I just got done watching “Zeitgeist: Addendum” (otherwise referred to as Zeitgeist 2) and for some odd reason I’m not impressed. While it did bring up some good things to think about- namely a sustainable, resource based economy in lieu of the current fractional banking system, the whole idea of a largely work less Utopia doesn’t seem all that appealing. Neither does the thought of having to boycott our current economic system in hopes that such a Utopia is adopted as an alternative.
Watch Zeitgeist:Addendum
English-2hr 3 min
Those of you who have no idea as to what the Zeitgeist films are, or what they are about, let me give you the gist of it: The first film was a 2007 film about economic, social, political and religious conspiracies (thanks Wikipedia)- it in effect denies all religion, says what a great deal of Americans believe (that there is something fishy about how the attacks on September 11, 2001 and how it translated into the Global War on Terrorism) and introduces an idea that “hey, all your stuff are belong to banks”. The sequel to Zeitgeist- “Zeitgeist: Addendum” delves further into economic and political conspiracy for a bit, and then suggests that there is a radical alternative to our current economic system: The Venus Project.
While I don’t doubt that a resource based economy would be absolutely awesome, I don’t see how the Venus Project’s proposed jobless, lawless nation could actually work. The thought conjures up two places in my mind: Iraq in the months after Baghdad was taken, and Saudi Arabia. Take the lawlessness of post invasion Iraq with the abundance of idle people in Saudi Arabia and you got yourself quite a twisted picture. Not an accurate picture of what may occur if this project were to be implemented mind you, but I don’t like the idea all the same. Even Alex Jones pointed out that ‘people want to work…people like to work”, and Alex Jones isn’t someone I agree with often.
Watch: Alex Jones ZA Reaction Pt. 1
Aside from my dislike of the Venus Projects Utopian proposal, there is the question of implementation: short of a catastrophic natural disaster, or worse, an economic collapse, there is no foreseeable way to implement any of the solutions this project offers- it took an F5 tornado to change Greensburg, Kansas. The film states this itself- the existing economic and political infrastructure is self perpetuating. Let me go further and say that in all likelihood the current existing political and economic structure will not collapse or be replaced.
Now before you leave me a string of nasty comments about how I’m wrong, and how the economy is failing, the government is this that or the other thing, I submit to you that there is no reason why we cant perhaps augment our current infrastructure in ways that improve upon the existing system- investing in solar or wind energy producing devices to greatly offset your reliance on the power companies, is just one of many things people can do to make their lives a bit more affordable. Honestly, I think that evaluating you current expenditures at home, and finding alternatives to what you currently do that are financially sound (that is, there is at some point a payoff or savings), is the best step in the direction of turning to a resource based economy.
Wrapping up, it’s my opinion that while there are some issues in “Zeitgeist: Addendum” that should be taken into account, the whole thing just felt like a long winded Venus Project sales pitch. I think that we should all do what we can to be less financially reliant on things that we have no control over, but I don’t believe that we are headed towards a Utopian society- especially not one sold to us by a crafty voiced over set of video clips.
giants MC Frontalot, MC Lars, and YTCracker will be in the Northwest this November: