:44:02,481
I really believe that most people will never be able to look

1816
01:44:02,621 --> 01:44:04,581
at the world today in the same way

1817
01:44:04,721 --> 01:44:07,041
and the problems we find as commonplace today

1818
01:44:07,181 --> 01:44:11,578
will become simply unacceptable, motivating change.

1819
01:44:11,718 --> 01:44:14,453
I would like to quickly point out that the term "zeitgeist"

1820
01:44:14,593 --> 01:44:17,777
is defined as "the general, intellectual, moral

1821
01:44:17,917 --> 01:44:20,479
and cultural climate of an era".

1822
01:44:20,619 --> 01:44:24,336
The term "movement" very simply implies motion or change.

1823
01:44:24,476 --> 01:44:27,286
Therefore, The Zeitgeist Movement is an organization

1824
01:44:27,426 --> 01:44:30,661
which urges change in the dominant intellectual, moral

1825
01:44:30,801 --> 01:44:35,099
and cultural climate of the time, specifically to values and practices

1826
01:44:35,239 --> 01:44:38,659
which would better serve the well-being of the whole of humanity

1827
01:44:38,799 --> 01:44:41,591
regardless of race, religion, creed

1828
01:44:41,731 --> 01:44:44,979
or any other form of contrived social status.

1829
01:44:45,119 --> 01:44:48,134
We are again, in effect, the education and activist arm

1830
01:44:48,274 --> 01:44:50,320
of Jacque Fresco's Venus Project

1831
01:44:50,460 --> 01:44:53,757
working to unify the world in this common direction.

1832
01:44:53,897 --> 01:44:57,468
Today we have about 360,000 members operating in about

1833
01:44:57,608 --> 01:45:01,300
a hundred regional chapters over about 200 countries

1834
01:45:01,440 --> 01:45:03,565
which is pretty good considering the movement's only been around

1835
01:45:03,705 --> 01:45:06,062
for about 9 or 10 months.

1836
01:45:06,202 --> 01:45:10,874
[audience cheering]

1837
01:45:16,404 --> 01:45:19,099
Our central role, gesturally speaking, is engaging

1838
01:45:19,239 --> 01:45:22,624
what I would call social therapy.

1839
01:45:22,764 --> 01:45:25,083
The little discussed reality is that human beings

1840
01:45:25,223 --> 01:45:28,860
are subject to social conditioning in a powerful way

1841
01:45:29,000 --> 01:45:32,019
and if we had the type of society we just described tomorrow

1842
01:45:32,159 --> 01:45:35,192
most people would be left confused and disillusioned.

1843
01:45:35,332 --> 01:45:38,084
It would be like taking a native from the Amazon jungle

1844
01:45:38,224 --> 01:45:42,856
and dropping them into New York City without any education whatsoever.

1845
01:45:42,996 --> 01:45:45,003
Their behavior would be based on values

1846
01:45:45,143 --> 01:45:48,381
which have no relevance in this new environment.

1847
01:45:48,521 --> 01:45:51,794
In fact (and I know this might sound like a bold statement)

1848
01:45:51,934 --> 01:45:55,528
but ethics, morality and values are only as relevant

1849
01:45:55,668 --> 01:46:00,034
as the social environment's propensity to support them or not.

1850
01:46:00,174 --> 01:46:02,630
The Zeitgeist Movement has various projects in the works.

1851
01:46:02,770 --> 01:46:05,138
We are working to educate people and hopefully bring them

1852
01:46:05,278 --> 01:46:07,559
into a new perspective.

1853
01:46:07,699 --> 01:46:11,635
We have teams and chapters, radio shows, films, PDF's

1854
01:46:11,775 --> 01:46:14,332
and annual events to promote this direction.

1855
01:46:14,472 --> 01:46:16,740
We also do not take any general donations

1856
01:46:16,880 --> 01:46:19,990
and provide all of our educational materials for free to the public.

1857
01:46:20,130 --> 01:46:22,646
We are decentralized and work holographically

1858
01:46:22,786 --> 01:46:25,296
through regional chapter teams and project teams.

1859
01:46:25,436 --> 01:46:27,710
We have no offices. We have no leaders.

1860
01:46:27,850 --> 01:46:30,266
I'm not a leader. I'm here as a communicator

1861
01:46:30,406 --> 01:46:32,737
and I try to work equally with everyone else.

1862
01:46:32,877 --> 01:46:36,036
In fact, I would say that we are the initiators

1863
01:46:36,176 --> 01:46:38,366
of what we call the transition.

1864
01:46:38,506 --> 01:46:40,544
I believe Mohandas Gandhi had it correct:

1865
01:46:40,684 --> 01:46:44,618
"We must become the change we want to see in the world."

1866
01:46:45,001 --> 01:46:49,799
[applause]

1867
01:46:53,150 --> 01:46:55,689
The transition itself from our current system

1868
01:46:55,829 --> 01:46:59,233
into a Resource-Based Economy is a very complex thing to consider.

1869
01:46:59,373 --> 01:47:02,901
I get asked this all the time, which is why I'm bringing this up

1870
01:47:03,041 --> 01:47:07,351
and unfortunately, the variables are beyond our current foresight.

1871
01:47:07,491 --> 01:47:10,702
The central issue, however, is awareness.

1872
01:47:10,842 --> 01:47:13,318
If the public's consciousness can be expanded to understand

1873
01:47:13,458 --> 01:47:16,475
and accept the incredible potential the future can hold

1874
01:47:16,615 --> 01:47:21,522
where poverty, war, 95% of all crime, along with the mundane

1875
01:47:21,662 --> 01:47:25,115
repetitive, meaningless jobs can be eliminated

1876
01:47:25,255 --> 01:47:27,641
then I feel that they will be much more likely

1877
01:47:27,781 --> 01:47:30,233
to adjust their values accordingly.

1878
01:47:30,373 --> 01:47:33,518
While there are many variations of outcomes and progressions

1879
01:47:33,658 --> 01:47:36,670
that might occur as we move from our current system to the next

1880
01:47:36,810 --> 01:47:40,995
I will now attempt to summarize a probable path as I see it.

1881
01:47:41,565 --> 01:47:45,814
The nature of industry to maximize profit by reducing input and labor costs

1882
01:47:45,954 --> 01:47:48,860
shows high propensity for the mechanization of labor.

1883
01:47:49,000 --> 01:47:51,184
Since The Great Depression this has been the case.

1884
01:47:51,324 --> 01:47:54,514
The only reason technological unemployment hasn't consistently risen

1885
01:47:54,654 --> 01:47:57,631
universally in the long term is because technology

1886
01:47:57,771 --> 01:48:01,537
has also facilitated the introduction of new employment sectors

1887
01:48:01,677 --> 01:48:05,638
with an adjustment period in between for laborers.

1888
01:48:05,778 --> 01:48:09,317
The Great Depression, which was triggered by a lot of things

1889
01:48:09,457 --> 01:48:12,419
was also an adjustment period to mechanization.

1890
01:48:12,559 --> 01:48:15,528
There were new skills that were learned by people that were unemployed

1891
01:48:15,668 --> 01:48:18,358
as they adapted to the rapid increase

1892
01:48:18,498 --> 01:48:21,203
of mechanization during that period of time.

1893
01:48:21,343 --> 01:48:24,512
However, the rate of increase for technological development

1894
01:48:24,652 --> 01:48:28,599
seems to pair up with Moore's Law, if you're familiar

1895
01:48:28,739 --> 01:48:30,973
and that has to do with the exponential expansion

1896
01:48:31,113 --> 01:48:33,860
of the capacity and size of technology.

1897
01:48:34,000 --> 01:48:36,418
We're going to apply this in a broader sense.

1898
01:48:36,558 --> 01:48:40,449
In other words, new employment sector skill adjustments

1899
01:48:40,589 --> 01:48:42,869
being the amount of time required to adapt

1900
01:48:43,009 --> 01:48:45,422
to new emerging employment sectors

1901
01:48:45,562 --> 01:48:49,730
would need to be on pace with applied technological advancement itself.

1902
01:48:49,870 --> 01:48:53,553
For example, today 95% of America

1903
01:48:53,693 --> 01:48:56,632
works in the service industry

1904
01:48:58,896 --> 01:49:02,615
often now in front of computers. People had to learn to do this, right?

1905
01:49:02,755 --> 01:49:06,279
Being computer literate is almost a prerequisite for everything we do now;

1906
01:49:06,419 --> 01:49:08,914
so there is a learning process and that takes time.

1907
01:49:09,054 --> 01:49:11,906
Loosely speaking, this adjustment period

1908
01:49:12,046 --> 01:49:16,706
would need to increase at the same rate as technological change.

1909
01:49:17,640 --> 01:49:19,639
There is no evidence this is happening.

1910
01:49:19,779 --> 01:49:23,285
Technological process is leaving the human labor market behind.

1911
01:49:23,425 --> 01:49:26,956
I believe that the reason new emerging sectors have consistently come about

1912
01:49:27,096 --> 01:49:31,169
to save the human labor market as each sector gets replaced by a machine

1913
01:49:31,309 --> 01:49:34,708
is because the rate of change in technology was not that dramatic

1914
01:49:34,848 --> 01:49:40,107
at that point in time. It hadn't sped up as fast as it is now.

1915
01:49:40,247 --> 01:49:43,193
The human mind and body, which hasn't really evolved that much

1916
01:49:43,333 --> 01:49:46,740
in thousands of years, now has to compete with its own creation.

1917
01:49:46,880 --> 01:49:49,420
Mechanization is leaving us behind. In other words

1918
01:49:49,560 --> 01:49:53,837
we cannot adapt to the speed of applied mechanization.

1919
01:49:55,227 --> 01:49:57,845
However, that's only one side of the coin.

1920
01:49:57,985 --> 01:50:02,071
The costs of computer technology, which is the backbone of mechanization

1921
01:50:02,211 --> 01:50:05,838
is now becoming exponentially cheaper as well.

1922
01:50:05,978 --> 01:50:09,782
The first mass produced calculators were about $100 in 1949

1923
01:50:09,922 --> 01:50:13,477
that's $736 adjusted for inflation today.

1924
01:50:13,617 --> 01:50:16,315
A new digital pocket calculator can now be obtained

1925
01:50:16,455 --> 01:50:19,274
for $1 or less if not free.

1926
01:50:19,827 --> 01:50:21,717
Here is a chart done by Ray Kurzweil

1927
01:50:21,857 --> 01:50:25,064
who does brilliant research in technological trend analysis

1928
01:50:25,204 --> 01:50:28,029
regarding the evolution of computer power and cost

1929
01:50:28,169 --> 01:50:30,699
based on millions of instructions per second.

1930
01:50:30,839 --> 01:50:35,696
In 1990, we had one million instructions per second for $1000.

1931
01:50:35,836 --> 01:50:39,586
Ten years later, it was a thousand million for $1000.

1932
01:50:39,726 --> 01:50:42,951
Ten years later, it was a million million, and by 2020

1933
01:50:43,091 --> 01:50:46,699
it will be a billion million for the cost of $1000.

1934
01:50:46,839 --> 01:50:50,447
If we apply this pattern to technology as a whole and

1935
01:50:50,587 --> 01:50:54,182
again this is speculative, but we do see most everything

1936
01:50:54,322 --> 01:50:57,155
reducing in cost, based on the efficiency of production

1937
01:50:57,295 --> 01:51:01,004
and if we apply this pattern to the whole of applied invention

1938
01:51:01,144 --> 01:51:04,674
this means it is simply a matter of time before the corporations

1939
01:51:04,814 --> 01:51:08,583
can no longer rationalize their moral obligation

1940
01:51:08,723 --> 01:51:11,347
to maintain their employees for the sake of the system.

1941
01:51:11,487 --> 01:51:15,309
The cost differential between giving a human being a living wage

1942
01:51:15,449 --> 01:51:17,697
versus automation will be far too dramatic.

1943
01:51:17,837 --> 01:51:19,949
It will be far too cheap to mechanize.

1944
01:51:20,089 --> 01:51:22,111
Economists will argue this. They'll say:

1945
01:51:22,251 --> 01:51:25,293
"There's a trickle down effect and since the cost of production

1946
01:51:25,433 --> 01:51:28,276
is consistently becoming cheaper, the cost of goods will become cheaper

1947
01:51:28,416 --> 01:51:30,834
and therefore, purchasing power requirements of the individual

1948
01:51:30,974 --> 01:51:34,545
becomes less." Sure, this might be historically true.

1949
01:51:34,685 --> 01:51:37,471
I guess you could call it an efficiency-based devaluation.

1950
01:51:37,611 --> 01:51:40,612
However, that competitive decision is entirely contingent upon the whims

1951
01:51:40,752 --> 01:51:44,135
of the manufacturer; therefore, there is a contradiction of motives.

1952
01:51:44,275 --> 01:51:46,760
Remember, they get the machines so they can cut costs

1953
01:51:46,900 --> 01:51:50,680
so they can make more profit from their current price structure.

1954
01:51:50,820 --> 01:51:55,577
Once this occurs, we're going to see more unemployment and more instability;

1955
01:51:55,717 --> 01:52:00,162
and sadly, instability is often the prerequisite for social change.

1956
01:52:00,302 --> 01:52:03,631
The problems constitute what we call biosocial pressures.

1957
01:52:03,771 --> 01:52:06,622
The more destabilized things become the more motivation

1958
01:52:06,762 --> 01:52:10,006
there will be to seek an alternative. Of course, this is a delicate balance.

1959
01:52:10,146 --> 01:52:12,902
I personally do not want to see anymore suffering on this planet

1960
01:52:13,042 --> 01:52:15,908
but my feelings have no relevance to the patterns of social evolution.

1961
01:52:16,048 --> 01:52:18,812
The Zeitgeist Movement hopes to ease this issue

1962
01:52:18,952 --> 01:52:21,517
by not only providing people with an alternative

1963
01:52:21,657 --> 01:52:24,517
in an intellectual and statistically valid manner

1964
01:52:24,657 --> 01:52:27,164
but also a strategy to push forward

1965
01:52:27,304 --> 01:52:30,154
to essentially push the establishment to release their reigns

1966
01:52:30,294 --> 01:52:34,152
of arrogance,  power and inefficiency and join the rest of the world

1967
01:52:34,292 --> 01:52:37,946
in a common goal of uninhibited sustainability.

1968
01:52:38,086 --> 01:52:41,117
It is a mass awareness campaign

1969
01:52:41,257 --> 01:52:45,483
by promoting essentially a collective consciousness shift.

1970
01:52:45,623 --> 01:52:49,182
We do this through a relentless, global public awareness campaign

1971
01:52:49,322 --> 01:52:52,397
which will, in time, hopefully become so large in each country

1972
01:52:52,537 --> 01:52:56,740
that the establishment will have no choice but to pay attention.

1973
01:52:56,880 --> 01:52:59,522
It is based on the model of Gandhi and Martin Luther King,  Jr.

1974
01:52:59,662 --> 01:53:02,093
If the establishment orders and government do not recognize

1975
01:53:02,233 --> 01:53:05,096
this direction, then the public has a very unique position.

1976
01:53:05,236 --> 01:53:08,744
We don't have to participate in the games that have been set up.

1977
01:53:08,884 --> 01:53:13,212
Nonviolent, peaceful, nonparticipation is a possible path.

1978
01:53:13,352 --> 01:53:15,433
Frankly, I hope it won't be needed.

1979
01:53:15,573 --> 01:53:17,846
However, I think we should be realistic.

1980
01:53:17,986 --> 01:53:20,770
If the people of the world can see this alternative, learn about it

1981
01:53:20,910 --> 01:53:24,413
understand it and support it, then no government, army

1982
01:53:24,553 --> 01:53:27,849
or bureaucracy in existence can stand in the way

1983
01:53:27,989 --> 01:53:31,187
of a critical mass of global proportions.

1984
01:53:31,327 --> 01:53:33,342
I hope it doesn't come to that.

1985
01:53:33,482 --> 01:53:37,131
I hope that the powers that be can come to terms with the fluid transition

1986
01:53:37,271 --> 01:53:39,684
and see the merit of what were talking about

1987
01:53:39,824 --> 01:53:43,160
but, as we have shown, the established orders do not have that propensity.

1988
01:53:43,300 --> 01:53:45,447
It's going to take influence, that's for sure.

1989
01:53:45,587 --> 01:53:48,712
Given that, one of the more specific tactics

1990
01:53:48,852 --> 01:53:53,389
we want to utilize to engage the public is to build a model city

1991
01:53:53,529 --> 01:53:58,069
utilizing the methods and understandings we have set forth thus far.

1992
01:53:58,998 --> 01:54:03,550
This city system could be used as a hub for research and exposure.

1993
01:54:03,862 --> 01:54:07,872
The public, along with world leaders, will be invited to visit and experience

1994
01:54:08,012 --> 01:54:11,766
the basis of this approach in a real-life setting.

1995
01:54:12,391 --> 01:54:15,208
Then, in time, the hope is that a country

1996
01:54:15,348 --> 01:54:18,541
seeing the efficiency of this small aspect

1997
01:54:18,681 --> 01:54:22,242
will pick up the city model and apply it within its own system.

1998
01:54:22,382 --> 01:54:24,803
The city system isn't a Resource-Based Economy

1999
01:54:24,943 --> 01:54:28,469
but it has some very notable attributes in a systems approach.

2000
01:54:28,609 --> 01:54:32,084
Then, in time, we hope these city systems will begin to spread

2001
01:54:32,224 --> 01:54:34,921
to other regions, slowly wearing down the market system

2002
01:54:35,061 --> 01:54:37,092
by their extreme efficiency.

2003
01:54:37,232 --> 01:54:40,191
Hopefully, the logic will spread to greater forms of central planning

2004
01:54:40,331 --> 01:54:43,084
and resource management; and hopefully the people of the world

2005
01:54:43,224 --> 01:54:45,215
will awaken to a new paradigm.

2006
01:54:45,355 --> 01:54:47,361
Again, there are many angles of interaction.

2007
01:54:47,501 --> 01:54:49,967
There could be an independent council that consistently invites

2008
01:54:50,107 --> 01:54:53,361
all world leaders to come to an independent meeting about this project

2009
01:54:53,501 --> 01:54:56,292
in hope that maybe they would come together and talk about it.

2010
01:54:56,432 --> 01:55:00,261
There are many other things I could say on this complex issue of the transition

2011
01:55:00,401 --> 01:55:03,493
and due to the allotment of time, I really don't want to spend that much more on it.

2012
01:55:03,633 --> 01:55:08,303
What I will say for those who continue to harp on it wanting details

2013
01:55:08,443 --> 01:55:11,724
we can't do anything until there is a mass awareness

2014
01:55:11,864 --> 01:55:14,288
so let's focus on that as the first step.

2015
01:55:14,428 --> 01:55:18,026
In conclusion, the most common negative reaction

2016
01:55:18,166 --> 01:55:21,731
people have who consider the tenets of a Resource-Based Economy

2017
01:55:21,871 --> 01:55:24,602
tend to come up with something called human nature.

2018
01:55:24,742 --> 01:55:27,154
The argument is that humans are inherently competitive

2019
01:55:27,294 --> 01:55:29,277
greedy, blindly self-serving

2020
01:55:29,417 --> 01:55:32,743
implying that no matter how technically good things are in society

2021
01:55:32,883 --> 01:55:35,158
there will always be corrupt people who want to compete

2022
01:55:35,298 --> 01:55:38,700
abuse others, and seek dominance.

2023
01:55:43,668 --> 01:55:47,347
Is it against human nature to cooperate? That's the central question.

2024
01:55:47,487 --> 01:55:50,215
It certainly seems that way, doesn't it?

2025
01:55:50,355 --> 01:55:52,817
If you look at the historical record, you'll find

2026
01:55:52,957 --> 01:55:56,049
that there's an endless series of wars, genocides, conquests

2027
01:55:56,189 --> 01:55:59,389
competitive tendencies, and power abuses

2028
01:55:59,529 --> 01:56:02,401
and given that is the pattern we recognize historically

2029
01:56:02,541 --> 01:56:06,219
I guess it's safe to assume that it must be a set human nature

2030
01:56:06,359 --> 01:56:09,651
to behave in ways that are historically reoccurring.

2031
01:56:09,791 --> 01:56:13,434
However, we also see that human beings do cooperate

2032
01:56:13,574 --> 01:56:17,215
and we cooperate quite well in certain environments.

2033
01:56:17,355 --> 01:56:21,027
For example, in the military, cooperation is immense. It is a collective.

2034
01:56:21,167 --> 01:56:26,424
The core interest is culminated. They work together and do so very well.

2035
01:56:26,564 --> 01:56:28,762
Granted, they are competing against a common enemy

2036
01:56:28,902 --> 01:56:33,127
which is another army usually, but it's still cooperation, nevertheless

2037
01:56:33,267 --> 01:56:35,082
even if it's isolated.

2038
01:56:35,222 --> 01:56:37,616
Therefore, the environment plays a critical role

2039
01:56:37,756 --> 01:56:40,489
on whether we decide to compete or cooperate.

2040
01:56:40,629 --> 01:56:45,374
It's based on values, as groomed by the environment, not genetics.

2041
01:56:45,514 --> 01:56:48,397
Remember, humans have been living in scarcity for thousands of years

2042
01:56:48,615 --> 01:56:50,702
battling each other for resources.

2043
01:56:50,842 --> 01:56:53,860
While this cultural pattern is still very much in existence today

2044
01:56:54,000 --> 01:56:56,262
you have to remember that our current model of society

2045
01:56:56,402 --> 01:56:59,933
is based on the assumption of the persistence of scarcity.

2046
01:57:00,073 --> 01:57:03,336
If we were to eliminate the basic environmental cause

2047
01:57:03,476 --> 01:57:07,117
we will likely eliminate most competitive effects.

2048
01:57:07,257 --> 01:57:10,322
As far as genetics and behavior, please understand

2049
01:57:10,462 --> 01:57:13,447
the functionality of gene expressions are very much contingent

2050
01:57:13,587 --> 01:57:17,336
upon environmental stimulus, especially in regard to behavior.

2051
01:57:17,476 --> 01:57:20,648
Genes are not autonomous initiators of commands.

2052
01:57:20,788 --> 01:57:22,703
They, in effect, produce proteins.

2053
01:57:22,843 --> 01:57:25,899
They don't cause behavior in any sense of the idea.

2054
01:57:26,039 --> 01:57:29,374
In the words of professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University

2055
01:57:29,514 --> 01:57:33,108
Dr. Robert Sapolsky "Genes are rarely about inevitability

2056
01:57:33,248 --> 01:57:36,592
especially when it comes to humans, the brain or behavior.

2057
01:57:36,732 --> 01:57:40,350
They're about vulnerability, propensities and tendencies."

2058
01:57:40,490 --> 01:57:43,739
Of course, neurochemicals and physiological traits

2059
01:57:43,879 --> 01:57:47,810
do set propensities for a person's reactions and social gravitation.

2060
01:57:47,950 --> 01:57:52,529
It is the environment which is most responsible for our values and behavior.

2061
01:57:52,669 --> 01:57:55,248
I have found no concrete evidence to support the idea

2062
01:57:55,388 --> 01:57:58,904
that there is a predetermined human nature in this sense.

2063
01:57:59,044 --> 01:58:04,465
Our values, methods and actions are developed and derived from experiences.

2064
01:58:04,605 --> 01:58:08,567
The central point is that it requires a transition of culture

2065
01:58:08,707 --> 01:58:13,466
to assist in this new world view being realized and identified with.

2066
01:58:13,606 --> 01:58:18,378
Given that, I have one final point I would like to leave you with.

2067
01:58:18,964 --> 01:58:23,291
Anthropological studies have found that cooperation between nonhuman primates

2068
01:58:23,431 --> 01:58:26,794
often comes from the notion of kinship.

2069
01:58:26,934 --> 01:58:29,972
We humans share this as well. For example

2070
01:58:30,112 --> 01:58:34,934
most people tend to regard their family higher than their friends.

2071
01:58:35,074 --> 01:58:38,801
Just watch "The Sopranos" and you'll see this association in play.

2072
01:58:38,941 --> 01:58:43,177
There's their family and then there's their mafia family. It's just a clique

2073
01:58:43,317 --> 01:58:46,565
and these cliques develop by association.

2074
01:58:46,705 --> 01:58:50,036
Interestingly enough, paleontologists have found

2075
01:58:50,176 --> 01:58:53,720
that all of humanity seems to be linked back to a woman they call

2076
01:58:53,860 --> 01:58:58,656
Mitochondrial Eve who lived about 250,000 years ago in Africa.

2077
01:58:58,796 --> 01:59:02,619
She evidently bore a mitochondrial genome which was the template

2078
01:59:02,759 --> 01:59:05,753
for all later mitochondrial genomes as we know today.

2079
01:59:05,893 --> 01:59:08,505
In other words, we're all related.

2080
01:59:08,645 --> 01:59:12,177
We're all kin. We're all family.

2081
01:59:12,317 --> 01:59:15,458
Likewise, quantum mechanic string theory, if you subscribe

2082
01:59:15,598 --> 01:59:19,262
to these abstract fields, teach us that the divisions we see

2083
01:59:19,402 --> 01:59:22,785
in our five-sense reality are essentially surface illusions.

2084
01:59:22,925 --> 01:59:27,128
There is no separation. We exist in a sea of molecular flow.

2085
01:59:27,268 --> 01:59:30,270
It doesn't matter what you call it, but the deeper we go

2086
01:59:30,410 --> 01:59:34,576
the more unified and similar things seem to become.

2087
01:59:34,716 --> 01:59:39,021
In other words, all signs point to unity.

2088
01:59:39,161 --> 01:59:42,138
I want everyone listening to keep this in mind

2089
01:59:42,278 --> 01:59:45,310
next time they turn on the tv and see the almost daily

2090
01:59:45,450 --> 01:59:47,860
slaughter of soldiers around the world

2091
01:59:48,000 --> 01:59:52,418
the blue and white collar crime and abuse that occurs

2092
01:59:52,558 --> 01:59:57,377
the absurd abject poverty, slavery and destitution.

2093
01:59:57,902 --> 02:00:02,650
These are your brothers, your daughters, your grandchildren

2094
02:00:02,790 --> 02:00:08,103
starving, murdering each other, leaving each other behind.

2095
02:00:08,243 --> 02:00:12,024
You murdered, you being left behind

2096
02:00:12,164 --> 02:00:14,538
you being killed.

2097
02:00:14,678 --> 02:00:19,266
Until we begin to see each other as ourselves, nothing will change.

2098
02:00:19,406 --> 02:00:22,763
We are one planet. Thank you very much for coming.

2099
02:00:23,497 --> 02:00:28,580
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