Now Showing: Zeitgeist

Friends from Mogwai hosted us today to show the classic Peter Joseph film: Zeitgeist.

The crowd was a mix of students and various non-profit groups. We lacked time to have a more in-depth discussion but it was a good start.

For those who want to review the now cult classic film, here it is with subs:

Thanks to Mogwai for having us.

“Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld”

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The Zeitgeist Movement

Peter Joseph, author of the controversial Zeitgeist films, has recently released an orientation documentary containing the principles, concepts, and tenets that characterize the activist movement he has started. The Zeitgeist Movement is the activist arm of The Venus Project of Jacque Fresco which promotes a resource based economy as an alternative to the monetary system in use today.

The video is 1.5 hours in length and a brief list of the concepts introduced in the video are as follows (also taken from the orientation guide in the Zeitgeist Movement website):

Part 1: Monetary Economics

The video demonstrates the concepts behind the current use of a monetary system and its flaws, mainly the use of cyclical consumption, scarcity, and the profit motive which results in a distortion of values and rampant crime. This section ends with the growing trend towards automation and outsourcing which ultimately undermines the reliance of a monetary economy on consumption.

Part 2: What is Relevant?

The video then elucidates the benefits of the scientific method and the concept of dynamic equilibrium. Then it furthers the general means to achieve the solutions to the current societal problems.

Part 3: A Resource-Based Economy

This part describes in detail the concepts behind a resource-based economy as championed by the Venus Project.

Part 4: Overcoming Mythology

The video then challenges the current misconceptions in place in society today that have held it back from development, namely the concept of human nature, legal systems, and religion.

Part 5: Taking Action

Finally the video is a call to action to join their movement and concrete steps to undertake.

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The video is a lucid and thought-provoking thesis of society’s problems and a possible solution. Zeitgeist touches on some ideas we have put forth here in the past–especially regarding the financial system. Like all calls for panaceas, we will tackle Zeitgeist’s concepts critically in posts to come.

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Morality Of Money and The Money Question

Pete wrote a good piece in criticism to Zeitgeist Addendum‘s proposal for a resource-based economy, and the movie’s own critique of the failings of the current fiat monetary system.

See that article here. An interesting portion on morality of money:

No system is ever moral (or immoral) – only people are. Our current fiat monetary system is based on a governmental controlled banking cartel but it is not certainly the only option available (see e.g. free banking and Free Choice of Currencies). It is far stretched leap to state that no system will work because our current one is at fault. Money is only a tool, an objective means to ends, in itself it is a neutral carrier like energy that can be utilised to constructive or destructive purposes. (see Francisco’s Money Speech)

To which I offerred my own comments (also viewable in the above article), specifically this portion:

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Zeitgeist On The Fallacy Of Democracy In A Monetary System

This excerpt from Zeitgeist Addendum illustrates the ideological fallacy that is the democracy that can exist within a monetary system.

Politics is only the top-level visibility of the manipulative system put in place to consolidate resources in the hands of the elite.

Considering the emerging goof that is the Republican ticket (i.e. Beauty Queen – Cancer Survivor tandem), the idea of politics being a farce meant to entertain the masses is not too far-fetched.

The film continues to present that more than politics, religion, and money–the real panacea for humanity’s ills is: technology. Technology is solely responsible for humanity’s hyper-development over history.

Check out the full movie Zeitgeist Addendum here.

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Zeitgeist On International Banking Conspiracy

The movie, Zeitgeist, was a critique on ideas that have held us from the truth, namely religion, politics, and finance.

The third part of that movie is about the International Banking Cartels and conspiracies, and is an interesting view in light of the recent turmoil in the global financial markets:

[Googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1543466413190271647]

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