A cult and a fetish

Critics of environmental sustainability often seem to portray it (negtively) as some kind of religious belief . I recently heard about something - economic growth probably - being "sacrificed on the altar of sustainability".

An article in The Week gives a precis of newspaper articles on energy reform, and most notably Matt Ridley in The Times refers to a 'carbon fetish'. He argues not only that the increased cost of using non renewable energy will destroy jobs, but that (as paraphrased by The Week I take it), 'energy is the elixir of economic growth'.


It is economic growth that is the cult and fetish here. We need energy and we need to conserve the energy we have, not use as much as possible to maintain 'economic growth'. And if we don't stop putting carbon into our atmosphere we are heading for climate catastrophe. Are we not prepared to "sacrifice" economic growth on the "altar" of our own survival as a species?

Let's set out the lie that continued economic growth is here again. We have limited, not unlimited resources. As we have limited resources, we need to conserve them if we wish to survive and prosper as a species. If we don't wish to survive as a species, we can carry on using resources as quickly as possible and lying to ourselves that they will never run out, or not caring on the basis that they won't run out in our lifetime. We can carry on competing for and fighting over the resources, making them more scarce and thereby getting more 'economic growth'.

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Message from Peter Joseph of the Zeitgeist Movement

"Zeitgeist: Moving Forward", which is explicitly about a Resource-Based Economy, to going to be opening theatrically through independent (Chapter) groups starting Jan. 15th 2011. As most know this arrangement is non-commercial and I am not requiring any monetary return. Any proceeds that are obtained from these screenings will be applied to each respective ZM Chapter's work, specifically for ZDAY 2011 - which we hope to be larger than ever.

If you are not in a Chapter but would like to host a screening, special arrangements can be made depending on your circumstance. Ideally, you would need to start a Chapter or join one in your area to qualify but there is some flexibility. Please email zmf@thezeitgeistmovement.com if you have any questions.

*The Official Press Kit is now available for download:

http://www.zeitgeistmovingforward.com/

*Also, please view/re-view and spread (embed/email) the ZMF YouTube Trailer far and wide. A viral recognition is important. [It is also now in 30+ languages.] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYLLFpNn4lMfeature=player_embedded

Thanks for your help. Again, this work is a tool to create public awareness/response which will reverberate across the world, as the current system continues to deteriorate. People are looking for change and I suspect by Jan. 2011, the western decline will be at a new low due to the ongoing/inevitable global debt collapses; the mass unemployment paradigm emerging."

Th control of true resources

In "The Zeitgeist Addendum" John Perkins, author of 'Confessions of an economic hitman', speaks of his involvement in destabilising (or attempting to) various countries of the world whilst contracted to the CIA and IMF (ie the USA).

The common scenario as he describes it is that the president of the country wants to keep a resource (say oil) for the benefit of that country - often the poorer inhabitants. The USA of course wanted control of these assets, and sent in people like Perkins to achieve it by attempting to corrupt the president.

In a resource based economy as defined by Jacque Fresco/Peter Joseph, the world's resources would be available to all equally/fairly - this is (at least partly) why it is described as Marxist - so how does a country claiming the oil as its own fit in with this?

Well, it doesn't really, but the point is who or what institution is controlling (true) resources and for whose benefit. In an RBE there would be no institutions and the world's resources would be intelligently managed for everyone's benefit by computers. In the absence of that set up, any institution controlling resources for the benefit of poor(er) people seems to me to be a step in the right direction.