A Short Introduction to The Venus Project

     In 1974, industrial designer and social engineer, Jacque Fresco, during an interview with Larry King, stated the following: “There are no Negro problems, or Polish problems, or Jewish problems, or Greek problems, or women’s problems—there are Human problems.” Larry then asked him, “No control of the population?” Jacque simply replied, “Population control is dependent upon education. We feel an educated population needs no control.” For over 75 years of his life, multi-disciplinarian Jacque Fresco has been designing the future. Now known as a Resource Based Economy, Fresco’s innovative approach is very unlike every other social design in history on variety of different levels. First, a Resource Based Economy uses no money. Second, The Scientific Method is applied to society with total Human and environmental concern. Third, and certainly not last, technology is intelligently utilized to manage the Earth’s resources and produce access-abundance to the necessities of life through a global cybernated system. These are just three of the many tenets of this truly equitable, sustainable design, but let’s expand upon these concepts:

     One of the most difficult concepts to initially grasp when being presented with a Resource Based Economy is the fact that there will be no money; no debt; no barter or servitude of any kind. If you think about it, we have never been taught anything at all outside the context of a monetary/market system. From the time we are small children all the way through our elder years, our lives seem to revolve around the accumulation and transfer of this thing we call ‘money’. We ask our children close-minded questions such as ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?”—as if there is only supposed to be one thing. It is as though we have become so consumed by consumerism that we perpetually fail to ask ourselves one simple question: Is money even a necessity? In his book entitled The Best That Money Can’t Buy, Fresco expands upon an idea that he and his associate, Roxanne Meadows, have been working on for over three decades: Declaring the Earth and all of its resources as the common heritage of all of the world’s people. Now, don’t be surprised if the first thing you think of when you hear this is ‘communism’, or ‘socialism’, or any other –ism that we have been conditioned to believe are the only possible societal structures. Despite what most believe, these quickly turn out to simply be prima facie associations that really have nothing at all to do with a Resource Based Economy. For example, communism has banks, armies, navies, politicians, social stratification, police, prisons—a Resource Based Economy has none of these things. Rather, we view the Human species as a single family; developing with and from Nature; a part of Nature—not separate. As Carl Sagan famously put it in his series Cosmos, “The old appeals to racial, sexual and religious chauvinism and rabid nationalist fervor are beginning not to work. A new consciousness is developing which sees the Earth as a single organism and recognizes that an organism at war with itself is doomed. We are one planet.”

     Some of the rather obvious realizations almost completely neglected by collective consumerism are that 1. Money is a figment of our collective imagination; 2. It has absolutely no physical referent; and, 3. It has forced us to become utterly detached from any sense of interdependence with Nature and each other. The other day I was on my balcony and as I watched leaves falling from three trees at the adjacent complex that had been chopped up a few days before, I realized something: We are perpetually trying to shape our environment in an attempt to satisfy some artificial notion of aesthetics by using ever-decreasingly excellent methods—in this case, chainsaws. And, watching the leaves fall, I began to feel an overwhelming stress that could only be but a minute fraction of the stress the global organism known as Earth is feeling. All this, of course, instigated by the meaningless transfer of money between those willing to do literally anything to acquire it. For, in a monetary system, everything is up for sale…everything.—which is why we are constantly declaring war on those ideologies that do not fit well within the established monetary structure—as dictated by the ruling institutions and their representatives. War is the most profitable business ever created besides banking itself. As an aside, it should be no surprise to see Libya’s oil exports to the United States soon rise well beyond the pre-"rebellion" 3% mark considering the fact that the U.S., along with two other former world superpowers—France and Britain—have begun preemptive strikes against a country which holds the largest proven oil reserves in Africa. A Resource Based Economy addresses our addiction to oil with a very simple process of phasing it out entirely as an energy source. Earth is nothing but abundant in resources and energy; but, we waste time checking everything for a price-tag. So, what is the solution? Let’s say we abolish the monetary system.—then what?

     Throughout our daily lives, whether or not we realize it, each and every one of us uses The Scientific Method. From brushing our teeth all the way to choosing a life-altering decision, our complex associative memory is hard at work deciphering the endless streams of information coming through our sensual receptors and thus are interpreted based upon the information we have been given up until now. To understand the information, we utilize this particular method which can be summed up in three fundamental steps: 1. Arrive at a problem or make an observation of a certain phenomenon. 2. Formulate a hypothesis to explain and predict the problem or phenomenon. 3. Test and re-test the hypothesis rigorously.

     To some certain extent, this method is consistently used by Humans on a daily basis—even if we have never heard of these three steps. However, we have never actually applied this method intelligently to designing society. As Jacque explains, “We have never given scientists the problem of ‘how do you bridge the differences between people and nations?’” Unfortunately, this is a sad reality. And so, according to Dr. Robert Sapolsky, we now have soldiers sitting at computers at Nellis Air Force Base flying drones on the other side of the planet dropping bombs on whom they have been taught are our ‘enemies’; and that what they are doing is something we call ‘patriotic’—which is really just a euphemism for ‘we murder you to keep us all safe from you before you ever do anything because you are a terrorist. And after we indiscriminately blow the shit out of your pitiful, little country, we are going to have our central banks forcefully loan you money so that you can use that money to pay our corporations to come in and rebuild the infrastructure while installing a bourgeoisie comprador oil cartel as president of the new so-called “democracy. Let freedom reign… or was it ring? Freedom...!”’. This all, of course, is the result of a supreme failure at the second level of this method; for, when our hypotheses do not contain an alternative to our current monetary-based, socioeconomic system, we are depriving ourselves of a well-rounded series of possible solutions—namely, that of a world without money. A world without money could translate into a never-before-seen spike in the already-exponential increase in machine automation technology—given that we no longer would have to submit ourselves to employment that contributes nothing to society or ourselves and would be free to pursue self-fulfillment in life anywhere on the planet; anytime; no money; no debt; no barter; no servitude. Everywhere you go you have access to the necessities of life.

     If we step back and examine our level of understanding in regards to Natural processes, as well as our rapid technical innovation, we see a new phenomenon arising over the past few years known as technological unemployment. Simply stated, technological unemployment occurs when advancements in technology allow Humans to be displaced by more reliable, more productive, and more cost-efficient machines. The logic is sound: Machines do not require wages, pensions, breaks, or insurance and can be programmed to extract, manufacture and distribute goods and services all day, every day. But, there is one key element that breaks the logic and causes this house of cards to collapse: If workers are continually displaced by automation, so too will their purchasing power. And, soon the entire economic structure—which is predicated on the perpetual transfer of wealth—will reach a stalemate, halt and fold on itself. But, what if we allowed and encouraged automation to happen in as many different job sectors as are possible? Couldn’t it be considered socially offensive not to automate? We are clinging onto a wage-slave system that is literally thousands of years old. To sum it up in one sentence: I am talking about the intelligent management of the Earth’s resources through the liberal application of technology.

     A common assumption is something to the extent of “What if once we automate everything, machines decide that Earth would be better off without Humans and start massacring us?” First of all, this is a Hollywood projection. Secondly, and I am using another Fresco quote here, “If I took a computer and smashed it in front of ten other computers, they are not going to sit there and say ‘we’re gonna get you! If it’s not today, next week or next year; we’re gonna get you!’ Machines have no feelings.” Lastly, this is just another personification being utilized as a rationalization for us to keep working our useless slave-jobs to perpetuate cyclical consumption and not question so-called ‘authority’. As much as I would like to go on and on and on about these topics, it seems as though I am out of time here. If you would like more information regarding a Resource Based Economy, please check out http://www.thevenusproject.com/ and join The Zeitgeist Movement at http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/. And so, I leave you with a quote from Egyptologist Gerald Massey, “They must find it difficult… those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority."

This is one of the best...

Richard Feynman:

Peter Joseph: Social Pathology:

Social Responsibility:

We Are Not Civilized...

What Are We Doing?

     1. Wake up; 2. Brush your teeth; 3. Go to school; 4. Go to work; 5. Come home; 6. Eat dinner; 7. Take a shower; 8. Go to sleep; 9. Repeat STEPS 1 THRU 9. Some would call the result of being born in an industrialized ‘nation’ fortunate. But, is this really how our lives have culminated? The picture becomes even more bizarre when we realize that while this mindless bout of artificiality occurs, tens of thousands of Humans are essentially allowed to die every single day due to preventable causes that technology, if applied intelligently, could easily avoid by creating access abundance of the necessities of life. The question we tend to ask ourselves is this: “Do we have the money?” But, is this the question we should be asking? It is fascinating to realize that a great majority of Humans, billions, are completely oblivious to the money creation process yet we advance the transfer of money as the only initiator of and the only incentive for advancement or well-being. Furthermore, we are consistently conditioned by corporate conglomerate media outlets to be disinterested in learning about anything that does not include some form of infotainment. It soon becomes clear just how influential these along with many other notions and institutions are in shaping the “value” system instilled within Human consciousness.

     Blindly accepting, faithfully upholding and subserviently shifting around worthless pieces of cotton and digital bits of information, our global family has been fractured and ripped apart by an extremely misunderstood system that is in reality the fundamental catalyst for war, poverty, deprivation, social stratification, Human trafficking, most crime, and virtually all other atrocities we have subjected ourselves and the environment to. Most do not even bother to think about these connections because, again, a great majority of the Human population has no idea what money is. “That’s just the way it goes,” and, “There’s no point in wasting your time trying to change anything, ‘they’ will never let it happen,” are just two examples of the so-called “arguments” you will hear people attest to when you begin presenting these topics. ‘The way it goes’ is an empty statement because 1. Our reality exists in a state of constant evolution, always changing with the progression of what we understand to be time; and 2. It is simply the result of utter super-saturation of propaganda in the individual Human mind which translates into trends that influence groupthink. Furthermore, there is no ‘they’. The term ‘they’ is a plural pronoun that actually means “unspecified people.” Contrary to the common ‘they’ delusion, there is only ‘us’ and what ‘we’ let happen. And, unless one details exactly who ‘they’ are, this statement stretches into highly suspicious, uninstructed territory. Unfortunately, these are all just sad response mechanisms that are taught to and reinforced by us so the idea is consistently maintained that ‘money is undeniably the only irrevocable way the Human population can properly function’—which, of course, is a myth. And, amid the confusion and misdirection, we have been absolutely docile when accepting the many myths constantly in circulation—including the myth that ‘the Federal Reserve Bank is subordinate to the so-called Federal Government.’

     The term myth is defined as “an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.” Disguised as a social institution that is in place to create incentive for social gain, the established monetary institution known as the Federal Reserve actually functions as a hybrid private corporation/cartel that is in business for one thing: profit. So, if we are to ever transcend the supposed necessity of this system, it is critical to understand why we are the way we are and how exactly we reached the point we are at. This requires the histories of the monetary and so-called governmental institutions to be detailed in order for us to arrive at prudent, effective, sustainable solutions to our global social problems. For, as we fall deeper into the rabbit hole, we see just how intertwined all of these systems really are. And if history has taught us anything it is this: We have been lied to repeatedly by the ‘representatives’ of every government, every corporation, every religion, every political party and every other institution that has ever existed. What makes us think that those in positions of differential advantage and power TODAY are any different? The answer is simple: the George W. Bushes, Dick Cheneys, Ben Bernankes, Timothy Geithners, Rupert Murdochs, David and Nicholas Rockefellers, Alan Greenspans, the Pope Whoevers and many others are no different at all. People are not “elected” or rather “placed” into political, corporate and religious power to change anything. Instead, this act is coordinated to maintain the established order; to keep things the way they are. And, it is exactly that: an act; a play; a scene; a fiction. A cursory glance at the state of world political affairs would give more than enough evidence of this fact. So, finally, a question arises: What are we doing? The goal of this blog is to address this question throughout while exploring the possibility of a much needed transition out of the corruption-generating, profit-based, Maritime Admiralty, corporate banking system we are currently perpetuating and into a Resource Based Economy. I would like to say this: I realize how much I don’t know—I will be the first to declare my ignorance of the vastness of knowledge that exists as all that is. Even that statement is ridiculous when confronted with a simple inquiry: How is one supposed to 'realize' how much one does not know...? I have no degrees or ‘certificates’ to indicate I have been properly propagandized in order to complacently participate in the cyclical consumption game for the rest of my regimented life. So, take nothing I say as truth. ‘Truth’ is a biased and subjective notion that only becomes truth when one realizes and accepts it as such. In the words of Jacque Fresco, “In order to know the truth, you would have to know everything—to know what truth is.” I can only relay the information I have arrived at through months of research that is on-going. And so, here is what I have come to realize:

     Here in the United States, we live in a society where technological expansion is taking place all around us while fewer and fewer people actually understand such technology. Just think about how many 10-year olds have cell phones nowadays oblivious of the fact that just 20 years ago, cell phones were a relative rarity. This generation is moving with light-speed away from having any interest in actually reading from books. But, can we blame technology itself?—Of course not. What we should be doing is designing and implementing entirely new, constantly evolving educational systems which integrate technology as a supplemental to the life-long learning experience. In any monetary/market system at all, when people neglect or are deprived of the means to understand technology, exploitation through technological abuse inevitably manifests to maximize profits. Why do you think the public educational systems here in the United States are so terrible? When Everything, Inc. controls practically all aspects of all of our lives, it seems ‘too difficult to change’, so people just accept it and move on; chocking the entire situation up to the ‘that’s the way it goes’ category. But, I assure you there is a much better way for us all to advance into the future; and it doesn’t involve the United States or any other so-called ‘nation’ expanding into a global, government-sanctioned, corporate empire, which coordinates most if not all of the world’s affairs with almost no regards to Natural processes.

     We are living in a star-spangled fantasyland if we for one second truly believe the United States is free from diatribe for definitely influencing governmental and commercial action all around the globe every single day. Here's an idea: stop listening to people with no tenable information and more importantly no viable solutions. Be more open-minded to new ideas and stop viewing the United States as ‘The Best Damn Thing That Ever Happened to this Whole Wide World—and if you don’t like it, you can just get the hell out of here!’ This perpetual arrogance, which results from sheer ignorance, is exactly why "America" is far from the best damn thing on Earth. Homelessness exists; poverty exists; crime exists; war exists and is actually cherished and applauded; social stratification exists; monotonous jobs exist; technological abuse exists; religious subjugation exists; racial inequality exists; wage-slavery exists; Human trafficking exists—we are far from anything truly respectable. And, despite what you may believe, we really can help others all around the world. How? By setting an unprecedented example of sustainability by sharing our resources, knowledge and technology with all people of Earth; anything less will simply be a continuous cycle of the same exploitative methods which have been used for millennia.

     Now, in our global society today, we are taught a number of different ideologies, superstitions and belief systems that have no physical referents other than sparse, misunderstood concepts that vaguely attempt to describe Natural phenomena—yet, almost all of them are taught as ‘truth’. Unfortunately, we are NOT taught critical thinking—a topic that should be engaged at the earliest stages of childhood development. Furthermore, we are NOT taught how to effectively communicate at these early stages. Thus, we tend to talk AT one another, not TO one another. Allow me to explain what Jacque meant when he said this: We talk AT one another based on subjective, usually baseless, projections. In other words, you get opinions backed with more opinions rather than talking TO one another based on tenable research and common interpretation of the meanings of words.  For example, we say things like, “The sky is blue.” That’s not an accurate description of anything. What is actually happening is this: Sunlight travels through the atmosphere and as longer wavelengths of light, such as red and yellow, easily pass through the molecules of air, shorter wavelengths of light, especially blue, are heavily refracted and bounce around the atmosphere until they finally reach your eyeball. There, the information is again refracted, inverted, and converted into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain’s processing center and interpreted based upon multiple complex associations formed over the course of one’s life. However, we also are not taught to think in technical terminology, which is quite unfortunate considering the objective observation that the very construct of the Universe itself, and thus everything in it—whether finite or infinite—is technical; even your body. For, you are a biochemical, combustion factory that happens to be conscious and interactive with everything that is.

     Take a deep breath. Do you feel that? You are everything out there; everything that you conceive. You are the environment--not separate from it. And, although all language in one way or another is predicated upon individual interpretation, we are capable of creating and understanding an Universal language that is not based on interpretation to describe this symbiosis; at least to the extent that one is proficient in any given basic communicative language. Thus, Science and Mathematics are not based upon interpretation. In fact, the language of Science and Mathematics is derived directly from the environment; aligning all analyses of statistical information with observational and experimental data--not some politician's opinions of the way the world ought to be; which is, essentially, today's "Norm". This absurd world view is completely outmoded and unnecessary in our technical reality. But, remember: Take nothing I say, and take nothing anyone says as 'truth'. Do your own research. Ask questions, and perhaps most importantly, question your own beliefs first. How else are we to learn from one another unless we allow for our ideas to evolve as new information is constantly introduced through our sensual experience of our Universe? In closing, I would like to reiterate a point that Peter Joseph made: Our creativity is our divinity; and technology is divinity in action.

     Now is the time the time to acknowledge the journey which influences how the future unfolds; the journey from which we all are free to learn through experience; the journey that all of Humankind is on together; the journey that affects all species on Earth. No matter how far into the Universe we eventually explore, this journey will be ours and what we make it. This is the journey our species has been on for nearly a million years; and it will continue only for as long as we allow it to. Take a walk with me on a new path that leaves behind our destructive, exploitative ways, and moves us into the direction of sustainability, technological and intellectual advancement. The future is always ahead of us; the path that we choose to get there on is our legacy. That path; that legacy is our Zeitgeist.We are ONE species; sharing ONE planet with millions of others. And that is what we must never forget: We already are not alone...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream."

Dr. Gabor Maté on Addiction:

Dr. Robert Sapolsky on Depression:

Our Technical Reality

If you are currently unaware of the state of our technical capabilities:

Awakening...

What Happened to News?

http://www.thevenusproject.com/

Regarding the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico...

The following was written in response to my observations of supposedly charitable people sitting around and putting forth ZERO solutions:

     Just remember, when you “donate” to organizations such as Larry King’s DISASTER IN THE GULF, you are paying for corporate fuck-ups! Thus, the Magical Marvelous Monetary System provides solutions to its own problems—which are caused by the solutions to the problems—which are caused by the solutions to the problems—which are caused by the solutions to the problems—which are cau…. Do you understand yet? BP is saving MILLIONS of dollars for rationalization of the facts as we slavishly work boring, pointless jobs for a plethora of for-profit corporations in order to accumulate but minute fractions of the “money “ supply, just to hand it back over to even more corporations. And at the end of the day, where does the money end up?--You guessed it: in bank vaults and financial databases owned by banks.

     You need to ask yourself something, as you sit and stare into what has become our intellectual oblivion: Do we have the technology, resources (MONEY IS NOT A RESOURCE), and ultimately enough people, technically trained and capable of designing and installing an apparatus to stop this leak, to actually design and install such a solution to this particular corporate fuck-up in the Gulf of Mexico? Instead, we tend to find ourselves with rhetoric falling from our lips about the meaningless transfer of wealth. Are we really this imbecilic to believe that a bunch of rich "celebrities" sitting around the CNN building right down the street from my apartment here in Hollywood, collecting this fabric with imaginary value off of the general public, is going to change ANYTHING? We must be stupid. Ryan Seacrest's $45-million contract with American Idol alone could fund this design—as if funding is what we need! It is absolutely disgusting to have witnessed throughout my lifetime a series of unfortunate events, such as this one, have NO response at all from the so-called 'American' citizenry; unless, of course, when these events happen, it is made "popular"  and "important" through Name-Brand Social Status updates or it is exploitatively profitable for multi-national corporations... And this is the world we are leaving our children?

     We are perpetuating a completely insane fantasy that ‘money makes everything happen.’ Natural resources and Natural Laws 'make everything happen'--not money. Money is not a resource! Money is simply an imagined impediment to the access of our resources. Until we understand this, we will remain docile servants of a system of reckless waste, total environmental disregard, and pretended scarcity of life sustaining necessities—all, of course, in the name of profit. Now ask yourself one more question: What are we doing?

Live. Learn. Love...

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Linguistic Plaster

     If we examine the fundamental causes of the problems we face in society, we discover that a vast majority are technical. Technical problems require technical solutions; not some corporate-owned, preselected politician's opinion, which is based on subjective, biased notions almost always constructed as a product, and within the context, of a monetary system. Hence, politics, and thus government itself, becomes virtually meaningless when money buys the opinions which are passed on to the general public as near-empirical or immutable. And, so we arrive at an understanding that there is no such thing as "freedom of choice" in any monetary system. Instead, we are presented with a pre-selected wall of choices or set of politicians that we are forced to “choose” from. "Republicans" and "Democrats" are practically one and the same; the only difference being the degree by which individuals claiming such categorical dispositions agree on the same, irrelevant rhetoric. Beyond the obvious, "democracy" has never existed anywhere on Earth; it is simply an illusion perpetuated by the established institutions of this world (mainly the Banks) in order to maintain a systematic exploitative scheme which keeps the slave-public ignorant, misinformed and complacent in regards to the belief that we actually participate. Did you vote on the space program? Did you vote on the educational system? Did you vote on the bailout for the banks; the transportation infrastructure; the energy infrastructure; the war in Iraq; the war in Afghanistan? No—you did not. So, where the hell is your participation?

     In a “true” democracy, we would see 5,000 or more different political parties with an endless series of political, cultural, educational, religious, and societal views—not just two. Everyone could participate because everyone, young, old and everything in between, has the capacity to contribute. But, when politics exists in a monetary-based economic system, lobbying and campaign contributions, which constitute billions of dollars per year, create an inherently corrupt atmosphere in which opinions are given the precedence of “value” over accumulated, relevant data. And so, corruption becomes pervasive throughout society because propaganda is constantly shifted around as factual; especially in today’s technically oblivious social structure which seems to consist of a series of acronyms, initial-isms, and 140-character, grammatically incorrect discourse that is nothing more than the direct product of any industry’s key component—marketing; specifically, the marketing of ignorance-inducing infotainment, competition and inferiority.

     Our society in the United States conditions us to consistently instill within ourselves the idea that it is far better to believe or to have “faith” in something or someone than to actually know something ourselves. Furthermore, we are taught to believe that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion—which, when viewed objectively, is an opinion. However, what is perhaps most detrimental to the Human mind is the fact that we are brought up in a competition-based, fiat monetary system in which we are forced to constantly fight with each other for the necessities of life due to the pretended scarcity generated by the system’s fundamental propensity to keep ‘cyclical consumption’ going. Simply stated, cyclical consumption refers to the employer-to-employee-to-consumer mechanism that drives a monetary-based economic system. An employee works for an employer in exchange for a wage. In turn, both the employers and the employees act as consumers and thus the system perpetuates or cycles. If purchasing power for the employers or the employees ever diminishes the system spirals into a recession or collapses entirely. Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened repeatedly throughout history in order for the established institutions to maintain authoritative control over the masses by indoctrinating society to the primitive notions of wage-servitude and ‘Everything, Inc. Is the Way It Goes’! Hence, the banks maintaining control over all of us. How? Just think about it: money is created in a bank, and at the end of the day money ends up in a bank. So, who are you really working for? To take this one step further, we clearly have the technology to fully automate virtually all industries and provide a higher standard of living for every Human on Earth by maintaining, preserving and managing all of this planet’s resources intelligently. So, why do you still have to sell your labor in the proverbial ‘open market’ as a commodity in order to share in the true wealth of this world—resources? Quite simply, it is a modern form of global slavery. If this was not the case, we would share this planet’s resources and work towards raising Humans to their highest potential. After all, the fruits of the Earth belong to us all, and the Earth itself to nobody.

     The societal “values” we have grown up with have become so distorted by the modern established institution, comprised of a relatively small group of elitist bankers, government officials and corporate CEOs, that most of us are unable to distinguish between the economic systems conducting all commerce in our societies and the governments that are in place to regulate these systems and prevent despotic monopolies or cartels. Viewed objectively, however, these are simply three systems of social control, composed of the same people, vying for total dominance over not only the global population, but each other as well. In truth, it is difficult to even make any distinctions when we witness the same people jumping back and forth between at least two of these systems so often. One moment, a man is CEO of the largest oilfield services company in the world, the next moment he is the Vice President of the United States—along-side the newest in a long line of corporate puppets: Family-Owned, Oil-Operated; President, George W. Bush. Following the botched 2000 Presidential Election “Americans” complacently accepted as ‘not unusual at all’, the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and Tower 7 along with the missile hitting the Pentagon and faked “plane crash” in Pennsylvania on September 11th, 2001 made us even more delusional and led us into two preemptive wars that opened up the Industry to so-called “private contractors” such as Blackwater and KBR—a former subsidiary of Halliburton. But, can anyone really be surprised at all? [UPDATE: May 20, 2015: I want to be clear about this statement. I wrote this almost 5 years ago when I was reading and watching a whole bunch of conspiracy theory literature and videos. At this particular point in my life, I prefer to not even discuss these issues since they automatically cut off conversations and make it virtually impossible to maintain a rational discourse. It's more of a distraction and there are too many pertinent issues to discuss and problems to solve TODAY to be caught up in never-ending debates that solve none. The reason I'm leaving this here is because it is a part of my intellectual evolution and it would be dishonest to remove it.] 

     The corruption we see around the planet is a usual outgrowth of competition. To put it a different way, we must take a giant step back and ask ourselves, without a monetary-based economic system in place enforcing and in fact creating an environment of competition which is the root-cause of almost all of the aberrant behavior Humans routinely chock up to the fallacious idea of “Nature”, what would there be to regulate? Who is going to steal anything if everyone has access to all goods and services at all times free of debt or servitude? What if we created abundance of the necessities of life? We already do! Just take a look around at the nearest multinational corporate supermarket and think about the amount of produce, food, and resources in general that are wasted or thrown out on a daily basis. The Earth itself is nothing but abundant in energy and resources. But, when we allow anyone to declare any part of the Earth private property; when we allow corporations to intentionally create inferior products, to practice wasteful or toxic methods, or to pretend scarcity of resources; when we allow governments to consistently neglect to actually bring about continual change in the Human mind, we are forcing future generations into socio-economic straight-jackets. We are forcing our Posterity into debt-slavery. In fact, we are living an illusion which makes us believe that infinite wants and needs can actually be satisfied by our finite planet. This, of course, is just not possible in any system at all. This is a powerful realization that often we overlook due to the massive “static misinformation” caused by advertising and marketing campaigns which train us to believe we have to have the crap that is constantly thrown in our faces, all day, every day by conglomerate news media outlets; even if the products are designed for profitability instead of sustainability—as most are. What the hell is going on?

     Now, let’s try something new: what if we recognize the Earth as the common heritage of all the world’s inhabitants while implementing technology to relieve Humans of boring, dangerous, repetitious jobs? Perhaps then we may realize our true so-called “Nature” as “intelligent” beings—to maintain the symbiotic relationship between all life on Earth while managing its finite resources with total Human and environmental concern—a resource-based economy. But, to understand why the monetary-based economic system has been perpetually failing to provide for the fundamental necessities of all Human Beings, let us examine one of the most rapidly-expanding, exploitative, wasteful, environmentally and socially destructive ideologies sweeping the world over—neoliberal globalization.

     The term neoliberal globalization simply refers to the expansion of Capitalism to create and encompass an entire global network of trade markets. Although this notion has been applauded and praised to highest regard by the few in true economic hegemony at the top, it has been extremely detrimental to the health, overall well-being, and advancement of the Industry-created Third World. Fundamentally, the capitalist economic system is based on the monetary system; just as socialism, communism, and fascism are based on the monetary system. However, capitalism remains almost entirely contingent upon the idea that competition breeds progress by supplying incentive (money) for new ideas and thus progression of society itself. This falsehood, though it may seem appealing on paper, has propelled Humankind into a new age of exploitation, manipulation, and elitist control. Just as this system has created the richest of the rich, it too has created the poorest of the poor. For, without the poor, there would be no rich. Why?—because the rich get richer off of the poor getting poorer. It is an inherent feature of the system that is too often overlooked or outright neglected. As a result, social stratification ensues and an ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor becomes manifest. As this may come to a surprise to some, it shouldn’t; for, it is the functionality of the system itself to perpetuate constant divisionary lines through the competition-based mindset. In other words, it is a natural outgrowth in any system of competition for people to get left behind with absolutely no consideration at all. Thousands of people don’t starve to death on a daily basis because of a lack of resources—this is a fallacy. Undoubtedly, this is the result of a lack of purchasing power.

     So, instead of improvidently wasting irreplaceable resources, subjecting the Human population to a system of debt slavery, and wreaking havoc on the entire global ecosystem, perhaps we should align ourselves with natural processes while living within the carrying capacity of Earth; which, by the way, is a technical issue. Again, technical problems require technical solutions—not some arbitrary law or resolution which simply plasters over problems and offers no ‘real’ insight into the root-causes of such problems. A resource-based economy, and thus the intelligent management of Earth’s resources through the liberal application of technology, will undoubtedly provide our global Posterity with an unprecedented foundation upon which a future of true advancement can flourish like never before in all of Humankind’s history. It is simply a matter of understanding.

     Well, what if we examine other economic systems, such as communism, fascism, or socialism? Unfortunately, when attempting to compare the similarities or dissimilarities of any developmental approaches that are discussed on corporate-news media or in propaganda-filled, biases-generating textbooks, it becomes evident that none of these approaches offer any truly viable solutions. Every idea advanced is still framed within the context of monetary-based economic systems and none even acknowledge that the ‘real’ problem might be the economic systems themselves (the root-cause.) Therefore, it becomes nonsensical to even compare them along any divisionary lines, because fundamentally they are all one and the same. It is like drawing imaginary divisional lines to segregate Humans based on a fallacious notion of “race;” for, when we take the most objective observation we are capable of (since it is impossible for Humans to be entirely objective,) it becomes manifest that we all are one and the same—we all simply comprise the Human Race.

     Capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism, structuralists, neo-liberalists, activist organizations, NATO, the UN, liberals, conservatives, democrats, republicans, the IMF, the WTO, the World Bank, the Federal Reserve, lobbyists, politics, democracy, freedom, patriotism, economic sanctions, Structural Adjustment Programs, war, poverty, depravation, and all the other –isms, -ists, -tions, -tys, and –cys, are symptoms of the underlying problems we face as a globally-pervasive species. As stated earlier, the only ‘real’ problems are those common to all Human Beings and the environment which sustains us all. So, how do we provide basic necessities of life and maintain the health and well-being of nearly 7-billion people while living interdependently with the environment? This is undoubtedly a technical question. And, until we realize this, linguistic plaster (our cherished Band-Aid of choice), which comes in the form of laws and resolutions, will be the paradoxical cure-all to the social diseases created by its very existence. We are but One species, sharing One planet; One system; One. I am you; you are me; and we are everything that we conceive.

War!--What is it Good for?

     Throughout the history of Humankind, war has been a purportedly inescapable plague that has devastated millions of lives; doing so recently while simultaneously destroying the environment which sustains all life on Earth. And because this supposed necessity of war has taken such an all-encompassing toll, we have been repeatedly conditioning ourselves to believe the irrational argument that it is in our “nature” to be at war. However, when we examine the fundamental factors which actually generate such propensities, it becomes clear that the environment has played the largest role influencing aberrant behavior that directly leads to war. Likewise, the environment plays an equal role influencing constructive behavior. Thus, the notion of Human “nature” is unveiled as a fallacy; for, there is no such thing as Human Nature—there is only Human behavior. And this behavior, which can be translated throughout the animal kingdom here on Earth, is undoubtedly influenced most by our environment. And so we arrive at an understanding that if all species are influenced most by the environment, and that environment is either abundant or scarce in resources or basic necessities of life, plants and animals will react accordingly because they have to; not because it is in their “nature.” Examining our own past, we find that for hundreds of thousands of years, Humans lived in a synergetic relationship with the environment as well as all other species on Earth. In other words, there was balance or equilibrium pervasive throughout the entire ecological system while the carrying capacity of the Earth was virtually self-regulating. Why? It was simply a matter of “intelligent” species’ technical capabilities; or their lack thereof. But then something happened in the mid-18th century. A revolution was taking Great Britain by storm—The Industrial Revolution.

     Until this particular point in Humankind’s history, scarcity was perhaps the most significant factor contributing to war within our own species. But, with the advent of technology capable of creating abundance with little or no Human labor, even relieving Humans from slavish conditions, it is logical to assume that war, as well as all of the tendencies and rationalizations created by scarcity, would have disappeared altogether. Sadly, this was not the case. Rather, technical capabilities flourished substantially in the 18th Century while intellectual advancement remained stagnant, at best. However, it was not until the mid-19th Century in the relatively young United States that technology began a trend of literally exponential growth that eventually led to the Middle East in the 1920’s. There, “American” and European corporations discovered and began exploiting the vast oil fields the area contained. It was only a matter of time before war would again be called upon as the only option by nations failing to find prudent ways to bridge their differences while failing concurrently to realize and then utilize technology for what it truly is: an extension of Human attributes.

     World War II ushered in a new era of economic growth due to massive exploitation by corporations that benefited directly from perpetuation of war. So, when France and England began losing grip on their colonies, the United States (specifically U.S.-based, multinational corporations) stepped in to set up a strategic alignment for a so-called “fair-share stakes” in the oil fields. But Iran sought to nationalize the oil so that Iranian citizens would directly benefit from the export profits. As this meant that the U.S. corporations’ profits would be substantially reduced, the CIA conducted a coup to oust President Mossadegh and place the former Shaw back in power. In turn, the Shaw privatized the oil fields, benefited by receiving millions of the profit, and left practically the entire Iranian citizenship with nothing to eat, contaminated water to drink, and sand for shelter.

     In the two decades following WWII, the U.S. supported the Baath Party as well as Saddam Hussein. Under intense pressure from corporations, OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) agreed in 1972 to raise the price-per-barrel from $3 to $22. As a result, Iraq decided to nationalize its own oil fields and, subsequently, Hussein was labeled a terrorist leader by the United States government. After serving for 11 years as vice president, Hussein became president and began a sweeping purge of his so-called “opponents”—Iran being attacked without provocation. In a Stockholm Case Research Institute study, it was discovered that 52 countries supplied to either Iran or Iraq; and 29 countries, including the United States, supplied both sides. A1988 policy by the U.S. Dept. of State gave massive loans to Iraq to purportedly finance agricultural and business ventures. The funds instead were used to purchase weapons, helicopters, as well as bacterial cultures. “We had no idea that Saddam Hussein would be using chemical weapons on his own people,” claimed David Welch of the State Dept. “If we had known all this, uh, well we would have made our policy quite different in 1988, I’m sure.”

     OPEC kept prices stable in 1989 by limiting the amount of oil member countries were allowed to produce. In other words, this was an organizational sanction with government approval for the pretended scarcity of crude oil. Kuwait, literally drawn out of Iraq with more imaginary lines by the British in 1928, exceeded this limit by 20% which drove down global oil prices. Knowing that Iraq lost about 80% of its oil income, the U.S. antagonistically told Iraq that there was no defense agreement between the United States and Kuwait. Any candid mind would be keen to the fact that this was obviously a means the U.S. would use to elicit an invasive response from Iraq. And, although the United States never provided any satellite pictures of the supposed Iraqi buildup of soldiers along the border of Kuwait, the first Bush Administration lied to the Saudis ultimately to gain access to Saudi Arabia and eventually secure stakes in the oil fields. In the words of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, “Oil is too important to be left to the Arabs.” So, on August 7th, the Saudi government accepted the Administration’s request and without even notifying Congress, “American” soldiers began flying in.

     Meanwhile, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, politicians attempted to plaster over problems with the same old, ineffective rhetoric. And although the idea of “peaceful resolution” seems to have been echoed throughout this convention of bureaucrats, U.S. troops were synchronously being built up in Saudi Arabia. What the United States was doing, preparing for invasion by building up troops along the Iraqi border, was exactly the reason given to “American” citizens for declaring war against Iraq! Propaganda and fear campaigning by corporate and government collusion proved once again successful in maintaining mass-ignorance. For, if “American” citizens were not bombarded with WMDs (Weapons of Mass Delusion) being dropped by their own government, perhaps these citizens would have realized that war was mounting while Congress, the body constitutionally given the responsibility of declaring war, was only just convening to begin discussion of even commitment of troops; let alone to declare war. Ultimately, the Bush Administration delusively scared nearly the entire U.N. Security Council into believing that diplomatic negotiations would be futile and that war would be the only way. And so, bombings began on January 15, 1991 at around 3:00 AM local time in Iraq. Despite assurance from the U.S. government that there would be no civilian casualties, according to former Attorney General Ramsey Clark the equivalent of seven and a half Hiroshima bombs were dropped on Iraq in just 42 days. However, these so-called “surgical strikes” turned out to be indiscriminate bombings that destroyed integral life-support systems, such as water purification, power-, even food-production plants, and killed perhaps over 100,000 civilians.

     After taking Kuwait in 24 hours, and then southern Iraq in another 24 hours, an unexpected uprising to Saddam’s regime took place on February 26th. Fearing that the premeditated plan, undeniably set up by his Administration, was going awry, Bush stopped the war the very next day and an official cease-fire was issued on the 28th. By March 3rd, a deal was obviously made by the U.S. government and Hussein’s regime. In a sudden turn of events, the U.S. then supported the regime to supposedly allow Iraqis, namely Hussein, to eliminate the rebellion in the south; as if over 100,000 allied troops would fail to achieve that end. After the war, the U.N. Security Council passed more practically useless resolutions that were meant to ease the hardship of Iraqi citizens. The council also passed Resolution 688 which allegedly established a No Fly Zone in Northern Iraq. However, Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies revealed, “There is no reference in any U.N. resolution to the establishment of No Fly Zones in Northern and Southern Iraq.” More acts; more resolutions; more sanctions; and more plaster; yet no viable solutions. In fact, Bill Hartung, an International Arms-Trade analyst stated, “After the Gulf War, U.S. arms manufacturers and the Pentagon took advantage of making new arms sales to the Middle East at the rate of about $1-billion a month.” All the while, Iraqi citizens, men, women, and children, were literally starving to death and deprived of even the most basic medical supplies. It makes one wonder how our “value” system became so distorted over the years as to render an imaginary concept such as profit superior to the well-being and tangible necessities of all Human Beings.

     On the coalition side, thousands of veterans began to report medical problems such as achy joints, memory troubles, falling ill, and that they were getting rashes with no explanation. It was later uncovered that during the 70’s and 80’s, the Pentagon began secretly testing new rounds made from a portion of the billion and a half pounds of depleted Uranium-238 which the Department of Energy had accumulated. Although the U.S. government was well aware of the extensive research conducted on rats about the fact that as a highly radioactive material, Uranium settles in the lungs, kidneys, liver, muscle, testicles, and can even travel through the placenta from mother to child, the Pentagon tried ardently to suppress this information; even its own July 1990 report which documented the potential for a ban on such radioactive material—based on an assumption that most people exposed would be soldiers and perhaps even civilians on the battlefield inhaling the dust after rounds being fired. Unfortunately, this information did not reach the soldiers; and so thousands camped in contaminated areas for up to two months with no warning or any idea at all. At the Basra General Hospital in Southern Iraq, doctors stood virtually helpless, due to economic sanctions that withheld the distribution of vital medical supplies, and were forced to stand by and watch children die at a rate of 1 or 2 a day. The radioactivity even caused an 11 year old girl to somehow contract ovarian cancer!

     In conclusion, the number of lies told by the government of our wonderful United States about the events surrounding the entire Gulf War is completely mind-numbing. But, this is just one example of the many consequences which have been the result of distorted social values, such as plutocratic mentalities, deceitfulness, exploitation, corporate aggrandizement, and misinformation, being passed down through 3 generations of Bushisms. To the elitists, corporate CEOs, and government officials, we are all simply Human guinea pigs. Even in WWII, soldiers were told to stand outside to witness atomic bomb tests; in Vietnam, Agent Orange, another fine chemical “defoliant” produced by U.S. corporations, was indiscriminately dumped all over Vietnamese and “American” soldiers alike; creating a host of health issues due to its high toxicity. Currently, 15 countries still produce ammunition out of radioactive waste. But what we must remember is this: As long as people perpetuate the notion that war is a necessity, manufacturing and selling weapons to all sides, essentially creating an unstable environment that inculcates the illusionary ideas of profit, private property, and self-interest, as well as highly misinterpreted notions of patriotism, freedom, and democracy, war will undoubtedly persist on a global scale. And, due to the latest failure in the long line of oil junkies, George W. Bush, we are now fighting two seemingly endless wars against an enemy that is so broadly defined, the next “terrorist” even has a good chance of being you—it all depends on whether you have a “valuable” resource or commodity (your Human labor) and are willing to give in to governmental and corporate demands or attempt to go against the redundant cycle of lies and corruption to become disillusioned. But, we have a chance to reclaim ourselves; to reclaim each other; and to reclaim the environment—it just depends on the choices we make as individuals in our collective system. The only ‘real’ issues are those common to all Human Beings and the environment which sustains the global ecosystem. Until this understanding becomes globally accepted, we will continue making decisions subjectively, based entirely on personal biases, insufficient information, and opinions, instead of arriving at decisions by utilizing the vast knowledge base we have accumulated over the course of our existence.

The Declaration of Interdependence

[Updated May 19, 2015]

   When in the course of Human events, a necessity for an unprecedented, immediate, and interminable global cooperation arises, that of a truly undivided people must firmly be realized to achieve goals concurrently. Human Beings of all ages, creeds, ethnicities, and governments, unified to forge Global Legislation, should bring forth a declaration of causes for separation from, and abolishment of, all constraints inhibiting positive intellectual and technological progression, and for movement towards Unity, of all Human Civilizations on Earth.

     We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Human Beings are NOT created equal; that they are, instead, evolutionary products of the Universe, and thus are equally bound by the Laws of the Universe as described by the most updated understanding of such Laws. That it is within the responsibilities of all Human Beings to Unite and ensure a future of advancement and security for all forms of life inhabiting their finite world. That to embrace the prospect of boundless knowledge for their kind strengthens the effort to thoroughly understand the fundamental structure of the Universe. That to obtain a greater understanding of the Universe yields interpretation of purpose. That the possibility of discovering purpose inspires Human Beings to become united and self-sustaining without the threat of tyranny and oppression. That when self-sufficient Governments of their world become destructive of these ends and fail to secure the well-being of all Humans, it is their right, it is their duty to alter or abolish these Systems of Government and provide a new, worldwide, Emergent System which recognizes Advancement as Derivative of ecological interdependence.

— Such has been the toleration by Human Beings; and so now becomes the necessity to alter their Systems of Government. The history of governments on planet Earth is a history of expansion scarred by material greed, power and control over the masses. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

     We have refused our Assent to the Laws of the Universe, the most wholesome and necessary for the perpetuation of Humankind. We have allowed our Legislatures to neglect passing Laws of immediate and pressing importance; and when they so shall pass such Laws, it is at the desire of lobbyists and private corporations not serving the Interests of the global public. We have allowed corrupt individuals the ability to write Legislation of unusual, uncomfortable lengths for the sole purpose of fatiguing us into compliance without understanding. We have witnessed the enslavement, indoctrination, genocide, and invasions on the rights of millions of people throughout Human history. We have ignored the fact that tens of thousands of people die every day due to preventable causes easily avoidable through technological means that modernized countries simply take for granted. We have refused for a long time, after such occurrences, to take measures to ensure well-being of all Humans worldwide and to promote an understanding that the authority of Legislative Powers ultimately resides in the People at large for the sole purpose of preventing Annihilation; our entire planet remaining in the mean time under the influence of totalitarians. We have endeavored to allow the creation of obstructions at the borders of our supposedly separated 'countries' in order to block a concerted effort to recognize the global Family of Humanity; all in the name of pretended Security from and fabricated competition against one another. We have declared War on other Human Beings for vast numbers of unjustified reasons; reasons easily resolved through finding a means to bridge the differences between us all. We have failed to acknowledge the importance of Education, Health and Technology in the future advancement of our global society. We have neglected the innate duty of responsibility to the betterment of a societal whole, unacknowledged or unbeknownst by many and abandoned by others in times of greatest importance; giving our Assent to acts of pretended legislation:

     For allowing such indecency to Humankind to continue unabated: For protecting the actions of some and attacking those same actions of others by use of loopholes and extenuating circumstances that ignore the root causes of Human Behavior: For cutting off or restricting Trade with certain parts of the world, causing death and disease, for intentions based on profit and control; not sustainability: For depriving us in many cases, of information useful to making decisions that affect Citizens and their Rights and Liberties: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses: For tolerating the abrogation of habeas corpus, Human and Civil Rights and Liberties; advocating instead Systems of Corporate Government corrupt with avarice, Injury and monetarily influenced political bureaucracy; inevitable to becoming self-destructive as all hitherto governments have: For cherishing theological ideology over logical design—the ability and responsibility of Humankind to align with Natural processes and advance itself to a level of unforeseen understanding bereft of hallowed subjugation—and neglecting to focus rather on an unabridged understanding of the underlying principles that constitute the Laws of the Universe.

     We have abdicated Government, in many instances under false pretenses of necessary Security, becoming subject to War against ourselves. We have plundered the land, ravaged the Coasts, bombed the cities and destroyed the lives of millions of people in other nations. We are at this time transporting large Armies of Mercenaries to other nations to complete the works of death and desolation, with hypocritical intentions to prevent such acts from being carried out, under circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy scarcely unparalleled to the most barbarous ages. We have excited domestic insurrections amongst ourselves due to unjust laws and advocated inequalities.

     In every stage of these Oppressions, We have, through a vast range of Organizations, Petitioned for Redress in the most Humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury.

     We have been warned time and again of attempts by our legislatures to extend unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the conditions of our Assent to only fair and just Laws. We have appealed for honorable justice and magnanimity and they have been deaf to the voice of reason and logic. Therefore, we must denounce Separation of Nations and Society, Unite the Governments of Humankind, and provide safeguards for the future of our Posterity.

     We, the Representatives of planet Earth, in Council, Assembled, appealing to Humans of Earth for sanction of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Sovereign Authority of all Humans from all Nations, solemnly publish and declare, that all separate Nations are, and of Right ought to be United; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to oppressive institutions, and Recognize that as a single species sharing a single planet with millions of other species, We, Humans, with the capacity to affect global ecological change, have a specific Responsibility to Manage and Maintain, as much as technologically possible, Global Ecological Synergy; that all Social, Ecological, Economic, Political, and thus any other connections between Humankind, all species on Earth, and the environment as a whole, which have the potential to create a propensity to act against Natural processes, such as States, are and ought to be totally evaluated on a global scale and updated, changed, or discarded as necessary; and that as Sovereign Humans bound to a single, common, logical, Nature-derived Understanding based upon strategic resource evaluation, management and sharing, they have a fundamental Duty to provide Access to the Necessities of Life to all Humans without exception, to promote Peaceful, Global Cooperation, and to ensure a Dynamic Equilibrium of Harmony with Earth. And for the support of this Declaration, we, the people of Earth, pledge to each other our Lives, our Guidance, and our Knowledge.

Monetary Paramnesia

     Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution; for what?—so that the Human species can obliterate every other life-form on this planet’s chance of survival by the pervasive brain-melting spoon-fed to the general public through Everything, Inc.? Ignorant and complacently accepting the current worldwide situation as ‘the way it goes’ (you know, the endless expansion of the Global Empire of Corporations, war, poverty, corruption, crime, exploitation, etcetera), most of us are completely unaware of the manipulative, environmentally devastating decisions made every single day by the “privileged” in monetary hegemony. However, even fewer are those that apprehend the fundamental nature of the institutionalized practice of money creation present in almost every monetary system established in the world—fractional reserve banking. Being such an all-encompassing concept, it is quite disappointing that the monetary system continues to be the most accepted, unquestioned, misunderstood, socially destructive ideologies in existence—hand-in-hand with religion. Yet our problems continue as we pretend to “solve” them with money as the first, last, and only resort. In any given situation, we feel that throwing money at it will somehow magically make everything all better. If that doesn’t work, we throw bombs and bullets. When that is finished, we again throw money at the aftermath and call ourselves “patriotic” for cleaning up our own socially and environmentally destructive wake. How delusional are we? Examining case studies concerning virtually any country on Earth, one thing is strikingly clear: money is the key factor contributing to both the problems and the solutions to those problems. How can this be, though? How can something be a solution to a problem if the problem is caused by that which is the solution? It seems like a contradiction in terms; but, this stupefying paradox is undoubtedly the global situation—that is: literally, a figment of our collective imagination subjugates the entire Human population and dictates the future of all life on Earth while almost no one stops to think about how the system itself even operates; day, after day, after day. So, if we are to compare any countries to one another, we should logically begin by realizing the common thread and examining the most fundamental factor of all: how money is created in a fractional reserve banking system. For, a full understanding of this process would elucidate just how mind-numbingly pointless the entire concept is; especially if we are to make a genuine attempt at prudently redefining sustainability as ‘access, not excess’ with total respect for the environment, and achieving global intellectual and technological equilibrium.

  The history of bartering, and thus monetary conceptualization, is shrouded in misinterpretation and assumptions. Why?—because the histories of practically all other ideologies (e.g., religions, economies, governments, etc.,) are undeniably subject to interpretation and personal biases. Even this essay could be considered biased and subjective; it depends on individual perspectives. In other words, interpretation is relative. Thus, two millennia of mistranslations, edits, and manipulations have distorted the collective “value” system and led virtually all of Humankind to fallaciously consider the following to be factual:

1. There is a “god” that coordinates everything according to what Human Beings have rewritten repeatedly in books deemed “scripture”;

2. Money is a fundamental necessity or resource;

3. Economics is a science; and,

4. Government is a requirement for order to exist in society.

Of course, we will only concern ourselves with money, although expositions of the other topics would be quite entertaining.

     Let us begin by realizing that during the initial stages of trade, coining money had not been developed technically. Hence, a trade of physical objects believed to have similar intrinsic “value” based on actual necessity took place. However, lugging around heavy objects for trade was difficult in early non-technical societies around the world. As technological capabilities increased, eventually allowing Humans to extract “rare” elements such as gold and silver through Human labor, an increase in the intrinsic “value” of such elements logically followed. Early civilizations recognized the fact that trading these smaller, more valuable units was much more efficient in regards to the transportation of goods. Through centuries of bartering and coin trade, the concept of value almost inevitably found itself placed upon land, commodities, resources and even the lives of a plethora of animal species around the planet; including our very own. This represented the dawn of an entirely new era in the history of Humankind: the age of private property.

     Eventually, technical innovation in the field of printing allowed the expansion of this concept at a never-before-seen rate. Money, which represented a means to “purchase” property and goods, could now be printed and traded while the intrinsic value represented on such paper was actually held in so-called “precious” metals guaranteed by the supplier (banks). Originally, money was only printed in direct proportion to such valuable metals as they were acquired; however, as we will soon see, this is no longer the story. In any case, however, those who control the money supply, control everything. If this was not true, history would be much different and you would surely not be sitting here reading my essay in the good ole’ United States of America—at least the U.S.A. we all complacently think we know and love. In fact, the only time in the history of the United States that the national debt was entirely paid off was during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, who was opposed to a central banking system and successfully dismantled the Second National Bank for many of the reasons that have manifested throughout the years since. Then, in 1913, Congress enacted the Federal Reserve Act, establishing a foundation upon which a system of currency control could be built—the United States Federal Reserve System, whose mission statement was “to provide for the establishment of Federal reserve banks, to furnish an elastic cur¬rency, to afford means of rediscounting commercial paper, to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes.” (It is strange that so many bills passed by Congress have left a highly questionable, hypthetical ellipses at the end of the statement “and for other purposes” while never fully outlining what these “other purposes” are. Essentially, that task is left for the general public to discern by spending countless hours sifting through 1000+ page bills filled with references to other 1000+ page bills or by receiving daily doses of sugar-coated, almost subliminally corruptive propaganda via corporate-sponsored, private news media.) Summarily, the Federal Reserve served and still serves as the central bank of the United States. From the outset, the goal of the government in implementation of this system was to institutionalize the practice of money creation in a fractional reserve banking system while dealing with any inherent problems. It was not until 1961 that this particular system was detailed and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in one of the most unknown books ever released here in the United States: Modern Money Mechanics.

     So, what is money? Everyone is always clamoring about ‘money this; money that’ but very few actually sit down and think about how to truly define the term money. No worries; Modern Money Mechanics has that covered by giving the following definition: “If money is viewed simply as a tool used to facilitate transactions, only those media that are readily accepted in exchange for goods, services, and other assets need to be considered…Today, in the United States, money used in transactions is mainly of three kinds - currency (paper money and coins in the pockets and purses of the public); demand deposits (non-interest bearing checking accounts in banks); and other checkable deposits, such as negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts, at all depository institutions, including commercial and savings banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions (page 1).” In other words, money exists as transaction accounts and currency. Transaction accounts include personal checking as well as savings and loan accounts at member financial institutions while currency is physical paper or coin money held by the public.

     Now that we have a general understanding of what money is, the next logical question arises. What gives money value? How this workbook answers this question is perhaps the most insidious slap in the face to the general public that anyone could ever administer. On page 2, the message is quite clear: “In the United States neither paper currency nor deposits have value as commodities. Intrinsically, a dollar bill is just a piece of paper, deposits merely book entries. Coins do have some intrinsic value as metal, but generally far less than their face value.” You may be wondering where the acceptability of face value stems from. The short hand answer is nowhere; but the book sums the real answer up much more effectively: “Mainly, it is the confidence people have that they will be able to exchange such money for other financial assets and for real goods and services whenever they choose to do so (page 2).” And there it is; confidence of the general public is where money derives value—well, sort of. For, this story is only beginning.

     Value is partially derived from scarcity of a good (or money) in relation to its usefulness. “Control of the quantity of money is essential if its value is to be kept stable. Money's real value can be measured only in terms of what it will buy. Therefore, its value varies inversely with the general level of prices (page 2).” Thus, devaluation is built into the system itself and is literally impossible to stop. The book continues, “If…growth in the supply of money does not keep pace with the economy's current production, then prices will fall, the nation's labor force, factories, and other production facilities will not be fully employed, or both (page 3).” The true scope of this situation just continues to grow evermore dimly as our analysis reveals the truth that job loss and inflation too are inherent in this system.

     Understanding what money is and how money derives value, it now becomes necessary to examine where our money comes from. Who makes our money? As mentioned earlier, when the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) came into existence in 1913, its primary role was to act as the central bank of the U.S. In the Federal Reserve Act, the U.S. government granted the Fed sole responsibility for regulating the printing and distribution of currency. Since then, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) have been printing and distributing what are known as Federal Reserve Notes. Very clearly on every bill printed by this institution it is inscribed with the words, “This note is legal tender for all debts public, or private.” So what do these all-too-often overlooked terms “note” and “legal tender” mean? Quite simply a note is any piece of paper arbitrarily assigned a certain “value” based on the arrangement of symbols and denominations which represents an obligation to repay a loan (debt) to the sum of the printed value--a promissory note. Legal tender is any note or good offered to repay a debt. Therefore, Federal Reserve Notes have absolutely nothing of real intrinsic value (e.g. gold, silver) to back up the value displayed by such symbols and denominations which, in reality, depict the amount of debt owed to the Federal Reserve by the U.S. Treasury. In other terms, the money printed by the Federal Reserve is known as “fiat” currency; or artful pieces of fabric with no “real” value yet sanctioned by our government to be legal tender. It may sound hard to believe, but this is only where the deception begins. For, to better comprehend this system, we will now examine how our money is re-created in a fractional reserve banking system. In truth, this is perhaps the most genius yet socially destructive concept to have ever been designed. However, just take a look around at the current global situation across all societies and ask yourself whether or not there may be a better way.

     Modern Money Mechanics goes into an exhaustingly long explication of the beautifully crafted process behind the creation of money. Sparing most of the economic jargon, the process can be chiseled down to a few paragraphs. First, the U.S. Treasury (government) requests a loan from the Fed for literally any amount; let’s say $1-billion. If the Treasury is approved for the loan, the Fed requires what are known as “government securities” in order for the transaction to take place. These government securities come in the convenient form of “bonds”—other artful pieces of fabric printed with fancy symbols and denominations that are suddenly given a value of $1-billion out of thin air. After printing these bonds, the government sends them over to the Federal Reserve. When the Fed receives these bonds, it prints up the artsy pieces of fabric mentioned earlier called Federal Reserve Notes, which are also magically given a value of $1-billion, and sends them over to the government. Once this transaction takes place, the government then deposits the newly acquired money into the Treasury Transactions & Loan (TT&L) account at the Federal Reserve. Tada! $1-billion dollars are injected into the money supply after literally being created out of thin air and instantly become available for new loans. This is known as the “principal” money supply. (Although physical money is still created in this fashion, the process has become instantaneous through the propagation of digital currency. The entire process just described happens on a secure digital network (the FedWire) between the Fed and the Treasury or other member financial institutions. Basically, digital bits are suddenly given intrinsic value in virtually the same manner as physical currency—out of thin air. Committing to the idea of digital bits of information gaining some sort of “value” while travelling through network servers connecting banks to the Fed is a surefire indicator of how insane our society is. But, it is much easier to just swipe a piece of plastic than to fumble around with such a nuisance as actual money; isn’t it?)

     Once the deposit is made, as determined by the Federal Reserve guidelines, the financial institution is required to retain a stated percentage of this deposit in a reserve account set up at the Federal Reserve; essentially releasing the remaining percentage for recirculation as new loans. The book states on page 6, “Under current regulations, the reserve requirement for most transaction accounts is 10 percent.” Therefore, of the $1-billion deposited, $100-million are actually deposited into a reserve account while $900-million are labeled “excess reserves” and become available for loans. What really happens, though, is that the $900-million do not actually come out of the initial deposit and are not in reality used for the loans. Essentially, the initial deposit stands and $900-million are created on top of the $1-billion (this is known as the expansion multiplier.) In theory, this expansion can go on forever, but in general roughly nine (9) times the original deposit ($1-billion in our example) can be created on top of the deposit itself (+$9-billion.)

(See Cumulative Expansion chart on Page 11 in Modern Money Mechanics)

     “Of course they [banks] do not really pay out loans from the money they receive as deposits. If they did this, no additional money would be created. What they do when they make loans is to accept promissory notes in exchange for credits to the borrower’s transaction accounts (page 6).” Therefore, the money for loans is admittedly created out of thin air and exchanged for loan contracts. In other words, money is created out of debt. This debt is ultimately owed to the Federal Reserve by the U.S. Treasury. But, is this debt ever capable of repayment if the money was created by the debt itself through the initial loan? Of course not; and that is the point. As long as currency remains in circulation, even a single dollar, it means that there is a debt owed at least to the sum of the denomination printed on the currency. Simply stated, if the debt owed to financial institutions around the globe were paid in full, not a single penny would be in circulation.

     Thus far, it has been established that money is quite literally created by the Fed out of thin air through loans or debt. The money retains no intrinsic value, has no gold or silver to back up the printed value, and is essentially just a 75% cotton/25% linen composition with colorful ink and misunderstood symbols sanctioned by the U.S. government to serve as “legal tender.” The money is then exchanged for government securities (other fancy pieces of fabric printed by the government) which represent intent to repay this debt. Therefore, every dollar in circulation is and always will be owed to the Fed by the Treasury. Finally, the money supply is increased by an imaginary factor called the “expansion multiplier” which creates even more money out of thin air. The book proceeds to explain variables and actions which affect the expansion or contraction of reserves as well as the money supply itself, but it is clear that if the foundation of this process rests in the fact that money is created out of debt, there remains but a single question: If money is initially created out of a loan for x-amount of dollars, representing the principal money supply, where does the money come from to pay for any interest (y-amount) tacked on to any loans given to the government or the public by lending institutions (x + y)? The answer is simple: it never existed in the first place. In order to pay for such interest, a new loan is required which also comes with more interest. And so an endless cycle of debt through loans is maintained so that new loans are always necessary.

     On page 15, it is stated, “When most people think of money, they think of currency. Contrary to this popular impression, however, transaction deposits are the most significant part of the money stock…Since the most important component of money is transaction deposits, and since these deposits must be supported by reserves, the central bank's influence over money hinges on its control over the total amount of reserves and the conditions under which banks can obtain them.” What this basically insinuates is that the currency in circulation as physical money bears no relevancy in regards to the reserve accounts of financial institutions at the Federal Reserve. The real money stock lies in these “transaction accounts” that include all of the investment stocks which are traded daily by brokers on Wall Street that contribute absolutely nothing at all to the well-being or advancement of society. In other words, the root cause of a vast majority of crimes committed in the United States (physical cash) is merely prestidigitation being performed by the most powerful, imaginary magician of them all—the United States Federal Reserve. Tell that to the private security contractors, privatized prison system workers, government officials, elitists, and multinational corporation execs raking in billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars while 16,000 children die every single day around the world from malnutrition, preventable diseases, and downright neglect; tell that to the hundreds of thousands of people who are murdered yearly for the "paper" in their wallets; tell that to over 2-billion people living on less than $2 a day. Just 1% of the United States’ defense budget, which would be about $6.638-billion, would be suffice to construct hydroponic agricultural systems that could soon-after feed every single starving person on Earth. Instead of finding effective, prudent ways for Humankind to truly prosper and provide the highest standard of living and sustainability to ourselves and global Posterity, we continue subserviently shifting pieces of cotton around in justification for killing even more people by going to war—perhaps the most profitable industry ever; for destroying the entire ecosystem of Earth because it is cheaper dumping our trash into lakes, rivers and oceans; and for literally burning through depleting resources at an increasing rate. Do you think any of these people in economic or monetary hegemony truly give a shit? Clearly, the answer is a resounding FUCK NO. The real question to ask is this: Do any of us give a shit?

     Here’s a thought experiment: Take a $100 bill, for instance. If you and I are sitting at a table and I rip the $100 bill in half and place one of the two halves on the tabletop, could you tell me what it is now worth? Would you say it is worth $50?—Of course not; you could not take this half into a bank, demand $50 in exchange for the half, and expect to be given this amount. One of two things would likely happen: 1. a banker would inform you of the 'illegality' of defacing supposedly 'Federal' currency and attempting to fraudulently perform a transaction with the defaced bill; or 2. a banker would tell you it would not even be worth a single dollar. Next, I lay the other half down on the table and again ask the value. Does this simple act mean full value suddenly appears out of nowhere just because the other half is present? Strangely enough, it does. If you think about it, no one would refuse to take a $100 split in half because with a piece of tape, the bill would magically be as good as new—still worthless yet legal tender to the sum of the printed denomination. Now I take a $1 bill and rip it in half as well. With a piece of tape, I connect one half of the $100 bill with one half of the $1 bill. The obvious question is what is it worth? Is it $50.50?—definitely not. Again it would be unacceptable and deemed worthless. But let’s use gold leaf tape to fasten the halves of the $100 bill back together. Once more, what is it worth; $100?—If so, then what about the value of the tape that was used; is it simply lost to the bill itself? How? And if you don't know, then who does? The idea that value can spring into existence out of thin air and disappear without a trace is completely absurd. Yet this is exactly how money itself is created in the first place and given value. The same fabric that is used to print $1 bills is also used to print $100 bills. The presidents whose faces adorn U.S. currency would more than likely be outraged by the fact that their images are used to perpetuate such a globally destructive scam.

     Sadly, we live in a sick, insane society which clings desperately to such disuniting concepts as individual self-interest, private property, class stratification, free-market trade, corporate aggrandizement, and competition—all stemming inevitably from monetary systems. Not only the fractional reserve banking system, but any monetary system at all is not, never has been, and never will be a fundamental necessity in regards to the distribution of resources. Money is not a resource. Nor is the monetary system a viable solution for any problems other than those used for calculating interest rates. People need access to not excess of the necessities of life. Excess in any monetary system naturally is found in the hands of the few at the expense of the many; thus, perpetuation of class distinctions as well as antagonistic sentiments toward the have-nots by the haves is undoubtedly inherent. We need to take an unprecedented step back and start looking at the Earth as a single organism comprised of many different, interdependent components; for that is exactly what this majestic planet naturally is. Human Beings are but a single species. Yet the choices we collectively make or allow to be made affect literally every single other species of plant and animal life in the global ecosystem. This is perhaps the fundamental difference between us and all other life on Earth. We hold the fate of this entire planet in our hands, but risk destroying it all for a bunch of worthless fabric.