I am not going to talk about the corruption that is holding this plant´s medicinal use back. I am here today to simply speak about the healing power of the hemp plant that I have personally witnessed and what I think causes it.
From my experience all forms of disease and conditions are treatable and often curable with the use of high grade hemp oil as a treatment.
Due to its harmless nature as a medicine, hemp oil is in a class all by itself. Even something like aspirin tablets that is looked upon as being harmless by the public causes thousands of deaths worldwide each year.
If you are looking for a safe medication, look no further than what the hemp plant can provide. On top of all that it’s a medicine we can all grow and produce ourselves. Also there is no need for a doctor’s supervision with its use.
When the hemp plant is grown for medicinal use, you now have your own medical system that is much safer and effective than anything our current medical system provides. You still may require a doctor to set your broken leg, but you will no longer need the chemicals they have been pushing upon us.
Hemp is medicine for the masses and no one has the right to control its use. We are all different and we all have different tolerances for practically everything. So it is up to each and every one of us to determine for ourselves how much oil we require to maintain good health.
Over the years people have come to me who after years of treatment by the medical system did not even have a diagnosis for their conditions. But the oil exercised its amazing healing power and their medical problems were solved.
Another aspect of the use of hemp as medicine is its anti-aging properties. As we age, our vital organs deteriorate and of course this impairs the function of these organs.
Hemp oil rejuvenates vital organs even in small doses it is very common for people to report to me that they feel 20 to 30 years younger after only ingesting the oil for a short time.
Now let’s take it to the next level. What about people who ingest larger quantities of oil over a longer period of time like myself? After 9 years on the oil my body does not appear to be that of a 60 year old man. Instead, my body has the appearance of someone who is a great deal younger. When I have the oil at my disposal I like to take about a quarter of a gram a day. Of course, due to short supply, quite often I must go without so my own treatment has been erratic to say the least. From my own experience with the oil I cannot help but wonder what would happen if a person was to ingest larger quantities of oil over a longer period of time. If a person were to do this, can they actually reverse the aging process and grow younger instead of aging.
From the oils effect on my own body by all appearances this seems to be the case. Someday soon when I have enough oil I intend to start taking a gram a day for a year to see what effect it has on my body.
Many people who have taken the oil have stated that they thought it to be the fountain of youth. From my own experiences with the oil I believe this to be true.
Throughout our lives the system has told us they want preventative medicine. Now what greater preventative medicine could there possibly be than hemp oil? Judging from what I have seen, if children were given tiny doses of oil each day like a supplement, diseases like cancer diabetes MS and many other conditions could be eliminated entirely.
Now I am not talking about getting the kiddies high for once a person gets accustomed to this medication, they do not even feel or exhibit effects from the oil they are ingesting.
Hemp oil is a safe and harmless medication that all age groups can benefit from by ingesting it and that goes for our children too. So if the system truly wants preventative medicine, here it is now why are they refusing to use it.
I know the words cure all is a hard pill to swallow. When I worked in the medical system, such terms were thought of as a joke. But when you see for yourself what this oil can do like I did, what else could it be called?
What other medicine works on everything and in many cases can cure thought-to-be incurable conditions. What else can heal diabetic ulcers, skin cancers or heal third degree burns in no time leaving no scars?
I will tell you what other medicine – no other medicine. So why on god’s green earth is it not being used? As a medication to ease our suffering and to heal us. For there is nothing better. Myself and many others have gone through realms of so-called scientific studies which I found to be mostly double-talk and most of these studies were about synthetic THC which bears little resemblance to natural THC and its associated cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
After studying all this scientific jargon, I had learned what amounted to nothing. But the oil continued to work the miracles so who was I to question it.
I had just about given up hope that we would ever find out why the oil worked so well for all these different medical conditions. But recently a lady named Batya Stark has provided me with what I think is all the missing pieces to the puzzle. She has sent me a great deal of information about melatonin and the pineal gland which produces it. It seems that the pineal gland is in the driver’s seat when it comes to healing our bodies.
The melatonin it produces is an essential part of healing. When the function of the pineal gland is impaired, it produces much less melatonin and therefore we become sick and diseased. Studies have been released that show people suffering from cancer have low levels of melatonin in their bodies. Also studies have shown that just smoking hemp can raise the melatonin levels in our bodies. So one can only imagine what the oil that is in a concentrated state can do to increase melatonin levels.
As we age we acidify and cancer thrives in an acidic environment. So bringing the body´s PH level up is very important when you are suffering from cancer and many other conditions. The oil works to do this but also other things can be of great benefit. Simple things like baking soda and lemon juice can raise the body´s PH very rapidly.
Tumors are simply the symptom of an underlying condition that is present in the bodies of people who are suffering from cancer. Indeed this underlying condition must be treated to cure the cancer and prevent it from returning.
Melatonin travels to every cell in our bodies and is the key to good health. And I am not just talking about treating cancer, it seems that melatonin levels are important to treat all conditions. Now all you have to do is connect the dots like Batya and I have; it all adds up.
Hemp oil promotes full body healing and raises melatonin levels thousands of times higher than normal. When the pineal gland produces vast amounts of melatonin, it causes no harm to the body but it is very hard on the condition you are suffering from and indeed can eliminate it. From what I can gather, all this along with your PH being raised while the oil is detoxifying your body we think causes the healing effect of this medication. Now myself and those around me are not doctors or scientists and I like you can only wonder at why it is not them bringing this to the public. But after years of research on our part, this is the only thing we have found that connects all the dots and explains in a simple way why this medicine can do what it does. Now we must look at what could be causing the function of our pineal gland to become impaired. Much of the time it is caused by our own lifestyles and things like cell phones that we come in contact with everyday.
Companies that produce cell phones do not like to talk about it and would prefer that we did the same. But our bodies run on electrical impulses. Now do you think it’s a good idea to put something against your head that produces an electromagnetic field which can interfere with the electrical impulses in our bodies that keep us healthy?
Cell phones are just one of the culprits. Look at studies of cancer rates of people who live near and around high tension power lines. I myself did not understand the importance of all this until a friend of mine cured his heart condition by having two electrical problems in his home repaired.
It´s frightening that so many things we come into contact with frequently can harm our health. But still there are a number of other things that do the same.
Can someone out there give me a rational explanation as to why fluoride seems to be in everything these days and please do not call me and try to tell me it’s to prevent tooth decay? Did Hitler not use fluoride in his death camps to keep the inmates calm so they would not try to escape or revolt?
I wonder what possible purpose it serves our system to be giving us so much fluoride. Does what´s going on currently not smell a little like a death camp to you? I can only wonder what effect all this fluoride is having on our brains and our pineal glands. What about the effects of all those chemicals the doctors have been feeding to us? Would these chemicals interfere with the function of our pineal glands and could they also acidify our bodies more quickly?
I will leave that one for all you medical experts out there to figure out.
Now what about our food supply. The meat that is sold to the public in Canada and some other countries cannot even be sold in Europe. It seems that Canadian beef is looked down upon by Europeans because it has too many contaminates like antibiotics and growth hormones. Do you not find it strange that our meat is deemed unhealthy in Europe? Yet it is freely sold to anyone that is dumb enough to eat it back in Canada.
Now what about fruits and vegetables and all the other fare we find in supermarkets in North America. Pesticides, additives, preservatives, genetic modification – does this not all sound just yummy and possibly somewhat deadly?
But of course no one in authority has stood up to do something about this situation, so I guess the food they are selling the public must be good for us. Trust your government because they would never allow anyone to sell us something that was not good for us would they.
So as you can plainly see, practically everything that we come into contact with can have an effect on our health and wellbeing. And of course many things I have just mentioned could have a devastating effect on the pineal gland´s ability to function properly.
It’s almost as if they knew that by interfering with the function of the pineal gland, they could cause us to become unhealthy and in need of their wonderful chemical medications. But of course only someone who is a conspiracy nut could think in such a way. Do you think the same as I do about all this? If so, then welcome to the asylum.
It’s not surprising to see what made the list as they are all things that touch each of our lives as we struggle to pay attention to and make time for things that we truly love. Below is the list of each regret along with an excerpt from the book. At the bottom is also a link to the book for anyone interested in checking it out.
One thing on regret before we get to the list. It’s important to remember that whatever stage we are at in life, there is no need for regret. The process of regret is one that provides nothing but suffering for ourselves as we begin to allow the past to dictate how we should feel now. Instead, we can use the past as a reference point to understand what adjustments we would like to make moving forward. The adjustments do not have to come out of pain, sorrow, regret or judgment, but simply a choice to do things in a different way. We are learning all the time, we can very quickly slow that learning process down by getting stuck in the idea of regret. When it comes to making changes, be at peace with the past and remember that each moment is a new choice.
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.”
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
“Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
”This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.”
Nuclear power produces nearly 20% of Germany's energy, but in July 2011 (only three months after Fukushima) the German government vowed to shut down its nuclear capability within 10 years. Not just that, but to replace it with renewable energy, cut greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, ensure renewables contribute 80% of Germany's energy by 2050, and ensure energy consumption drops 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050. It even has its own word: 'Energiewende', or 'Energy Transformation'. And Angela Merkel, not known for hyperbole, has described it as a 'Herculean task'.
Energiewende: persuading the public
But Professor Dr Manfred Fischedick is not a casual observer. As vice president of the Wuppertal Institute, he is scientific adviser to both policy makers and industry. Energiewende, he says, didn't simply fall from the sky in 2011. "Discussions about Energiewende had started already in the 1980s", says Fischedick. "There is a long tradition here in talking about alternative energy transformation. We had a lot of good scientific background and a very good basis for the government to come to such decisions in a very short timeframe... Just three months' discussion for such an ambitious energy concept would not have been possible without that."
Discussions are one thing. The reality, however, is proving quite another. "Now we have to construct new power lines, now people will see new biomass facilities very close to their houses, they will see new wind farms... the [crucial] social challenge is really to get public acceptance for all these many new investments."
The sight of thousands of kilometres of power cables slicing through the German countryside, and the costs involved, are beginning to bite. A renewable energy surcharge has already seen the average family's energy bill increase by 47% in the past two years.
There are also question marks over the transportation and storage of intermittent wind energy. However Fischedick argues that, "90% of the technologies are already available... our analysis is we [will need] more long-term storage systems after 2030. That's not a short-term challenge it is more of mid-to-long term. The short-term challenge is how to realise appropriate infrastructure on the electricity grid side... the main question at the moment is how we will be able to construct and get public acceptance for new power lines."
The prosumer model
While a lot of the media attention has been focused on large-scale wind farms (and Fischedick expects wind power to contribute half of the 80% renewable energy target by 2050), one of the most fascinating aspects of Energiewende is how it embraces micro-generation and micro-ownership. Public acceptance is, says Fischedick, much easier to maintain if it is paralleled with levels of individual ownership. Also known as a 'prosumer' model, over 50% of renewable-energy capacity is owned by individuals or farmers in Germany; the Big Four energy companies own just 6.5% (according to 2010 figures). "This is PV, co-generation... really small facilities," says Fischedick. "The prosumer aspect is vitally important... if you only have the chance to look from outside at the changes then you are much more [likely to be] complaining about what is going on."
This in turn is causing the big utility companies to reassess their role. Rather than continuing to rely on business-as-usual, they are significantly ramping up investment in biomass plants, offshore wind and large-scale photovoltaic plants, informs Fischedick. "In addition we have some utility companies looking at becoming a sort of service provider for the prosumer; RWE for instance provide a new service for the typical house owner to help them construct their own PV system on the roof, and to combine it with a small-scale battery. They have really changed their business portfolio in the last two years, just to be part of the game."
Changing mindsets
Despite the vast scale of the infrastructure and investment challenge, it is perhaps smaller than the more abstract task of changing people's lifestyles – which, Fischedick argues, has so far been avoided by the government. Reducing energy consumption by half cannot be done without changing consumer behaviour. This, says Fischedick, involves individuals being "more motivated to look at their own consumption of energy, because many people are not really aware of that... we have to explain that it is not enough to only invest in new insulation of buildings, but to combine it with appropriate and smart behaviour. That's a little bit connected with education... But also you have to discuss new forms of incentive systems, such as ecological taxes. It has not been discussed so far but I think it will be on the table in the next couple of years."
The rising cost of energy – in a country that already has the second highest energy bills in Europe – need not be the insurmountable barrier to Energiewende that some have suggested, says Fischedick. "The final energy bill is the most important aspect, not the increase in a specific price of kilowatt hours or cubic meters of gas. In combination with more investment in energy-efficient technologies, it is not necessarily the case that the energy bill will increase. It is that context that we have to really teach consumers".
That message is currently failing to reach consumers by being too meekly conveyed, says Fischedick. If there is a barrier to Energiewende, he believes it is perversely the very politicians that initiated it. "In the context of the EU directive for energy efficiency, it was the German government who tried to make this directive weaker than it was proposed by the Commission... we have specific goals and a concept, but the real behaviour of the government is at the moment quite different."
Perhaps the politicians could be forgiven a little wobble. To describe Germany's energy transformation as Herculean also serves to highlight its potential heroism – doing with urgency what most of the rest of the world is only saying is urgent. This could well see other countries playing catch up once again to the economic powerhouse of Europe. But with only seven years left to decommission 17 nuclear power plants, cut GHG emissions by 40% and energy consumption by 20%, it has a lot to do. And fast.
Source: This content is brought to you by Guardian Sustainable Business in association with Accenture. Paid for by Accenture. All editorial controlled and overseen by the Guardian.co.uk .
The Venus Project is an organization that proposes a feasible plan of action for social change, one that works towards a peaceful and sustainable global civilization. It outlines an alternative to strive toward where human rights are no longer paper proclamations but a way of life.
We operate out of a 21.5-acre Research Center located in Venus, Florida.
When one considers the enormity of the challenges facing society today, we can safely conclude that the time is long overdue for us to re-examine 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Please check the calendars to the right for the Venus Project Tour/Seminar dates. During the tour, Jacque Fresco will speak for several hours, walk you around the grounds, show and describe the models, present a 15 minute DVD and take any questions you may have. This will give you a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. The cost of the lecture and tour is $200 for each person or household. For this price, you also receive a package of a book and 4 DVD's, valued at $100. As we are not sponsored by anyone currently, this helps to support the project and enables you to learn more about it.
Address of Venus Project Tour: 21 Valley Lane Venus, Florida 33960 USA
To confirm send an email with TOUR in the subject:
1) Let us know what day you would like to come
2) How many are coming
3) Where you are coming from that morning and we will send you directions to the door.
NOTE: Children under 14 are not appropriate to attend the Tour Seminars
The Movement's principle focus includes the recognition that the majority of the social problems which plague the human species at this time are not the sole result of some institutional corruption, scarcity, a political policy, a flaw of "human nature" or other commonly held assumptions of causality.
Rather, The Movement recognizes that issues such as poverty, corruption, collapse, homelessness, war, starvation and the like appear to be "Symptoms" born out of an outdated social structure. While intermediate Reform steps and temporal Community Support are of interest to The Movement, the defining goal here is the installation of a new socioeconomic model based upon technically responsible Resource Management, Allocation and Distribution through what would be considered The Scientific Method of reasoning problems and finding optimized solutions.
This "Natural Law/Resource-Based Economy" is about taking a direct technical approach to social management as opposed to a Monetary or even Political one. It is about updating the workings of society to the most advanced and proven methods Science has to offer, leaving behind the damaging consequences and limiting inhibitions which are generated by our current system of monetary exchange, profits, corporations and other structural and motivational components.
The Movement is loyal to a train of thought, not figures or institutions. In other words, the view held is that through the use of socially targeted research and tested understandings in Science and Technology, we are now able to logically arrive at societal applications which could be profoundly more effective in meeting the needs of the human population. In fact, so much so, that there is little reason to assume war, poverty, most crimes and many other money-based scarcity effects common in our current model cannot be resolved over time.
The range of The Movement's Activism & Awareness Campaigns extend from short to long term, with the model based explicitly on Non-Violent methods of communication. The long term view, which is the transition into a new social system, is a constant pursuit and expression, as stated before. However, in the path to get there, The Movement also recognizes the need for transitional Reform techniques, along with direct Community Support.
For instance, while "Monetary Reform" itself is not an end solution proposed by The Movement, the merit of such legislative approaches are still considered valid in the context of transition and temporal integrity. Likewise, while food and clothes drives and other supportive projects to help those in need today are also not considered a long term solution, it is still considered valid in the context of helping others in a time of need, while also drawing awareness to the principle goal.
The Zeitgeist Movement also has no allegiance to a country or traditional political platforms. It views the world as a single system and the human species as a single family and recognizes that all countries must disarm and learn to share resources and ideas if we expect to survive in the long run. Hence, the solutions arrived at and promoted are in the interest to help everyone on the planet Earth, not a select group.
The Zeitgeist Movement is an explicitly non-violent, global sustainability advocacy group currently working in over 1000 Regional Chapters across 70 countries. The basic structure of The Movement consists of Chapters, Teams, Projects & Events. Overall, the Chapters are essentially what define the Movement and each Chapter works to not only spread awareness about the roots of our social problems today but also to express the logical, scientific solutions and methods we have at our disposal to update and correct the current social system and create a truly responsible, sustainable, peaceful, global society. Working through global and regional educational projects and community programs, the intermediate goal is to obtain a worldwide movement, essentially unifying the people, regardless of country, religion or political party, with a common value identification that we all invariably share, pertaining to our survival and sustainability.
It is the assumption of The Movement that the educational/activist pressure generated, coupled with what is currently a failing social system, will inhibit and override the established political, commercial and nationalist institutions outright, exposing and resolving the flaws inherent. It is our view that the traditional mediums of politics and commerce as forces for change will not obtain the goals needed to make our social system sustainable and humane for they appear to be born out of the same traditionalist, flawed logic that has created the problems as they stand.
The transitional goal, once such a global presence and pressure is obtained, is to implement an economic model that follows a truly scientific train of thought with respect to the technical factors that allow for human propensity, public health and environment responsibility over generational time. This new model, since it is based upon Resource Management and Natural Law (Science) as the logical starting point for all decisions and processes, is often referred to as a "Resource-Based Economic Model". However, the realization of this direction is not that of an institution but of a train of thought - the train of thought of objectively applying The Scientific Method for Social Concern and allowing its natural emergence to flourish without limitation as new efficiencies present themselves.
General Observations: In the view of The Movement, the society today has become increasingly detached from the physical world, with techniques of production, distribution and social ordering that have little to no relationship to the environment, or the current state of scientific knowledge with respect to public health and sustainability.
Cyclical Consumption For instance, our use of a profit based, "growth" driven monetary system has become one of the greatest destroyers of the natural world and sustainable human values. The entire global economy requires "cyclical consumption" to operate, which means that money must constantly be circulating. Thus, new goods and services must be constantly introduced regardless of the state of the environment and actual human necessity. This "perpetual" approach has a fatal flaw for resources as we know it are simply not infinite. Resources are finite and the Earth is essentially a closed system. To assume the need for constant consumption to keep people employed and hence the market system going is eco-cidal on a finite planet. The true goal of an economy, by definition, is to strategically preserve and create efficiency. The system today demands the opposite.
Infinite Growth The Monetary-Market Model is based upon money being treated as a Commodity and its origination from Debt; sold for Interest Income. This is a "Ponzi Scheme". Each time this Commodity (Money) is sold (Bank Loans) it needs to be paid back (Debt) with more money charged as a fee for profit (Interest). The problem is that the Interest Value required to settle the debt does not exist in the Money Supply outright. In other words, Bankruptcy and Default are not byproducts - they are inevitable – as there is always more debt outstanding than money in existence. This creates severe, offset monetary scarcity that oppresses many people on many levels.
The Value of Scarcity Likewise, the intents inherent within the monetary system derive a strategic edge from scarcity. This means that depleted resources are actually a positive thing for industry in the short term for more money can be made off each respective unit. This is contextual to the monetary law of Supply & Demand and hence "Value" in economics. It creates a perverse reinforcement to ignore environmental problems and the negative consequences that create scarcity; not to mention reinforcing technically unnecessary human deprivation. This system does not/can not meet the needs of the many because it isn't financially efficient to do so.
Problems/Inefficiency = Profit. Similarly, the system also requires problems/constant consumer interest in order to work. The more people who have cancer or cars that breakdown, the better the economy due to the servicing of those problems. Needless to say, this also generates an inherent disregard for human well being and the environment. Sustainability, efficiency, and preservation are the enemies of this model.
Cost Efficiency & Irresponsible Obsolescence There is also the Cost Efficiency mechanism that demands cutting expenses to remain “competitive” in the marketplace. Every single product created by a corporation today is immediately inferior by design for the market requirement to cut creation costs in favor of lowering the output "purchase price" to maintain a competitive edge automatically reduces the quality of any given item by default. It is impossible to create the "strategically best"/long lasting anything in our society, which translates into outrageous amounts of wasted resources and time. Likewise, this same mechanism is reinforcing the environmental disregard, depletion, and pollution that we see as a constant in the world today… among other issues.
Waste & Oppression of the Human Resource As far as Occupations today, we need to ask ourselves what the point is of a given focus and why it is necessary. The fact is, most jobs today are not directly related to the actual necessities of life. Rather, most are artificial concoctions created in order to keep people employed so they can maintain purchasing power in an environment where our technology continues to expand exponentially, displacing humans from the production force.
It is a common statement in politics today to hear about "creating jobs". Well, in theory, an occupation could be created where people are paid to sit in a room and test chewing gum all day, everyday... but is that a viable use of the human mind? Should we relegate our mental capacity to simple any so called job due to mere "economic" reasons, regardless of what it actually contributes to personal and/or social development? This becomes even more bizarre as a train of reason when we realize that Mechanization not only frees us from labor, it is actually more efficient and productive due to the exponential advancement of science and technology.
On a different level, the very reality that each human being is required to be put in a position of servitude to a corporation or client in order to gain income to purchase the necessities of life not only perpetuates the waste of the human mind and human life, it is also a form of oppression – slavery. If we combine the aforementioned "Infinite Growth" point above regarding the Debt pressure that is build into this system, we see that the combination of the guaranteed Debt imbalance and the requirement to submit to Labor, regardless of its purpose/effect, in order to gain monetary income to survival – is a structural form of oppression against the lower classes (who hold the most debt and need for more period income).
As noted, advancements in science and technology have shown that we can automate a great deal. The more we have applied mechanization to labor, the more productive things have become. Therefore, it is not only negligent for us to waste our lives waiting tables, working at a bus station, fixing cars, or other repetitive, monotonous jobs, it is also entirely irresponsible for us not to apply modern mechanization techniques to all industries that it is possible for, apart from strategic resource management, this is a powerful way to achieve balance and abundance for all the world's people, thus reducing crime generating imbalances.
The fact is, the Market System cannot maintain itself with any viable integrity anymore for corporation will continue to save money through automation, displacing human labor- which also displaces purchasing power, continuing the inevitable loss of "growth" that defines this system.
In the end, today’s society now has access to highly advanced technologies and can easily provide more than enough for all of the earth’s people. This is possible through the implementation of an economy based on scientific resource management and applying modern methods. This is the purpose of The Zeitgeist Movement- to create a global awareness to thus transition into a new, sustainable direction for humanity as a whole.
"The Movement" The Movement, as an entity, consists of the global Chapter set, usually comprising City, State, and Nation. While The Movement is global, by definition, Chapters are what comprise the physical presence of The Zeitgeist Movement in form. To be apart of The Movement is to be a part of your regional Chapter at the lowest degree of operation in your area, hence becoming part of the whole.
"Members" For a person to be technically considered a Member of The Zeitgeist Movement they must be active in a Chapter. If a Chapter doesn't exist in their respective region, a prospective Member would found one. This is very simple in its preliminary stages as all it requires is a website or community group of any kind/size. It has to start somewhere.
"Chapters" Chapters are regional Zeitgeist Movement Member groups, organized in Tiers.
From "Top to Bottom", the current Chapter Tiers are:
International—[ Countries ] State/Province—[ Next lower degree regional distinctions within a given Country ] City/Town—[ Next lower degree regional distinctions within a given State or Province ] Chapters need to have the ability enable communication among its Members, along with other Chapters. As a Chapter grows, periodic Meetings should be conducted in live and/or virtual (online) settings along with taking part in regional or global events and actions.
Chapter Meetings occur in Tiers with the Coordinators meeting on their respective level. For example, the North Carolina State Chapter, assuming no sub-chapters within it, would have a meeting with all NC Members present. However, the meeting of the next largest Tier, the Country level ( USA) the would be only with the Coordinators of each State, not all the Members. This narrowing is for the sake of comprehension as it would be too difficult to have Global Meetings with thousands of Members at once.
"Teams" Groups of Members, organized by Team Coordinators, working with a specific Project or Projects.
Teams generally take two forms : Global Teams and Regional Teams.
Global Teams are teams which work on central Movement Projects which relate to the entire global organization. There are Currently 6 Global Teams and each Team has its own set of participatory guidelines/processes.
LINGUISTIC TEAM DEVELOPER TEAM NEWSLETTER / PRESS RELEASE TEAM MEDIA PROJECT TEAM TECHNOLOGY TEAM LECTURE TEAM Regional Teams are typically independent of global assessment and are created by the Chapter.
"Projects" Any task of relevant interest agreed upon and set forth by a Team, either Regional or Global. These often include Newsletters, Events or Charity actions.
"Coordinators" Member-ed organizers/representatives for each Chapter or Team.
These are the point people and basic operation oversight organizers who work with a Chapter or Team on communication and any related admin issues. They are not to be confused with leaders or authorities [ie "Presidents/Mayors" or "Decision Makers"]. They are equal in relevance to each other Member of the respective Chapter/Team and they are not in a position of final decision making over the Chapter. Rather , they volunteer their time for the sake of relaying consensus information from and to their Chapter/Team, along with often taking the initiative for respective Projects.
Chapter Coordinators are typically the founding party of a given Chapter and they are, of course, volunteers - like everyone else. They have to undergo approval, however, by the next larger degree Coordinator(s). [ ie- if a City Chapter is to be set up, that person is reviewed by the State Coordinator as to the integrity of that new prospect. New Chapter creation is contingent upon the dedication and knowledge shown by the prospective Chapter Coordinator and this is assessed on a per case basis.] This is one of the few cases where the Coordinator of a City/State/Country is required to make a "decision" - in this case about a [sub] Chapter application under their degree. In the event of conflict, the relevant next degree Tier as a whole will work to reach Rational Consensus.
Global Team Coordinators are also not authorities but, again, are rather volunteer helpers to make sure the processes of each team is going smoothly. In the event of problems/conflict, the change of Coordinator(s) of a given Chapter/Team are achieved through both respective Chapter/Team Consensus and International Coordinator assessment. through "Rational Consensus".
"Rational Consensus" Rational Consensus is not to be confused with the historically failed traditional Mob Rule Democratic Process of "one person - one vote". TZM does not condone total, open mob rule democracy as it is based on the faulty assumption that each participating party is educated enough to make the most intellectually appropriate, unbiased decision.
Proper Decision Making has nothing to do with the interests of a group of people, nor the interests of a single person. Proper Decision Making is a purely technical process of logical assessment of a given set of variables and hence can only be based on upon tangible, technical referents - not abject, unsupported mass value opinion, which is what the pure democratic theory erroneously assumes holds integrity. In other words, each argument of a given member must be logically supported by an external referent/set of external referents – clearly reasoned in communication to support the conclusion given. The manifestation of this reasoning could be called a "Case".
Using the example of a Chapter scenario: When a conflict of agreement occurs between the group, the process of Rational Consensus is commenced which requires each conflicting party to present their Case to everyone else. This Case must consist of technically reasoned factors/instances/examples which can be evaluated outside of the expression of the person who is presenting the problem. In other words, insinuation, assumptions and predispositions have no value. If the argument cannot be quantified in some manner - it isn't valid as an argument.
Let's assume a Member has a problem with a Coordinator's actions and would like to see the removal of that Coordinator. Let's assume the Case reasoning is that the Coordinator is not properly representing the interests/ideas of the majority of the group.
In this scenario, a set of technical examples would need to be provided by which the group itself can review. Then a rational "democratic" consensus is made within that group based solely upon the evidence presented - not the expression of any persons themselves. Now, while this process is simple and direct enough - resembling traditional democracy - the decision can still be overridden in the event the conclusions made are suspect as to their technical reasoning by the next tier degree in the Chapter Structure. This extended evaluation is there to protect from erroneous conclusions made by a possibly un-knowledgeable or biased Chapter Membership.
In other words, for example, the removal of a State Chapter Coordinator, while meeting Rational Consensus in the respective Chapter, might still need to meet Rational Consensus on the State Tier on the Structure. [ie. Consensus by all 50 states] to protect against erroneous or biased group decisions or even infiltrations by 3rd parties with the intent of problem generation. Since these situations are very rare and occur usually within very small, lower tier Chapters, the factors which comprise such an intervention naturally exist on a per case basis.
As an aside, it is important to point out that there is nothing to gain personally by being a Coordinator of any Chapter or Team in and of itself. Abuse of this position offers nothing in self-interest return, except perhaps Ego Satisfaction. There is no pay and typically it is a higher stress position due to the responsibility inherent. Many who come from the hyper-democratic conditioning assume that mass consensus is the only thing we can trust while the individual is not trust worthy at all. This cynical view needs to be adjusted to understand that in an environment where a person cannot find reward for their narrow self-interest, they will have no reason typically to perpetuate that narrow self-interest. This is one of the core reasons, as an aside, The Movement operates without money overall - as money always sets the stage for corruption on a basic level, as history has shown.
"Information Relay" [Between Chapter Tiers] Each Chapter Tier has a set Coordinator or set of Coordinators and these Coordinators are only the communicative representative of the interests of that Chapter while, in certain cases, they are needed to assess decisions about Chapter conflicts/appointments in the Tier beneath them [See above]. In all cases, Rational Consensus is the process of decision making and this naturally underscores what we could call "Information Relay" as well.
Information is discussed within each Chapter at their respective periodic meetings, either live or online, with Rational Census being met with regard to any issue of importance. Then a given idea, if relevant to the Global Movement, is set on a course from Bottom to Top through a process of systematic Coordinator representation.
If a City Chapter [ie - Chicago] originates an idea/project which it feels would be applicable to the global whole of The Zeitgeist Movement, that idea is then presented and discussed at the State Level [ie - Illinois], with all other City Chapters.
Once Rational Consensus is met on that level, the State Coordinator brings that idea to the Country Level [ie - USA], where the idea is presented and discussed with all States/Provinces.
Once Rational Consensus is met on that level, the Country Coordinator brings that idea to the International Level [ie - World], where the idea is presented and discussed with all Countries. It is at this level that Rational Consensus would implement the idea.
This is the "Bottom Up" approach. From there, "Top Down" directives can be suggested which affect all Chapter actions. Obviously, there are "middle ground" proposals which will begin not on the "lower" tier level, but on a "mid" or "high" level. In this case, it is the responsibility of each Coordinator of The Movement to communicate the issues presented to their respective Chapters and, if there is conflict, the bottom up approach is instituted again to reach Rational Consensus and hence resolution.
"Fundraising" As a Global Rule, The Movement operates on the basis of Time Dedication and not Monetary Dedication. No chapter is allowed to take direct, Open Donations. Overall, The Movement deliberately operates on a personal contribution, volunteer model. However, there are two basic exceptions. Since the websites cost money to run, simple merchandise is respectable to offer. The Global Website, for example, offers a single Shirt to help offset the administrative and hosting costs. Each Chapter is allowed to also offer a custom Shirt or similar. However, any "excessive" merchandising will be shut down if it presents a case for abuse. Such decisions are made by International/Global Admin Consensus.
The 2nd exception is when a specific temporal project is required which needs funding. Typically, it is expected that such funding will come personally from an individual or set of individuals working with the Chapter directly. In the event that cannot happen, a fully transparent temporary donation system can be put into place to meet the needs of that Project.
TZM is very different from the majority of Activist Communities or Political/Social Movement's today due to the way it views the majority of the societal problems common to the world.
In short, the Social System itself is considered the root cause, with Human Behavior and its resulting effects - corruption, pollution, wars, waste, exploitation and hence distortion of values and psychology - seen as symptoms of this fundamental root source.
Modern psychological and sociological study has found that human actions are susceptible to environmental influence. What is rewarded by the culture tends to be perpetuated. For example, it is commonly considered a "moral" issue when a corporation engages in deliberate pollution to save money. Many outcry that the corporation's people must be "corrupt" who would allow for such a thing. The flaw, however, is in the assumption. If we exist in a system that allows us to "save money" and hence be more "economically efficient" by being exploitation, abusive or indifferent, why should we not expect it to occur, especially in a system based on competition where advantage is always sought?
In other words, "corruption" is being reinforced. Therefore the solution is not more "laws" to try and stop this behavior. The solution is to create a social system that doesn't reinforce or reward such behavior at all. Laws are mere "patches" that work against the internal logic of the system as it stands.
And while TZM does have Food Drives and other programs working to ease the stress that is inherent to our current social model (which is, again, considered the fundamental cause of the 1 billion starving, unemployment, the depletion of resources and outrageous amounts of pollution and waste), it does not consider such actions as solutions for these only address "symptoms". We see the shift of the social system as the true needed fix, hence changing people's values and behaviors.
Much more could be said on this issue. Please review our materials for more examples of how the current social order - specifically economic - is the root cause of the majority of our problems and defines our lack of sustainability.
It appears that most solutions offered in the world today are framed within the current social order and its practices.
For example, there are over 1 billion people starving in the world and the most common solutions sought tend to utilize money in some fashion to enable the resources needed.
TZM takes a very different view. Rather than take each problem on a per case basis and work to solve that problem within the confines of the custom accepted system - a system that might, in fact, be creating the problem itself - TZM steps back to consider the inherent logic of the issues themselves and how they relate to the emerging Scientific Benchmark (with respect to The Scientific Method), absent respect for social tradition and custom.
In the case of 1 Billion people starving, the solution does not rest with the need for more donations, more governmental subsides or even legislation to limit possible causal abuse and exploitation of such regions (as those are not direct solutions since they do not relate to the mechanics of survival). Rather they relate and intermediate with current social customs.
The real issue and hence logic is Technical - not political or financial. Starvation is a technical problem when clean, life supporting resources are not made available to a certain region for some reason. The question is then asked: Is there an empirical environmental restriction which is making those resources unavailable? The answer today is a clear no. It is well noted by the W.H.O. and others that there is plenty of food being produced in the world to feed everyone and we also have clear technical means to also desalinate and clean polluted water to make it safe for drinking. This can be done on an industrial scale.
The Financial Approach clearly has an inherent flaw which is not enabling these basic life supporting attributes and resources to be made available to 1 billion people. It is economically inefficient, when considering the true sense of the definition of "economics".
The Technical Approach, which proves that these things are, indeed, possible, where no one would ever have to starve, says- if it is possible to do it, then we need to simply figure out a new way to do it and bypass the current social custom if need be.
As is common within much of The Zeitgeist Movement materials we see the financial structure, as a whole, as being a foundational cause of most of the world's issues - with the Technical Reality of what is possible as an approach to the solution. It is based upon Scientific Causality, not Financial Causality. In a world of extreme advancement in information and mechanical technology, the great realization is that we can do much more than ever to meet the needs of the human population along with generating a logic where most of the environmental and social issues we face today would be gone tomorrow if we simply applied our updated understandings now.
The Zeitgeist Movement, while maintaining Press Spokesman, Lecturers, Chapter Coordinators and the like, does not support or condone a Leadership oriented structure where a single person or group sets the practices and values that others blindly follow. In fact, such a traditional "follow the leader" notion actually voids the premise and nature of TZM's educational initiatives for the goal is really to create an equally advanced level of understanding within the community so each person is able to take strides on their own, without guidance from outside of the general community developments, which are ongoing and always influential.
The Chapter Structure, for example, is viewed as "Holographic" meaning that the integrity and understanding of each regional group is expected to mirror not only the other Chapters but the whole as well. This connected yet independent view also exists for the "Members". In the view of The Movement, there is nothing more powerful than a group of people who share an Idea and can each logically deduce, in tandem, a sympathetic method of conduct that, from an external view, hence finds no leadership control or heads of anything. It is also important to note that those who engage "Coordination" are not leaders of their Chapter or Team. They are merely bridges and initiators. They do not dictate. They are volunteers who digest and take action on behalf.
It is also very important to point out that The Zeitgeist Movement itself, as is seeks to create Critical Mass, is actually commencing the very transitional process towards the "end" sought by the means itself. If we wish to live in a world without power abuses, division, despotism, scarcity and the like, the public much achieve a level of relevant education about their surroundings which is rarely seen today. Many condemn the violent dictators from history with respect to their brutal initiatives but rarely does one consider the ignorance and malleability of the public and military which blindly and thoughtlessly upheld those corrupt interests of a select distorted few. True social change will not come from "honest" leaders. It will come for a revolution of mass understanding and hence values changes within each individual.
(p)Link
Commenti
Storico
Stampa
Feed RSS 0.91
Feed Atom 0.3
