Has anyone looked into this movie?
I just watched it. Initially, mind=blown.
However, I realize that I'm going to have to do some further research.
Documentary Movie: Zeitgeist
-
AlexOliver
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:25 pm
-
jacob
- Site Admin
- Posts: 15996
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
- Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
- Contact:
Don't get too caught up in conspiracy theories. They can be fun, but it's usually datamining; they are not very good in terms of predictive qualities because everything is always explained in terms of some all-powerful and secret group of people.
A geopolitical understanding coupled with ideology (for example, read this statement and consider the last item in the list and who signed it) explains far more about governmental actions than, say, the evilness of the Federal Reserve in terms of wars.
A geopolitical understanding coupled with ideology (for example, read this statement and consider the last item in the list and who signed it) explains far more about governmental actions than, say, the evilness of the Federal Reserve in terms of wars.
You're all right. It's wise to stay away from the conspiracies.
But I can't argue with Zeitgeist on one count- our economy is MESSED UP and is causing most of the world's problems. An economy solely driven by consumption totally disregards all other (vital) aspects of the human psyche. We buy stuff we don't want, to create impressions that don't last, on people we don't care about. And if we stopped, the economy would crash. Everything is in place for us to spend. Our governments print excessive money for us to consume more even if the economy does contract. US Presidents tell the people to hit up the malls. What's going on?
We are driven by profit, nothing else. The assumption is that the profit motive is good, but I'd like to challenge that. Yes, profit comes when you deliver things that people value. But what if we value cheap toys? As a result we get sweatshops propping up. What if we value diamonds? Again, our endless desires are supplied. The result this time, however, is blood diamonds. The examples are infinite. We value automobiles. The economy will supply it cheaply! This time we get all the geopolitical and environmental problems, not to mention inhospitable, car-oriented cities. Look at all the world's material goods. This consumer society has a deep fissure.
Does our economy foster human relationships? No! It tells us to work more and have more.
Does our economy create museums, libraries and parks? No! We're to rely on the government, which taxes us to death, is inefficient, and is under the thumb of the richest firms.
In short, does the economy provide anything worthwhile, besides novelty? Nope. All we have is planned obsolesce so we can re-consume.
Thankfully, there are people, like the members of this forum, who understand that happiness and wealth != amount of novel items we own.
I don't want to necessarily overthrow capitalism here. I just want an economy that captures what it means to be human. Consuming is not what it means to be human.
I don't know of a solution. The Venus Project suggests the resource based economy. Should it happen? Who knows. But honestly, is there a chance of it ever happening? Not in my lifetime, and I'm pretty young.
I feel the only option left is to be the change you want to see in the world. Our economy is damned, so I'll engage less in it. We're run by debt, so I'll steer away from that too. I'll avoid being a wage slave and do the things I actually want to do. There are more ways; I could go on.
Sorry for the long tirade. What I'm talking about just angers me.
But I can't argue with Zeitgeist on one count- our economy is MESSED UP and is causing most of the world's problems. An economy solely driven by consumption totally disregards all other (vital) aspects of the human psyche. We buy stuff we don't want, to create impressions that don't last, on people we don't care about. And if we stopped, the economy would crash. Everything is in place for us to spend. Our governments print excessive money for us to consume more even if the economy does contract. US Presidents tell the people to hit up the malls. What's going on?
We are driven by profit, nothing else. The assumption is that the profit motive is good, but I'd like to challenge that. Yes, profit comes when you deliver things that people value. But what if we value cheap toys? As a result we get sweatshops propping up. What if we value diamonds? Again, our endless desires are supplied. The result this time, however, is blood diamonds. The examples are infinite. We value automobiles. The economy will supply it cheaply! This time we get all the geopolitical and environmental problems, not to mention inhospitable, car-oriented cities. Look at all the world's material goods. This consumer society has a deep fissure.
Does our economy foster human relationships? No! It tells us to work more and have more.
Does our economy create museums, libraries and parks? No! We're to rely on the government, which taxes us to death, is inefficient, and is under the thumb of the richest firms.
In short, does the economy provide anything worthwhile, besides novelty? Nope. All we have is planned obsolesce so we can re-consume.
Thankfully, there are people, like the members of this forum, who understand that happiness and wealth != amount of novel items we own.
I don't want to necessarily overthrow capitalism here. I just want an economy that captures what it means to be human. Consuming is not what it means to be human.
I don't know of a solution. The Venus Project suggests the resource based economy. Should it happen? Who knows. But honestly, is there a chance of it ever happening? Not in my lifetime, and I'm pretty young.
I feel the only option left is to be the change you want to see in the world. Our economy is damned, so I'll engage less in it. We're run by debt, so I'll steer away from that too. I'll avoid being a wage slave and do the things I actually want to do. There are more ways; I could go on.
Sorry for the long tirade. What I'm talking about just angers me.