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Interconnectedness in an alternative future...DS<br>
<br>
<font face="Palatino, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">Future by
Design - William Gazecki has produced and directed a documentary based
on him and his ideas...<br>
<a set="yes" linkindex="134"
href="http://www.futurebydesignthemovie.com/">http://www.futurebydesignthemovie.com/</a><br>
Imagine a world where war is outdated, there is no shortage of
resources, and every human being enjoys a high standard of living. THIS
IS THE STORY OF JACQUE FRESCO -- A MODERN-DAY DA VINCI<br>
<br>
Documentary on My Life Directed by William Gazecki (3 min 22 sec)<br>
<a set="yes" linkindex="135"
href="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cBXHLgC7s">http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cBXHLgC7s</a><br>
There is a good preview of this documentary...<br>
<br>
From: <a linkindex="136"
href="http://www.fbdthemovie.com/fbdpresskit.pdf">http://www.fbdthemovie.com/fbdpresskit.pdf</a><br>
<br>
Future by Design<br>
<br>
Future by Design is a documentary film by Academy Award nominated
filmmaker William Gazecki, sharing the life and far-reaching vision of
Jacque Fresco, a modern day Da Vinci. Peer to Einstein and Buckminster
Fuller, Jacque is a self-taught futurist who describes himself most
often as a multi-disciplinarian or “generalist” -- a student of many
inter-related fields. He is a prolific inventor, having spent his
entire life (he is now 90 years old) conceiving of and devising
inventions on various scales which entail the use of innovative
technology. The film explores Fresco’s world of the future, where
scientific method, not politics, rules world operations, and all human
activities and efforts are directed towards achieving dynamic
equilibrium between man and nature. Future by Design is a visually and
intellectually engaging exploration of one man’s vision of a future
where war is outdated, there is no shortage of any necessary resource,
and our focus as a species is sustainability. But far from presenting a
vision of Utopia, this documentary demonstrates a “possible future” --
with real and viable alternatives to our current paradigm of militarism
and commercialism. Jacque Fresco is an outspoken and immediately
likable character who’s radical and sometimes irreverent ideas are sure
to draw both praise and controversy.<br>
<br>
In all of his dealings with the public, Jacque attempts to illuminate
the causes of our current social ills and outline a wide range of
constructive alternatives. He does this by presenting a redesign of our
culture, one that would emphasize the intelligent use of science and
technology to enhance the lives of all people. Infused within
everything he does is his desire to share his global vision of hope for
the future of humankind in our technological age.<br>
<br>
CLIP<br>
<br>
Jacque’s vision of a Resource-based Economy is a society where
automation and technology replace servitude and menial labor, and where
resources are distributed on a whole basis according to the needs of
the population, balanced with the carrying capacity of the natural
environment. Much of the technology Jacque has developed over the years
is designed to support and implement the cybernated culture he
envisions. In Fresco’s world of the future, all activities and efforts
are directed towards productive solutions to real and physical
problems. It is a society which utilizes energy, materials and human
potential in the most organized and efficient manner possible. In
Jacque’s perspective, professions and industries which do not
contribute to the physical wellbeing of the population are deemed
inconsequential. He also feels that environmental restoration and the
elimination of human-caused environmental decay is essential for
long-term survival.<br>
<br>
Jacque’s concept of a society of the future integrates intra- and
inter-personal needs, psychological and sociological functioning with
the macro-scale mechanisms of governance, social stratification,
commerce and spiritual needs. It is not a society based upon a moral
philosophy. His long study of human and animal behavior has greatly
influenced his thinking with regard to psychology and sociology.
Jacque’s idea is that our actions are determined by our values, and our
values are in turn determined by our beliefs. What he has observed is
that, in general, human social evolution throughout history has been
cyclic – war, poverty, aggression, territoriality, violence and crime
are all indications of aberrant human behavior. Given that these kinds
of behavior are consistently demonstrated over time, it is Jacque’s
consensus that there is some underlying cause. In his opinion, the
source of all aberrant behavior is the operating belief systems with
which we determine our values.<br>
<br>
Jacque’s research has led him to the conclusion that one of the most
harmful beliefs carried by the majority of people is the general
assumption that there is “not enough to go around” for everyone. Jacque
calls this tendency or belief “scarcity”. The perception of scarcity on
a mass scale throughout history has led to the accumulation of wealth,
the gross obsession for power, and the tendency to manipulate people in
order to protect one’s resources or belongings (property). All of these
mechanisms can be seen to function on a personal as well as an
international scale. In Fresco’s projection of a functional future,
where each individual’s needs are met, the tendency to want to
accumulate material things or exercise power will become minimal or
unnecessary.<br>
<br>
In a Resource-based Economy, the use of resources is balanced with the
needs of the population. This is done through the gathering of
information and the use of artificial intelligence and automated
technology to apportion resources on a fair and equitable basis based
on physical needs rather than other factors, such as perceived threat
or the domination of central power structures. In the Future by Design,
governance is maintained by the cybernated system, which depends wholly
upon information derived from the physical environment. This
information is derived from physical measurement and the input of data
by the general population. Beliefs, biases, prejudices, class systems,
religions, nation-states and their priorities play no role in
determining “who gets what” in the future. In Jacque’s synthesis of
elements, he firmly believes that equitable use of physical resources
combined with a dramatic shift in elevating the level of education of
the public will create a functional, equitable world capable of
long-term sustainability. A highly educated population can articulate
their needs intelligently, make informed decisions.<br>
<br>
He believes that when people are born into a system where it is
understood and assumed that all physical needs will be met and that
access to resources will be unfettered, that the majority of
individuals will grow up psychologically healthy. His feeling is that
aberrant behavior which results in crime or in some kind of overt harm
is not the result of any moral crisis or ethical violation, but is
really determined by one’s environment. If an individual’s needs are
met, in an environment of non-violence and comprehensive education, the
tendency to explore or institute harmful behavior is eliminated.<br>
<br>
In the Future by Design, all systems work together. The personal,
social, economic, industrial and governance arenas are all
interconnected and balanced into one functional system. The Future by
Design is a true participatory democracy, where each member of the
society has the opportunity to input their needs, opinions and
preferences into the central computer, which then assesses and analyzes
all information to determine the use of resources in distribution of
goods and services.<br>
<br>
As a futurist, Jacque is not only a conceptualist and a theoretician,
but he is also an engineer and a designer. Each one of his concepts and
ideas has a firm foundation in the physical world. Whether through his
study of animal and human behavior, science and the methodologies of
science, or physical engineering principles, everything he has
conceived of is rooted in practical reality. The basic overall concept
of the Future by Design is the application of the scientific method to
social systems, wherein all processes are based upon measurable factors
rather than beliefs and opinions. Everything Jacque has conceived of
can be designed and built as envisioned.<br>
<br>
Jacque is not a Utopianist. In his paradigm, all social systems are
evolutionary. Jacque has always based his work on the processes of
nature and how organisms and systems function in a natural eco-balance.
In Jacque’s estimation, there is no such thing as a Utopia, as Utopias
are generally conceived of as a status-quo or end-result, never to be
surpassed. In Jacque’s estimation, once our basic needs are met and we
have eliminated usurious and superfluous inefficient efforts (i.e.,
militarism, commercialism, etc.), we can then focus the whole of human
effort on an endless cycle of constant improvement and endless
evolution.<br>
<br>
<a set="yes" linkindex="136"
href="http://www.thevenusproject.com/intro_main/whatis_tvp.htm">http://www.thevenusproject.com/intro_main/whatis_tvp.htm</a><br>
<br>
The Venus Project is a educational think tank operating out of a
25-acre Research Center located in Venus, Florida.<br>
<br>
When one considers the enormity of the challenges facing society today,
we can safely conclude that the time is long overdue for us to
reexamine our values, and to reflect upon and evaluate some of the
underlying issues and assumptions we have as a society. This
self-analysis calls into question the very nature of what it means to
be human, what it means to be a member of a "civilization," and what
choices we can make today to ensure a prosperous future for all the
world's people.<br>
<br>
At present we are left with very few alternatives. The answers of
yesterday are no longer relevant. Either we continue as we have been
with our outmoded social customs and habits of thought, in which case
our future will be threatened, or we can apply a more appropriate set
of values that are relevant to an emergent society.<br>
<br>
Experience tells us that human behavior can be modified, either toward
constructive or destructive activity. This is what The Venus Project is
all about - directing our technology and resources toward the positive,
for the maximum benefit of people and planet and seeking out new ways
of thinking and living that emphasize and celebrate the vast potential
of the human spirit. We have the tools at hand to design - and build -
a future that is worthy of the human potential. The Venus Project
presents a bold, new direction for humanity that entails nothing less
than the total redesign of our culture. What follows is not an attempt
to predict what will be done - only what could be done. The
responsibility for our future is in our hands, and depends on the
decisions that we make today. The greatest resource that is available
today is our own ingenuity.<br>
<br>
While social reformers and think tanks formulate strategies that treat
only superficial symptoms, without touching the basic social operation,
The Venus Project approaches these problems somewhat differently. We
feel we cannot eliminate these problems within the framework of the
present political and monetary establishment. It would take too many
years to accomplish any significant change. Most likely they would be
watered down and thinned out to such an extent that the changes would
be indistinguishable<br>
<br>
The Venus Project advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new
world civilization unlike any social system that has gone before.
Although this description is highly condensed, it is based upon years
of study and experimental research by many, many people from many
scientific disciplines.<br>
<br>
The Venus Project proposes a fresh approach--one that is dedicated to
human and environmental concerns. It is an attainable vision of a
bright and better future, one that is appropriate to the times in which
we live, and both practical and feasible for a positive future for all
the world's people.<br>
<br>
The Venus Project calls for a straightforward approach to the redesign
of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty,
hunger, debt, environmental degradation and unnecessary human suffering
are viewed not only as avoidable, but totally unacceptable.<br>
<br>
One of the basic premises of The Venus Project is that we work towards
having all of the Earth's resources as the common heritage of all the
world's people. Anything less will simply result in a continuation of
the same catalog of problems inherent in the present system.<br>
<br>
Throughout history, change has been slow. Successive groups of
incompetent leaders have replaced those that preceded them, but the
underlying social and economic problems remain because the basic value
systems have gone unaltered. The problems we are faced with today
cannot be solved politically or financially because they are highly
technical in nature. There may not even be enough money available to
pay for the required changes, but there are more than enough resources.
This is why The Venus Project advocates the transition from a
monetary-based society to the eventual realization of a resource-based
global economy.<br>
<br>
We realize to make the transition from our present culture, which is
politically incompetent, scarcity-oriented and obsolete, to this new,
more humane society will require a quantum leap in both thought and
action.<br>
<br>
An Obsolete Monetary System<br>
<br>
The money-based system evolved centuries ago. All of the world's
economic systems - socialism, communism, fascism, and even the vaunted
free enterprise system - perpetuate social stratification, elitism,
nationalism, and racism, primarily based on economic disparity. As long
as a social system uses money or barter, people and nations will seek
to maintain the economic competitive edge or, if they cannot do so by
means of commerce they will by military intervention. We still utilize
these same outmoded methods.<br>
<br>
Our current monetary system is not capable of providing a high standard
of living for everyone, nor can it ensure the protection of the
environment because the major motive is profit. Strategies such as
downsizing and toxic dumping increase the profit margin. With the
advent of automation, cybernation, artificial intelligence and
out-sourcing, there will be an ever-increasing replacement of people by
machines. As a result, fewer people will be able to purchase goods and
services even though our capability to produce an abundance will
continue to exist.<br>
<br>
Our present, outmoded political and economic systems are unable to
apply the real benefits of today's innovative technology to achieve the
greatest good for all people, and to overcome the inequities imposed
upon so many. Our technology is racing forward yet our social designs
have remained relatively static. In other words cultural change has not
kept pace with technological change. We now have the means to produce
goods and services in abundance for everyone.<br>
<br>
Unfortunately, today science and technology have been diverted from
achieving the greatest good for reasons of self-interest and monetary
gain through planned obsolescence sometimes referred to as the
conscious withdrawal of efficiency. For example, the U. S. Department
of Agriculture, whose function is presumed to be conducting research
into ways of achieving higher crop yields per acre, actually pays
farmers not to produce at full-capacity. The monetary system tends to
hold back the application of these methods that we know would best
serve the interests of people and the environment.<br>
<br>
In a monetary system purchasing power is not related to our capacity to
produce goods and services. For example, during a depression, there are
computers and DVD's on store shelves and automobiles in car lots, but
most people do not have the purchasing power to buy them. The earth is
still the same place; it is just the rules of the game that are
obsolete and create strife, deprivation and unnecessary human suffering.<br>
<br>
A monetary system developed years ago as a device to control human
behavior in an environment with limited resources. Today money is used
to regulate the economy not for the benefit of the general populace,
but for those who control the financial wealth of nations.<br>
<br>
Resource Based Economy<br>
<br>
All social systems, regardless of political philosophy, religious
beliefs, or social customs, ultimately depend upon natural resources,
i.e. clean air and water, arable land and the necessary technology and
personnel to maintain a high standard of living.<br>
<br>
Simply stated, a Resource-Based Economy utilizes existing resources
rather than money and provides an equitable method of distributing
these resources in the most efficient manner for the entire population.
It is a system in which all goods and services are available without
the use of money, credits, barter, or any other form of debt or
servitude.<br>
<br>
Earth is abundant with plentiful resources; today our practice of
rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter
productive to our survival. Modern society has access to highly
advanced technologies and can make available food, clothing, housing,
medical care, a relevant educational system, and develop a limitless
supply of renewable, non-contaminating energy such as geothermal,
solar, wind, tidal, etc. It is now possible to have everyone enjoy a
very high standard of living with all of the amenities that a
prosperous civilization can provide. This can be accomplished through
the intelligent and humane application of science and technology.<br>
<br>
A Resource-Based Economy would make it possible to use technology to
overcome scarce resources by applying renewable sources of energy,
computerizing and automating manufacturing and inventory, designing
safe energy-efficient cities and advanced transportation systems,
providing universal health care and more relevant education, and most
of all by generating a new incentive system based on human and
environmental concern.<br>
<br>
Many people believe that there is too much technology in the world
today, and that technology is the major cause of our environmental
pollution. This is not the case. It is the abuse and misuse of
technology that should be our major concern. In a more humane
civilization, instead of machines displacing people they would shorten
the workday, increase the availability of goods and services, and
lengthen vacation time. If we utilize new technology to raise the
standard of living for all people, then the infusion of machine
technology would no longer be a threat.<br>
<br>
To better understand the meaning of a Resource Based Economy consider
this: if all the money in the world were destroyed, as long as topsoil,
factories, and other resources were left intact, we could build
anything we choose to build and fulfill any human need. It is not money
that people need; rather, it is free access to the necessities of life.
In a Resource Based Economy , money would be irrelevant. All that would
be required are the resources and the manufacturing and distribution of
the products.<br>
<br>
When education and resources are made available to all people without a
price tag, there would be no limit to the human potential. Although
this is difficult to imagine, even the wealthiest person today would be
far better off in a resource based society as proposed by The Venus
Project. Today the middle classes live better than kings of times past.
In a Resource Based Economy everyone would live better than the
wealthiest of today.<br>
<br>
In such a society, the measure of success would be based on the
fulfillment of one's individual pursuits rather than the acquisition of
wealth, property and power.<br>
<br>
The Choice Is Ours To Make<br>
<br>
Human behavior is subject to the same laws as any other natural
phenomenon. Our customs, behaviors, and values are byproducts of our
culture. No one is born with greed, prejudice, bigotry, patriotism and
hatred; these are all learned behavior patterns. If the environment is
unaltered, similar behavior will reoccur.<br>
<br>
Today, much of the technology needed to bring about a global
Resource-Based Economy exists. If we choose to conform to the
limitations of our present monetary-based economy, then it is likely
that we will continue to live with its inevitable results: war,
poverty, hunger, deprivation, crime, ignorance, stress, fear, and
inequity. On the other hand, if we embrace the concept of a global
Resource Based Economy, learn more about it, and share our
understanding with our friends, this will help humanity evolve out of
its present state.<br>
<br>
The only limitations are those we impose upon ourselves. The Venus
Project is neither utopian nor Orwellian, nor does it reflect the
dreams of impractical idealists. Instead, it presents attainable goals
requiring only the intelligent application of what we already know.<br>
<br>
CLIP</font><br>
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