August 4, 2008
A Resource Based Economy
Whilst the Group of Eight and the World Trade Organization chatter away to little effect, and Bill Gates ponders how to tweak capitalism so that the "one billion people [who] live on less than a dollar a day" can benefit from it, you may be wondering if there isn't a better way to organize society. In the 20th century the alternative most often put forward was communism. That doesn't seem to have worked out terribly well either though.
I suppose the idea is hopelessly utopian, but one man has suggested another alternative for the 21st century. Jacque Fresco was one of the founders of the Revell Plastics Company, he's written 13 books, he has produced hundreds of inventions, and he's been the subject of several documentaries including the award-winning "Future by Design". He advocates an alternative to capitalism and communism which he terms the Resource Based Economy, and he has set up the Venus Project to promote the idea.
Here's a few quotes to give you the gist of the concept:
The premise upon which this system is based is that the Earth is abundant with plentiful resource; our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter productive to our survival.
This approach to global governance has nothing whatever in common with the present aims of an elite to form a world government with themselves and large corporations at the helm, and the vast majority of the world's population subservient to them. Our vision of globalization empowers each and every person on the planet to be the best they can be, not to live in abject subjugation to a corporate governing body.
As we outgrow the need for professions based on the monetary system, for instance lawyers, bankers, insurance agents, marketing and advertising personnel, salespersons, and stockbrokers, a considerable amount of waste will be eliminated.
Money is only important in a society when certain resources for survival must be rationed and the people accept money as an exchange medium for the scarce resources. Money is a social convention, an agreement if you will. It is neither a natural resource nor does it represent one. It is not necessary for survival unless we have been conditioned to accept it as such.
"Money is not necessary for survival" – Now there's a thought!
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Comments on A Resource Based Economy »
he is a wonderful man, his ideas and life works are truly revolutionary, if they were ever able to be carried out, the world would be a far better place, not perfect, as he says, but much better than what we have now.
I have recently read a lot of blogs about this idea. It always seems to be the first comment on everyones board is that they never actually researched a single thing about the depths of these ideas. That alone is one of the greatest flaws that our environment has made us do. It saddens me that change is something so radical and COMMUNISITC. The reality of communism is a good one, but, like every other system of government, we have never seen anything close to communism, democracy, or socialism. The symantics alone just evoke fear in peoples minds and hearts. The ideas and technology expressed by Jacque are the best, he thinks and what technology has developed to, that we know of today. Humans don't know how to make something as perfect as we think it could be, but once the best known is implemented, the next step can only get better. I have done a lot of research on Jacques' ideas and this man is a living Einstein, Plato, Marx, Darwin, Jesus, ect. But what history shows us is that these people are either considered insane, or society says this man is just ahead of his time. So, learning from history, along with knowledge and the ability to gain knowledge, are of the most luxury things humanity has. Unfortunately humanity is dumbed down and supresssed in many ways in order for this system we call human society to continue in a downward spiral, ultimately to our demise. I have brought this subject up to many people and the more and i talk with people the more and more i believe humanity will just destroy itself. It's not a shame, its just ignorance and the failure of humans to grasp the abilities of the only thing that has gotten us to the point at which we are at now, and that is the brain.
The most important thing right now is the understanding that we have knowledge and the ability to change the problems that we have created. It does take drastic measure to reengineer society as we know it, but the possibilities of today with the knowledge and technology we have, can start these changes. Hopefully this economic disaster that has engulfed the world can get a lot more information to the minds of many more people. The key is to become knowledgeable and from there, present clear and precise ideas. It is impossible to present a new society like we could a telephone, but like any other revolutionary in the history of the world, whether positive or negative are some the great ideas in which this revolution needs to present.
I pine and dream of a day where this world would come to fruition.
People want to hold onto their concept of how things are. As long as people can't think outside of our current system, we won't see this.
I would like to be part of this eventuality. I am afraid in my lifetime, I won't see it.
I would just like to encourage everyone who blogged in SUPPORT of the Venus Project. It starts with you. Keep conversting,keep blogging, tell your families, tellyour friends, spread the word! The great inventors of the past were not concerned with directly profiting from thier inventions, instead they sought to improve the conditions of the world in which they lived.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
– Edmund Burke
Be encouraged
-Alex Kelly
I just recently found out about the Venus Project and have to say saddens me. All the comments from above supporting the theory are true, and considering that we believe our civilisation is the most advanced of all while we live in a system that has been thought out centuries ago and has hardly changed except for technological inovation should be confusing to much more people.
I would like to add a frase to the one above which Albert Einstein said himself:
„Die Welt wird nicht bedroht von den Menschen, die böse sind, sondern von denen, die das Böse zulassen.“
("The world is not threatened by people who are evil, but from those who allow the evil.")
Understanding the Difference between a Free Market ( Capitalistic) vs. a Resource Based Society.
Attached is a graph showing the difference between free market (Capitalism) and a resource based society.
Assume Product A represents all producible goods and services and Product B represents Energy.
We currently live in a society which is at point X on the graph (Inefficient use of resources, as corporations and governments create scarcity in the market to keep prices high.)
Points A,B and C represent true free market (capitalism) assuming every corporation and government where a non-profit organization in our society.
Point Y represents us achieving The Venus Project through higher efficiencies.
Switch to a Resource Based society, reduce your electric consumption with Energy Efficient products and Alternative Energy.
http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics2.asp
So we have a choice, we can either be an electricity consumer or a electricity producer. We need to work as a T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More.
Together we will make the Venus Project a Reality
Sincerely,
Johnny Freedom
I think Jacques ideas are great. A resource based economy where there are no wars and people adopt new technologies such as free energy and UFO type technologies. These type of technologies are presently not adopted because some companies would lose money and the economy would collapse. But free energy tech would be adopted in a resource based economy. I think Jacque Frescoe is a genius. I totally support him.
I find your point of views interesting and read it with an open mind too. I do agree that this Jaques Frescoe is blessed with an expanded brain – and havn't we been told that most of us only benefits from 90 % og ours.
I strongly believe that persons mentioned in your comment like Einstein and Plato had much greater visions than they were able to benefit from in their own limited time on earth.
Soeren Kierkegaard was a philosofer that also shared thoughts that his own generation called crazy – he spoke forth ideas and truths that the comming generations graped.
I believe that human kind are created for eternal existing – created by an unlimited maker of the whole universe.
I believe that we're living in a momentarely timeframe here on earth. We have indeed fallen out of the umlimited relationship with the creator – and we come to short with the lot of phantastic ideas we're able to figure out in our visions thanks to our brain.
YES WE CAN build up a truly phantastic society – but never can we agree – always the Kain & Abel syndrom to disturb.
YES WE CAN build up arcitectur and tecnology like the one Jaques Frescoe shows in his movie – theroticaly!
Once we could even build a mighty high tower in Babylon hungry after paying a visit to the creator of the world.
If we just hosted a godly nature all unselfish and reightious in our mortal body – WE truly could have been omnipotent – just like our creator.
BUT isn't it just sad – we always want all that to happen parallel to the Kingdom of God – without Him. Like Kain envied Abel – mankind envy the Creator and try to put Him away – to our own dead and perdition.
In the Bible He revealed Himself and He even expanded mankinds vision to have faith in Him and trust that in His house everything are possible and a much more wonderful unlimited and new world.
ONLY ONE thing departs mankind from the godly relationship –
THE SIN – the selfishnes, stubbornes and envy.
Jesus Christ – the Son of the living God became on of us – He is the only one who obeyed the creator. Unselfish and full of mercy, rightiousnes and love He stood up against the evil one. By the grace of God we can be born of the same spirit who ruled and reigned in the heart of Lord Jesus.
Read all the 4 gospels on NT – and you'll come to know and understand that we really have no other choise and hope of a better world, than to recieve foregivness, a new character and
the same nature that lives in the Son of God.
@Dorthe Nielsen. It is the close minded and hopefulness of the imaginary that aids in peoples fears of a better future which requires change. If a person whole heartedly believed the movie "Matrix" was real, years after the actors passed away, would that person sound any more idiotic than a Christian today? No, you fail to recognize the laws of nature by saying that god can overcome them. When you die and your eyeballs biodegrade, you can't use them to see anymore. That goes with every function of a human being, including consciousness meaning that you can hope for a Utopia after death, but when you die and can't prove the existence of heaven or your beliefs, realistic and rational people can help bring about an as close to an Utopia as we can.
Keep hoping for the impossible and you are about as helpful as anyone who refuses to be employed now and take advantage of gov't programs even though they are capable of working.
Keep spreading your terroristic threats to convince people to join your cult (be with us or be sent to hell) and you will find that not only did you aid in the destruction of humanity, but you did so with your own desire to not educate yourself with facts and instead rely on make believe to solve the world's problems.
Essentially, your argument as uninspiring as it is, is to not change the world through human technological means, but to deal with the suffering today to enjoy heaven tomorrow. If you really feel that spiteful towards technology helping humanity, then get rid of your computer and head back to the days when working was done 7 days a week from sun up to sun down and then tell me that technology hasn't helped and shouldn't help humanity in the future.
Lets talk common sense; If we were able to do the following-
Maintain humanity under 500,000,000
Before you start falsely accusing me of supporting some conspiracy, I want to point out two words, MAINTAIN, and UNDER. Even if you did kill enough people to reach that, how would you MAINTAIN it? Could you do it without killing a soul? Yes, yes you can, and here`s how; Unite as a planet like you point out above. Come to an agreement to only allow 250 million children be born worldwide the next generation. And amongst that generation only allow half to have a single child, before getting fixed. Do the same for the next two generations. That will be 4 generations at 250 million,125 million,62.5 million.and 36.25 million. Grand total of 493 million people.With the exception of a few rare cases, that should be the entire planet.Then phase 2 begins. Allow each couple to have 4 children the next 4 generations, and you`re back where you started.
There you have it. Then the Venus Project could be implanted worldwide.
You`ve been told, my mission has been reached, thx.
Something a group of kind hearted ingenious Christians tried telling us in 1980 with the erection of the Guidestones, but failed to explain the meaning of their paraphrases. I think it`s time we learned what they really meant. Let the truth be exposed.
http://www.wired.com/images/multimedia/magazine/1705/Wired_May_2009_Georgia_Guidestones.pdf
Rather sad to see that I didn`t come across this when it first came out. I highly doubt anyone will see what I`ve posted. Too bad, cause Jaques was really onto something there. There was just one obstacle in the way; Human society. And we have Ron Paul fighting for us yes, but even his ideas could lead to a bit of catastrophe. He wants to eliminate the central bank, which I agree with to a point, but we should do it a bit more strategically. Use them as a motivational force to obtain 500 million in population and the resource based economy. I`ll explain how in the morning.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your comments.
In my original quote from Jacque Fresco (see above) he said that:
In his introduction to "Critical Path" Buckminster Fuller wrote that:
Why do you think that "obtain[ing] 500 million in population" is "common sense" and a prerequisite for implementing the resource based economy?
Jim
The Venus Project World Lecture Tour in Bristol @ 10:04 am
[…] seems like quite has lot has happened since my first blog post about Jacque's proposals for a resource based economy. The lecture in Bristol was organised by the Zeitgiest Movement, which is now "the activist […]
Resource based economy sounds great to me. In some ways it is with us now and being applied by big businesses and internet based affiliates.
If you think about it, money's only use is it's liquidity. It can be readily exchanged for products and services.
Resources are all around us and are abundant.
From a business perspective we have engaged in leveraging resources which typically take the form of alliances or joint ventures.
The challenge as I see it is looking critically at every key structure with a fresh approach.
Those in power have a massive vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Our education system is bound by it's own limiting structure/system which teaches rubbish. Teach rubbish and you end up with… rubbish.
I guess theres lots to be getting on with:-)
Regards
Hi Steve,
Do you see a "cashless" economy coming about anytime soon though?
Let's assume Bucky and Jacque are right, and looking at things with a fresh approach there really is more than enough of everything to go round. How do you make the transition from the current way of doing things to a society with no money at all?
Here in South West England there are some "transition towns" that effectively issue their own currency. They're trying to get away from using the stuff printed by the banks, but it still seems as though the "liquidity" of cash that you refer to is hard to escape from.
Hi Jim
I think we have to give some credit (no pun intended) to the idea or concept of money. It has allowed us to go about our lives and quickly exchange our labour or work for something we want or desire.
The true cashless society is some way off. Only when we can easily transform energy into anything and any object will we truly escape it's clutches.
Starships have replicators and thats all we need down here on planet earth.
Systems are often dependent on other systems and in the main most people will have and use money.
A system which operates outside of the main system has to find a way to mesh or connect otherwise you get a collapse.
Communism is fine (if you agree with it) but it has to pay heed to interaction with the world and it's people who are outside communism. This interaction ultimately fails and one system or the other collapses.
A cashless society clearly doesn't exist right now but one can find ways to mesh with the existing system.
There has to be a way to transfer from one system to another. Almost like a car engine which transfers the up and down motion of the cylinders to a crankshaft spinning round and round.
A bit of tweaking and innovation might be in order. For example, there are sometimes ways to triangulate deals.
A TV channel wants to swap it's advertising space for products or services. The supplier does not want or need advertising but they want new cars. So they go out and find a business that supplies cars and does want advertising. A swap from one thing to another.
Food for thought!
Regards
Steve
I see the use of money and a government totally ignorant on every person that takes part in it. Money and government has been around longer then anything else in human history, we have revolutionized everything else. Money now days puts people into groups, rich and poor. Rich get all the best technology for easier lifes and poor get to work, which is wrong in itself, to get even the basics for life. Water, which is most of the planet, cost something. Work is wrong in itself because work is something you feel you have to do or not get something you need, like food. Careers are something you are interessed in doing. I like physics and building things. I dont ever plan on making profit. I only want others lives better. These ideas of economy crashes and politics are distracting many people from solving true problems today. Thanks for reading. 🙂
Hi Steve,
Apologies for my somewhat tardy reply, but I've been a bit busy travelling, and recording and editing a video.
Jacque Fresco's ideas go well beyond "triangulation" and barter. In "Designing the Future" he puts it this way:
Jacque's vision relies on technology to help effect the transition, and in particular vastly increased supplies of energy:
Plenty more food for thought there, but I don't think he envisages turning energy directly into matter!
Hi Taylor,
Thanks for writing!
The last quote in my previous comment seems to encompass what you describe. Scientists and engineers working together, doing what they enjoy, to make everyone's life better instead of to make a profit.
Water would be free of charge. So would everything else.
Johnnyfreedom,
It seems to me you are missing an important point…the idea you present is bounded by the indoctrintation that you must have a monetary system to ration resources…I think the point that Jacque is trying to make is that we are in the mess we are in because society has simply accepted that we need to have a monetary system without questioning it.
what is with all the LIES?
Fresco did not co found anything and he spent his whole life as a con man.
Resource based economy is an effort to kill off most of the planet slave the planet or both! it is 100% call back to the Hitler ways and many hints and calls to join indicate they with the ways of Hoileter to come back. They even claim the intuitive ways of the 2 world wars is what is guiding them to the exact SATANIC thing in the prophecies… you can't get worse then TVP and TZM with the RBE made to slave People!
Best run away from this satanic group and not look back!
Got this very interesting article:
TheEconomist 1 points 3 minutes ago
YES. I have studied economics at a post graduate level and am on my way to completing my doctoral thesis.While doing all my studies and research so far I have come to accept RBE to be a viable alternative. Some of the Austrian economists maintain their position about the monetary system as the final frontier of human society. The thing is humans are the only species in the universe who use money to live on their planet. Things like value for goods and services in terms of economics have a very limited frame of reference. For example we value diamonds at a conspicuous level and have put a high price tag due to its scarcity. But is a diamond really valuable? It is just a worthless piece of stone with no actual value whatsoever. In addition to that it is responsible for the deaths of thousands of labourers who are exposed to inhumane conditions, destruction of eco-system diversity (3000 plant and animal species are directly effected) and high energy consumption (for artificial diamonds).
This among various other applied examples suggests that money has no purpose in identifying the actual value of any good or service. value is a subjective term that can be manipulated by advertisements, popular culture, traditional beliefs etc. So, as a professional economist I say, "Economics as a discipline is nothing but bullshit and should be done away with". As to those who still advocate or think in terms of free market economy, capitalism, communism, socialism, statism etc. know there there is no such thing. It is just human construction based on semantic understanding. A proper way to go about is to know more about nature and natural law. Not man made constructions that are subject to individual interpretations. The methods of science through uninterpretable data (meaning same results from tests conducted) is the best option for our species. When plants grow, they don't pay for their existence. They are the most scientific creatures and their level of understanding their environment is beyond human ingenuity today. They have highly computerized mechanism of sensing and remote sensing. It is through the laws of nature that we humans get all our information. So it is not us who are the intelligent creatures. We need to learn more from nature as to how they function in a neural network and get by without the use of money. How they give and take in a highly advanced form of communication and not in the conventional sense of barter.
Therefore, a RBE is a definite system that uses non-established evolutionary perspective to attain resources for the human species to "get by" keeping in mind the "standard of living" and proper resource management. Oh and yeah…"I have checked and found that it is technically achievable but socially a little bit difficult but not impossible".
Hi Sham,
Thanks very much for your most interesting comment. It looks as though you were trying to include a link to an article from The Economist, but something seems to have gone wrong. If it wasn't this week's cover story, which article did you have in mind?
I agree with you that the "free market economy is just a human construction". I guess the question now is whether humans have it in them to imagine and then construct something better?
For an interesting take on the Austrian Economists and their effect on Anglo-Saxon capitalism, as well as ways in which us humans have endeavoured to learn from nature, you might like to take a look at Adam Curtis' recent BBC TV series "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace".
Cheers,
Jim