All language subtitles for Zeitgeist.Moving.Forward.2011.1080p.WEBRip.x264-RARBG

-DEADLY RIOTS OVER
THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN

TO AVOID
DEFAULTING ON ITS LOANS...

-...IS THAT
THE UNEMPLOYMENT KEEPS RISING,

AND IT HAS TO KEEP RISING,

JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE
AN EXCESS SUPPLY OF GOODS...

-THIS IS ALL BORROWED MONEY
THAT OUR KIDS...

-AND THAT DEBT IS OWNED
BY BANKS IN OTHER COUNTRIES...

-M-O-N-E-Y,

IN THE FORM OF A CONVENIENT
PERSONAL LOAN...

-A FILTER CIGARETTE
THAT DELIVERS THE TASTE...

-45 MALT LIQUOR...

-ARE YOU HOT?

-IS THE U.S.
PLANNING TO BOMB IRAN?

-...QUITE SOME TIME TIME AGO
BY A PSYCHOLOGIST...

-AMERICA IS SPONSORING
TERROR ATTACKS IN IRAN...

-I FIRST LEARNED IT
FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.

NOW, MY GRANDMOTHER
WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON.

SHE TAUGHT ME
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME "MONOPOLY."

SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE
NAME OF THE GAME IS TO ACQUIRE.

SHE WOULD ACCUMULATE EVERYTHING
SHE COULD,

AND, EVENTUALLY, SHE BECAME
THE MASTER OF THE BOARD.

AND THEN SHE WOULD ALWAYS
SAY THE SAME THING TO ME.

SHE'D LOOK AT ME, AND SHE'D SAY,

"ONE DAY,
YOU'LL LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME."

ONE SUMMER, I PLAYED MONOPOLY
ALMOST EVERY DAY, ALL DAY LONG,

AND THAT SUMMER,
I LEARNED TO PLAY THE GAME.

I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THE ONLY
WAY TO WIN

IS TO MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT
TO ACQUISITION.

I CAME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT MONEY AND POSSESSIONS --

THAT'S THE WAY
THAT YOU KEEP SCORE.

AND BY THE END OF THAT SUMMER,

I WAS MORE RUTHLESS
THAN MY GRANDMOTHER.

I WAS READY TO BEND THE RULES,
IF I HAD TO, TO WIN THAT GAME.

AND I SAT DOWN WITH HER TO PLAY,
THAT FALL.

I TOOK EVERYTHING SHE HAD.

I WATCHED HER GIVE HER LAST
DOLLAR AND QUIT IN UTTER DEFEAT.

AND THEN SHE HAD
ONE MORE THING TO TEACH ME.

THEN SHE SAID,

"NOW IT ALL
GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

ALL THOSE HOUSES AND HOTELS,

ALL THE RAILROADS
AND UTILITY COMPANIES,

ALL THAT PROPERTY,
AND ALL THAT WONDERFUL MONEY --

NOW IT ALL
GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

NONE OF IT WAS REALLY YOURS.

YOU GOT ALL HEATED UP
ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE...

BUT IT WAS AROUND A LONG TIME

BEFORE YOU SAT DOWN
AT THE BOARD,

AND IT WILL BE HERE
AFTER YOU'RE GONE.

PLAYERS COME, PLAYERS GO.

HOUSES AND CARS...

TITLES AND CLOTHES...

EVEN YOUR BODY."

'CAUSE THE FACT IS

THAT EVERYTHING
I CLUTCH AND CONSUME AND HOARD

IS GONNA GO BACK IN THE BOX,
AND I'M GOING TO LOSE IT ALL.

SO, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF,

WHEN YOU FINALLY GET
THE ULTIMATE PROMOTION,

WHEN YOU'VE MADE
THE ULTIMATE PURCHASE,

WHEN YOU BUY THE ULTIMATE HOME,

WHEN YOU HAVE STORED UP
FINANCIAL SECURITY

AND CLIMBED
THE LADDER OF SUCCESS

TO THE HIGHEST RUNG
YOU CAN POSSIBLY CLIMB IT,

AND THE THRILL WEARS OFF --

AND IT WILL WEAR OFF --

THEN WHAT?

HOW FAR DO YOU
HAVE TO WALK DOWN THAT ROAD

BEFORE YOU SEE WHERE IT LEADS?

SURELY YOU UNDERSTAND
IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH.

SO YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF
THE QUESTION --

WHAT MATTERS?

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ CHILD LAUGHING ]

-WHEN I WAS A YOUNG MAN
GROWING UP IN NEW YORK CITY,

I REFUSED TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
TO THE FLAG.

OF COURSE, I WAS SENT TO THE
PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE,

AND HE ASKED ME,

"WHY DON'T YOU
WANT TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE?

EVERYBODY DOES."

I SAID, "EVERYBODY ONCE BELIEVED
THE EARTH WAS FLAT,

BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT SO."

I EXPLAINED THAT AMERICA
OWED EVERYTHING IT HAS

TO OTHER CULTURES
AND OTHER NATIONS,

AND THAT I WOULD RATHER
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE EARTH

AND EVERYONE ON IT.

NEEDLESS TO SAY,

IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE I LEFT SCHOOL ENTIRELY

AND I SET UP
A LAB IN MY BEDROOM.

THERE, I BEGAN TO LEARN ABOUT
SCIENCE AND NATURE.

I REALIZED THEN THAT THE
UNIVERSE IS GOVERNED BY LAWS

AND THAT THE HUMAN BEING,
ALONG WITH SOCIETY ITSELF,

WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM THESE LAWS.

THEN CAME THE CRASH OF 1929,

WHICH BEGAN WHAT WE NOW CALL
"THE GREAT DEPRESSION."

I FOUND IT DIFFICULT
TO UNDERSTAND

WHY MILLIONS WERE OUT OF WORK,
HOMELESS, STARVING,

WHILE ALL THE FACTORIES
WERE SITTING THERE.

THE RESOURCES WERE UNCHANGED.

IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED

THAT THE RULES OF THE ECONOMIC
GAME WERE INHERENTLY INVALID.

SHORTLY AFTER CAME WORLD WAR II,
WHERE VARIOUS NATIONS TOOK TURNS

SYSTEMATICALLY DESTROYING
EACH OTHER.

I LATER CALCULATED

THAT ALL THE DESTRUCTION
AND WASTED RESOURCES

SPENT ON THAT WAR

COULD HAVE EASILY PROVIDED FOR
EVERY HUMAN NEED ON THE PLANET.

SINCE THAT TIME,

I HAVE WATCHED HUMANITY SET THE
STAGE FOR ITS OWN EXTINCTION.

I HAVE WATCHED AS THE PRECIOUS
FINITE RESOURCES

ARE PERPETUALLY
WASTED AND DESTROYED

IN THE NAME
OF PROFIT AND FREE MARKETS.

I HAVE WATCHED
THE SOCIAL VALUES OF SOCIETY

BE REDUCED INTO
A BASE ARTIFICIALITY

OF MATERIALISM
AND MINDLESS CONSUMPTION.

AND I HAVE WATCHED
AS THE MONETARY POWERS

CONTROL THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE
OF SUPPOSEDLY FREE SOCIETIES.

I'M 94 YEARS OLD NOW,
AND I'M AFRAID MY DISPOSITION

IS THE SAME
AS IT WAS 75 YEARS AGO.

THIS SHIT'S GOT TO GO.

-SO, YOU'RE A SCIENTIST,
AND, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY,

HAMMERED INTO YOUR HEAD

IS THE INEVITABLE
"NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,"

AND THAT'S AT LEAST UP THERE
WITH "COKE VERSUS PEPSI"

OR "GREEKS VERSUS TROJANS."

SO, NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,

THIS, BY NOW,
UTTERLY OVERSIMPLIFYING VIEW

OF WHERE INFLUENCES ARE --

INFLUENCES ON HOW A CELL DEALS
WITH AN ENERGY CRISIS

UP TO WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE

ON THE MOST INDIVIDUALISTIC
LEVELS OF PERSONALITY.

AND WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS THIS
COMPLETE FALSE DICHOTOMY

BUILT AROUND NATURE
AS DETERMINISTIC

AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF ALL THE
CAUSALITY OF LIFE.

THERE'S DNA
AND THE CODE OF CODES

AND THE HOLY GRAIL,
AND EVERYTHING IS DRIVEN BY IT,

AND, AT THE OTHER END,

A MUCH MORE SOCIAL-SCIENCE
PERSPECTIVE,

WHICH IS WE ARE SOCIAL
ORGANISMS,

AND BIOLOGY IS FOR SLIME MOLDS.

HUMANS ARE FREE OF BIOLOGY.

AND, OBVIOUSLY,
BOTH VIEWS ARE NONSENSE.

WHAT YOU SEE INSTEAD

IS IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO UNDERSTAND HOW BIOLOGY WORKS

OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT
OF ENVIRONMENT.

ONE OF THE MOST CRAZY-MAKING,
YET WIDESPREAD

AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
NOTIONS IS,

"OH, THAT BEHAVIOR IS GENETIC."

NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IT MEANS ALL SORTS OF SUBTLE
STUFF

IF YOU, SORT OF, KNOW MODERN
BIOLOGY,

BUT, FOR MOST PEOPLE OUT THERE,
WHAT IT WINDS UP MEANING

IS A DETERMINISTIC VIEW OF LIFE,

ONE ROOTED
IN BIOLOGY AND GENETICS --

GENES EQUAL THINGS
THAT CAN'T BE CHANGED.

GENES EQUAL THINGS
THAT ARE INEVITABLE,

AND THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT
WASTE RESOURCES TRYING TO FIX --

MIGHT AS WELL NOT PUT SOCIETAL
ENERGIES INTO TRYING TO IMPROVE,

BECAUSE IT'S INEVITABLE,
IT'S UNCHANGEABLE.

AND THAT IS SHEER NONSENSE.

-IT IS WIDELY THOUGHT

THAT CONDITIONS LIKE ADHD
ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED,

CONDITIONS LIKE SCHIZOPHRENIA
ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED.

THE TRUTH IS THE OPPOSITE.

NOTHING IS GENETICALLY
PROGRAMMED.

THEY'RE VERY RARE DISEASES.

I MEAN, A SMALL HANDFUL,

EXTREMELY SPARSELY REPRESENTED
IN THE POPULATION,

THAT ARE TRULY GENETICALLY
DETERMINED.

MOST COMPLEX CONDITIONS
MIGHT HAVE A PREDISPOSITION

THAT HAS A GENETIC COMPONENT,

BUT A PREDISPOSITION IS NOT
THE SAME AS A PREDETERMINATION.

THE WHOLE SEARCH

FOR THE SOURCE OF DISEASES IN
THE GENOME WAS DOOMED TO FAILURE

BEFORE ANYBODY
EVEN THOUGHT OF IT

BECAUSE MOST DISEASES ARE NOT
GENETICALLY PREDETERMINED.

HEART DISEASE, CANCERS, STROKES,

RHEUMATOID CONDITIONS,

AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS
IN GENERAL,

MENTAL-HEALTH CONDITIONS,
ADDICTIONS --

THESE ARE NONE OF THEM
GENETICALLY DETERMINED.

BREAST CANCER, FOR EXAMPLE --

OUT OF 100 WOMEN
WITH BREAST CANCER,

ONLY SEVEN WILL CARRY
THE BREAST-CANCER GENES.

93 DO NOT.

AND OUT OF 100 WOMEN
WHO DO HAVE THE GENES,

NOT ALL OF THEM WILL GET CANCER.

-GENES ARE NOT JUST
THINGS THAT MAKE US BEHAVE

IN A PARTICULAR WAY,
REGARDLESS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

GENES GIVE US DIFFERENT WAYS OF
RESPONDING TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.

AND, IN FACT, IT LOOKS AS IF

SOME OF THE EARLY-CHILDHOOD
INFLUENCES

AND THE KIND OF CHILD-REARING

AFFECT GENE EXPRESSION --

ACTUALLY TURNING ON AND OFF
DIFFERENT GENES --

TO PUT YOU ON A DIFFERENT
DEVELOPMENTAL TRACK,

WHICH MAY SUIT THE KIND OF WORLD
YOU'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH.

-SO, FOR EXAMPLE,

A STUDY DONE IN MONTREAL
WITH SUICIDE VICTIMS

LOOKED AT AUTOPSIES
OF THE BRAINS OF THESE PEOPLE,

AND IT TURNED OUT
THAT IF A SUICIDE VICTIM --

THESE ARE USUALLY
YOUNG ADULTS --

HAD BEEN ABUSED AS CHILDREN,

THE ABUSE ACTUALLY CAUSED
A GENETIC CHANGE IN THE BRAIN

THAT WAS ABSENT IN THE BRAINS OF
PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT BEEN ABUSED.

THAT'S AN EPIGENETIC EFFECT.

"EPI" MEANS "ON TOP OF,"

SO THAT THE EPIGENETIC INFLUENCE
IS WHAT HAPPENS ENVIRONMENTALLY

TO EITHER ACTIVATE
OR DEACTIVATE CERTAIN GENES.

-IN NEW ZEALAND,
THERE'S A STUDY THAT WAS DONE

IN A TOWN CALLED DUNEDIN,

IN WHICH
A FEW THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS

WERE STUDIED FROM BIRTH
UP TO THEIR -- INTO THEIR 20s.

WHAT THEY FOUND WAS
THAT THEY COULD IDENTIFY

A GENETIC MUTATION,
AN ABNORMAL GENE,

WHICH DID HAVE SOME RELATION

TO THE PREDISPOSITION
TO COMMIT VIOLENCE,

BUT ONLY IF THE INDIVIDUAL

HAD ALSO BEEN SUBJECTED
TO SEVERE CHILD ABUSE.

IN OTHER WORDS,

A CHILD WITH THIS ABNORMAL GENE

WOULD BE NO MORE LIKELY TO BE
VIOLENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE,

AND, IN FACT, THEY ACTUALLY
HAD A LOWER RATE OF VIOLENCE

THAN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL GENES,

AS LONG AS THEY
WEREN'T ABUSED AS CHILDREN.

-GREAT ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE
OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GENES

ARE NOT "BE ALL, END ALL" --

FANCY TECHNIQUE WHERE YOU CAN

TAKE A SPECIFIC GENE
OUT OF A MOUSE,

THAT MOUSE AND ITS DESCENDANTS
WILL NOT HAVE THAT GENE.

YOU HAVE KNOCKED OUT THAT GENE.

SO, THERE'S THIS ONE GENE
THAT CODES FOR A PROTEIN,

THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO
WITH LEARNING AND MEMORY,

AND --
THIS FABULOUS DEMONSTRATION --

KNOCK OUT THAT GENE,

AND YOU HAVE A MOUSE
THAT DOESN'T LEARN AS WELL.

OOH, A GENETIC BASIS
FOR INTELLIGENCE!

WHAT WAS MUCH LESS APPRECIATED
IN THAT LANDMARK STUDY

THAT GOT PICKED UP BY THE MEDIA
LEFT AND RIGHT

IS TAKE THOSE
GENETICALLY IMPAIRED MICE

AND RAISE THEM
IN A MUCH MORE ENRICHED,

STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT THAN
YOUR NORMAL MICE IN A LAB CAGE,

AND THEY COMPLETELY
OVERCAME THAT DEFICIT.

SO, WHEN ONE SAYS, IN A
CONTEMPORARY SENSE,

THAT "OH, THIS BEHAVIOR IS
GENETIC" --

TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT'S EVEN
A VALID SORT OF PHRASE TO USE,

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS,

"THERE IS A GENETIC CONTRIBUTION

TO HOW THIS ORGANISM
RESPONDS TO ENVIRONMENT,

GENES MAY INFLUENCE THE
READINESS WITH WHICH AN ORGANISM

WILL DEAL WITH A CERTAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE."

YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE VERSION
MOST PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR MINDS,

AND, NOT TO BE TOO SOAPBOXING,

BUT RUN WITH THE OLD, SORT OF,
VERSION OF "IT'S GENETIC,"

AND IT'S NOT THAT FAR FROM

THE HISTORY OF EUGENICS
AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.

IT'S A WIDESPREAD MISCONCEPTION,

AND IT'S A POTENTIALLY
FAIRLY DANGEROUS ONE.

-ONE REASON THAT THE,

SORT OF, BIOLOGICAL
EXPLANATION FOR VIOLENCE --

ONE REASON THAT HYPOTHESIS
IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS --

IT'S NOT JUST MISLEADING,
IT CAN REALLY DO HARM --

IS BECAUSE IF YOU BELIEVE THAT,
YOU COULD VERY EASILY SAY,

"WELL, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO

TO CHANGE THE PREDISPOSITION
PEOPLE HAVE TO BECOMING VIOLENT.

ALL WE CAN DO, IF SOMEBODY
BECOMES VIOLET, IS PUNISH THEM."

YOU KNOW,
LOCK THEM UP OR EXECUTE THEM.

"BUT WE DON'T NEED
TO WORRY ABOUT

CHANGING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
OR THE SOCIAL PRECONDITIONS

THAT MAY LEAD PEOPLE
TO BECOME VIOLENT,

BECAUSE THAT'S IRRELEVANT."

-THE GENETIC ARGUMENT ALLOWS US
THE LUXURY

OF IGNORING PAST AND PRESENT
HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS,

AND, IN THE WORDS
OF LOUIS MENAND,

WHO WROTE IN THE NEW YORKER,
VERY ASTUTELY, HE SAID,

"IT'S ALL IN THE GENES --

AN EXPLANATION FOR THE WAY
THINGS ARE

THAT DOES NOT THREATEN
THE WAY THINGS ARE.

WHY SHOULD SOMEONE FEEL UNHAPPY
OR ENGAGE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

WHEN THAT PERSON IS LIVING

IN THE FREEST AND MOST
PROSPEROUS NATION ON EARTH?

IT CAN'T BE THE SYSTEM!

THERE MUST BE A FLAW
IN THE WIRING SOMEWHERE."

WHICH IS A GOOD WAY
OF PUTTING IT.

SO, THE GENETIC ARGUMENT
IS SIMPLY A COP-OUT

WHICH ALLOWS US TO IGNORE

THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL FACTORS

THAT, IN FACT, UNDERLIE
MANY TROUBLESOME BEHAVIORS.

ADDICTIONS ARE USUALLY

CONSIDERED
TO BE A DRUG-RELATED ISSUE,

BUT,
LOOKING AT IT MORE BROADLY,

I DEFINE ADDICTION

AS ANY BEHAVIOR
THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CRAVING,

WITH TEMPORARY RELIEF,

AND WITH LONG-TERM
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

ALONG WITH AN IMPAIRMENT
OF CONTROL OVER IT,

SO THAT THE PERSON
WISHES TO GIVE IT UP,

OR PROMISES TO DO SO,
BUT CAN'T FOLLOW THROUGH.

AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT,

THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT
THERE ARE MANY MORE ADDICTIONS

THAN SIMPLY
THOSE RELATED TO DRUGS.

SO, THERE'S WORKAHOLISM,

THERE'S ADDICTION TO SHOPPING,
TO THE INTERNET, TO VIDEO GAMES.

THERE'S
THE ADDICTION TO POWER --

PEOPLE THAT HAVE POWER, BUT THEY
WANT MORE AND MORE AND MORE --

NOTHING IS EVER ENOUGH FOR THEM.

ACQUISITION -- CORPORATIONS THAT
MUST OWN MORE AND MORE.

THE ADDICTION TO OIL,

OR, AT LEAST, TO THE WEALTH

AND TO THE PRODUCTS
MADE ACCESSIBLE TO US BY OIL.

LOOK AT THE NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

WE ARE DESTROYING
THE VERY EARTH THAT WE INHABIT

FOR THE SAKE OF THAT ADDICTION.

NOW, THESE ADDICTIONS

ARE FAR MORE DEVASTATING
IN THEIR SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

THAN THE COCAINE
OR HEROIN HABITS

OF MY
DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE PATIENTS.

YET THEY'RE REWARDED

AND CONSIDERED
TO BE RESPECTABLE.

THE TOBACCO-COMPANY EXECUTIVE
THAT SHOWS A HIGHER PROFIT

WILL GET A MUCH BIGGER REWARD.

HE DOESN'T FACE
ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

LEGALLY OR OTHERWISE.

IN FACT, HE IS A RESPECTED
MEMBER

OF THE BOARD
OF SEVERAL OTHER CORPORATIONS.

BUT TOBACCO-SMOKE-RELATED
DISEASES

KILL 5h MILLION PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD EVERY YEAR.

IN THE UNITED STATES,
THEY KILL 400,000 PEOPLE A YEAR.

AND THESE PEOPLE
ARE ADDICTED TO WHAT? TO PROFIT.

TO SUCH A DEGREE
ARE THEY ADDICTED,

THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN DENIAL

ABOUT THE IMPACT
OF THEIR ACTIVITIES,

WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR ADDICTS,
IS DENIAL.

AND THAT'S A RESPECTABLE ONE.

IT'S RESPECTABLE
TO BE ADDICTED TO PROFIT,

NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.

SO, WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT
IS RESPECTABLE

IS A HIGHLY ARBITRARY PHENOMENON
IN OUR SOCIETY,

AND IT SEEMS LIKE
THE GREATER THE HARM,

THE MORE RESPECTABLE
THE ADDICTION.

THERE'S
A GENERAL MYTH THAT DRUGS,

IN THEMSELVES, ARE ADDICTIVE.

IN FACT, THE WAR ON DRUGS IS
PREDICATED ON THE IDEA

THAT IF YOU INTERDICT
THE SOURCE OF DRUGS,

YOU CAN DEAL
WITH ADDICTION THAT WAY.

NOW, IF YOU UNDERSTAND ADDICTION
IN THE BROADER SENSE,

WE SEE THAT NOTHING, IN ITSELF,
IS ADDICTIVE --

NO SUBSTANCE, NO DRUG,
IS, BY ITSELF, ADDICTIVE,

AND NO BEHAVIOR IS,
BY ITSELF, ADDICTIVE.

MANY PEOPLE CAN GO SHOPPING
WITHOUT BECOMING SHOPAHOLICS.

NOT EVERYBODY
BECOMES A FOOD ADDICT.

NOT EVERYONE WHO DRINKS A GLASS
OF WINE BECOMES AN ALCOHOLIC.

SO, THE REAL ISSUE IS
WHAT MAKES PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

BECAUSE IT'S THE COMBINATION
OF A SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUAL

AND THE POTENTIALLY ADDICTIVE
SUBSTANCE OR BEHAVIOR

THAT ACTUALLY, THEN, MAKES FOR
THE FULL FLOWERING OF ADDICTION.

IN SHORT, IT'S NOT THE DRUG
THAT'S ADDICTIVE --

IT'S THE QUESTION OF THE
SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL

TO BEING ADDICTED

TO A PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE
OR BEHAVIOR.

IF WE WISH
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, THEN,

MAKES SOME PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO LOOK
AT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE.

THE OLD IDEA, ALTHOUGH IT'S OLD,

BUT IT'S STILL BROADLY HELD,

THAT ADDICTIONS
ARE DUE TO SOME GENETIC CAUSE,

IS SIMPLY
SCIENTIFICALLY UNTENABLE.

WHAT THE CASE IS, ACTUALLY,

IS THAT CERTAIN LIFE EXPERIENCES
MAKE PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE --

LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT NOT ONLY
SHAPE THE PERSON'S PERSONALITY

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS,

BUT ALSO THEIR VERY BRAINS
IN CERTAIN WAYS.

AND THAT PROCESS BEGINS
IN UTERO.

IT'S BEEN SHOWN, FOR EXAMPLE,

THAT IF YOU STRESS MOTHERS
DURING PREGNANCY,

THEIR CHILDREN
ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TRAITS

THAT PREDISPOSE THEM
TO ADDICTIONS,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT

IS SHAPED BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.

SO, THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS
IS VERY MUCH AFFECTED BY

AND PROGRAMMED BY
THE LIFE EXPERIENCES,

BEGINNING IN UTERO.

-ENVIRONMENT
DOES NOT BEGIN AT BIRTH.

ENVIRONMENT BEGINS AS SOON AS
YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT.

AS SOON AS YOU ARE A FETUS,

YOU ARE SUBJECT
TO WHATEVER INFORMATION

IS COMING THROUGH
MOM'S CIRCULATIONS --

HORMONES, LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS.

A GREAT
LANDMARK EXAMPLE OF THIS --

SOMETHING CALLED
THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER.

1944, NAZIS OCCUPYING HOLLAND --
FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS,

THEY DECIDE TO TAKE ALL THE FOOD
AND DIVERT IT TO GERMANY.

FOR THREE MONTHS,
EVERYBODY THERE WAS STARVING.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
STARVE TO DEATH.

WHAT THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER
EFFECT IS,

IF YOU WERE A SECOND-
OR THIRD-TRIMESTER FETUS

DURING THE STARVATION,

YOUR BODY LEARNED SOMETHING
VERY UNIQUE DURING THAT TIME.

AS IT TURNS OUT,
SECOND, THIRD TRIMESTER,

SOMETHING THAT YOUR BODY

IS GOING ABOUT TRYING TO LEARN
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IS,

"WELL, HOW MENACING OF A PLACE
IS IT OUT THERE?

HOW PLENTIFUL?

HOW MUCH NUTRIENTS AM I GETTING
BY WAY OF MOM'S CIRCULATION?"

BE A FETUS WHO WAS STARVING
DURING THAT TIME,

AND YOUR BODY PROGRAMS,
FOREVER AFTER,

TO BE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY
STINGY WITH YOUR SUGAR AND FAT,

AND WHAT YOU DO
IS YOU STORE EVERY BIT OF IT.

BE A DUTCH HONGERWINTER FETUS,

AND HALF A CENTURY LATER,
EVERYTHING ELSE BEING EQUAL,

YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE, OBESITY,

OR METABOLIC SYNDROME.

THAT IS ENVIRONMENT COMING
IN A VERY UNEXPECTED PLACE.

-YOU CAN STRESS ANIMALS IN THE
LABORATORY WHEN THEY'RE PREGNANT

AND THEIR OFFSPRING

WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO USE
COCAINE AND ALCOHOL AS ADULTS.

YOU CAN STRESS HUMAN MOTHERS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN A BRITISH STUDY,

WOMEN WHO WERE
ABUSED IN PREGNANCY

WILL HAVE HIGHER LEVELS
OF THE STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL

IN THEIR PLACENTA AT BIRTH,

AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE CONDITIONS

THAT PREDISPOSE THEM
TO ADDICTIONS BY AGE 7 OR 8.

SO, IN-UTERO STRESS
ALREADY PREPARES THE GUN

FOR ALL KINDS
OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

AN ISRAELI STUDY DONE PRIOR --
ON CHILDREN BORN TO MOTHERS

WHO WERE PREGNANT PRIOR TO
THE ONSET OF THE 1967 WAR --

THESE WOMEN, OF COURSE,
WERE VERY STRESSED,

AND THEIR OFFSPRING
HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE

OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
THAN THE AVERAGE COHORT.

SO, THERE IS PLENTY
OF EVIDENCE NOW

THAT PRENATAL EFFECTS
HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

ON THE DEVELOPING HUMAN BEING.

THE POINT
ABOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,

AND, SPECIFICALLY,
HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT,

IS THAT IT OCCURS MOSTLY UNDER
THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT,

AND MOSTLY AFTER BIRTH.

NOW, IF YOU
COMPARE US TO A HORSE,

WHICH CAN RUN
ON THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE,

WE SEE THAT
WE ARE VERY UNDEVELOPED --

WE CAN'T DEVELOP --
WE CAN'T, UH...

MUSTER THAT MUCH
NEUROLOGICAL COORDINATION,

BALANCE, MUSCLE STRENGTH,
VISUAL ACUITY,

UNTIL A YEAR AND A HALF,
TWO YEARS,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE HORSE

HAPPENS
IN THE SAFETY OF THE WOMB.

IN THE HUMAN BEING,
IT HAS TO HAPPEN AFTER BIRTH,

AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH
SIMPLE EVOLUTIONARY LOGIC.

AS THE HEAD GETS LARGER,

WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US INTO
HUMAN BEINGS --

THE BURGEONING OF THE FOREBRAIN

IS WHAT CREATES
THE HUMAN SPECIES, ACTUALLY --

AT THE SAME TIME,
WE WALK ON TWO LEGS,

SO OUR PELVIS NARROWS
TO ACCOMMODATE THAT,

SO NOW WE HAVE A NARROWER
PELVIS, A LARGER HEAD.

BINGO --
WE HAVE TO BE BORN PREMATURELY.

AND THAT MEANS
THAT THE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

THAT IN OTHER ANIMALS
OCCURS IN UTERO,

IN US, OCCURS AFTER BIRTH,

AND MUCH OF THAT UNDER
THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND THE CONCEPT
OF NEURAL DARWINISM

SIMPLY MEANS THAT THE CIRCUITS

THAT GET THE APPROPRIATE
INPUT FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

WILL DEVELOP OPTIMALLY,

AND THE ONES THAT DON'T

WILL EITHER
NOT DEVELOP OPTIMALLY

OR, PERHAPS, NOT AT ALL.

IF YOU TAKE A CHILD WITH
PERFECTLY GOOD EYES AT BIRTH

AND YOU PUT HIM IN A DARK ROOM
FOR FIVE YEARS,

HE'LL BE BLIND, THEREAFTER,
FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE,

BECAUSE THE CIRCUITS OF VISION

REQUIRE LIGHT WAVES FOR THEIR
DEVELOPMENT, AND WITHOUT THAT,

EVEN THE RUDIMENTARY CIRCUITS
PRESENT AND ACTIVE AT BIRTH

WILL ATROPHY AND DIE,
AND NEW ONES WILL NOT DEVELOP.

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT WAY
IN WHICH EARLY EXPERIENCES

SHAPE ADULT BEHAVIOR.

AND EVEN -- AND ESPECIALLY,

EARLY EXPERIENCES FOR WHICH
THERE IS NO RECALL MEMORY.

IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE
TWO KINDS OF MEMORY.

THERE IS EXPLICIT MEMORY,
WHICH IS RECALL --

THIS IS WHEN YOU CAN CALL BACK

FACTS, DETAILS, EPISODES,
CIRCUMSTANCES.

BUT THE STRUCTURE IN THE BRAIN
WHICH IS CALLED THE HIPPOCAMPUS,

WHICH ENCODES RECALL MEMORY,

DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO DEVELOP
FULLY UNTIL A YEAR AND A HALF,

AND IT'S NOT FULLY DEVELOPED
TILL MUCH LATER,

WHICH IS WHY HARDLY ANYBODY

HAS ANY RECALL MEMORY
PRIOR TO 18 MONTHS.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER KIND OF
MEMORY,

WHICH IS CALLED
"IMPLICIT MEMORY,"

WHICH IS, IN FACT,
AN EMOTIONAL MEMORY,

WHERE THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT
AND THE INTERPRETATION

THAT THE CHILD MAKES
OF THOSE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

IS INGRAINED IN THE BRAIN
IN THE FORM OF NERVE CIRCUITS,

READY TO FIRE
WITHOUT SPECIFIC RECALL.

SO, TO GIVE YOU A CLEAR EXAMPLE,

PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED HAVE A
LIFELONG SENSE OF REJECTION,

VERY OFTEN.

THEY CAN'T RECALL THE ADOPTION.

THEY CAN'T RECALL THE SEPARATION
OF THE BIRTH MOTHER,

BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THERE
TO RECALL WITH.

BUT THE EMOTIONAL MEMORY
OF SEPARATION AND REJECTION

IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED
IN THEIR BRAINS.

HENCE, THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY
TO EXPERIENCE

A SENSE OF REJECTION
AND A GREAT EMOTIONAL UPSET,

WHEN THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES
AS BEING REJECTED,

THAN OTHER PEOPLE.

THAT'S NOT UNIQUE
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED,

BUT IT'S
PARTICULARLY STRONG IN THEM

BECAUSE OF THIS FUNCTION
OF IMPLICIT MEMORY.

PEOPLE WHO ARE ADDICTED,
GIVEN THAT THEY --

ACCORDING TO
ALL THE RESEARCH LITERATURE,

AND CERTAINLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE,

THE HARDCORE ADDICTS
VIRTUALLY WERE ALL

SIGNIFICANTLY ABUSED AS CHILDREN

OR SUFFERED
SEVERE EMOTIONAL LOSS.

THEIR EMOTIONAL, OR IMPLICIT,
MEMORIES

ARE THOSE OF A WORLD
THAT'S NOT SAFE AND NOT HELPFUL,

CAREGIVERS WHO ARE NOT TO BE
TRUSTED,

AND RELATIONSHIPS
THAT ARE NOT SAFE ENOUGH

TO OPEN UP TO VULNERABLY,

AND, HENCE,
THEIR RESPONSES TEND TO BE

TO KEEP THEMSELVES SEPARATE

FROM REALLY INTIMATE
RELATIONSHIPS --

NOT TO TRUST CAREGIVERS,
DOCTORS,

AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO
ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM,

AND GENERALLY SEE THE WORLD
AS AN UNSAFE PLACE,

AND THAT'S STRICTLY A FUNCTION
OF IMPLICIT MEMORY,

WHICH SOMETIMES HAS TO DO

WITH INCIDENTS
THEY DON'T EVEN RECALL.

INFANTS WHO ARE BORN PREMATURE,
ARE OFTEN IN INCUBATORS

AND VARIOUS TYPES
OF GADGETRY AND MACHINERY

FOR WEEKS
AND, PERHAPS, MONTHS --

IT'S NOW KNOWN THAT IF THESE
CHILDREN ARE TOUCHED

AND STROKED ON THE BACK
FOR JUST 10 MINUTES A DAY,

THAT PROMOTES
THEIR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.

SO, HUMAN TOUCH
IS ESSENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT,

AND, IN FACT,

INFANTS WHO ARE NEVER PICKED UP
WILL ACTUALLY DIE.

THAT'S HOW MUCH
OF A FUNDAMENTAL NEED

BEING HELD IS TO HUMAN BEINGS.

IN OUR SOCIETY,

THERE IS AN UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY
TO TELL PARENTS

NOT TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS,
NOT TO HOLD THEM,

NOT TO PICK UP
BABIES WHO ARE CRYING,

FOR FEAR OF SPOILING THEM,

OR, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO SLEEP
THROUGH THE NIGHT,

YOU DON'T PICK THEM UP,

WHICH IS JUST THE OPPOSITE
OF WHAT THE CHILD NEEDS,

AND THESE CHILDREN MIGHT
GO BACK TO SLEEP

BECAUSE THEY GIVE UP AND THEIR
BRAINS JUST SHUT DOWN

AS A WAY OF DEFENDING AGAINST

THE VULNERABILITY OF BEING
ABANDONED, REALLY,

BY THEIR PARENTS,

BUT THEIR IMPLICIT MEMORIES

WILL BE THAT OF THE WORLD
THAT DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN.

-A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENCES ARE
STRUCTURED VERY EARLY IN LIFE.

IN A WAY, THE, IF YOU LIKE,

THE PARENTAL EXPERIENCE
OF ADVERSITY --

HOW TOUGH LIFE IS,
OR HOW EASY IT IS --

IS PASSED ON TO CHILDREN,

WHETHER THROUGH
MATERNAL DEPRESSION

OR PARENTS BEING
BAD-TEMPERED WITH THEIR KIDS

'CAUSE THEY HAVE HAD A HARD DAY,

OR JUST BEING TOO TIRED
AT THE END OF THE DAY,

AND THESE HAVE
VERY POWERFUL EFFECTS,

PROGRAMMING
CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT,

WHICH WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT NOW.

BUT THAT EARLY SENSITIVITY ISN'T
JUST AN EVOLUTIONARY MISTAKE.

IT EXISTS AGAIN
IN MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES.

EVEN SEEDLINGS --

THERE'S
AN EARLY ADAPTIVE PROCESS

TO THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT
THEY'RE GROWING UP IN.

BUT FOR HUMANS,
THE ADAPTATION IS

TO THE QUALITY
OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

AND, SO, EARLY LIFE --

HOW NURTURING OR
HOW MUCH CONFLICT,

HOW MUCH ATTENTION YOU GET,

IS A TASTER OF THE KIND OF WORLD
YOU MAY BE GROWING UP IN.

ARE YOU GROWING UP IN A WORLD

WHERE YOU HAVE TO FIGHT
FOR WHAT YOU CAN GET,

WATCH YOUR BACK,
FEND FOR YOURSELF,

LEARN NOT TO TRUST OTHERS,

OR ARE YOU GROWING UP
IN A SOCIETY

WHERE YOU DEPEND ON RECIPROCITY,
MUTUALITY, COOPERATION,

WHERE EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT,

WHERE YOUR SECURITY DEPENDS

ON GOOD RELATIONS
WITH OTHER PEOPLE?

AND THAT NEEDS A VERY DIFFERENT

EMOTIONAL
AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,

AND THAT'S WHAT
THE EARLY SENSITIVITY IS ABOUT.

AND PARENTING IS ALMOST,
QUITE UNCONSCIOUSLY,

A SYSTEM FOR PASSING ON
THAT EXPERIENCE TO CHILDREN

OF THE KIND OF WORLD THEY'RE IN.

-THE GREAT BRITISH
CHILD PSYCHIATRIST

D.W. WINNICOTT SAID,

THAT, FUNDAMENTALLY, TWO THINGS
CAN GO WRONG IN CHILDHOOD.

ONE IS WHEN THINGS HAPPEN
THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN,

AND THEN THINGS
THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BUT DON'T.

IN THE FIRST CATEGORY

IS THE TRAUMATIC AND ABUSIVE
AND ABANDONMENT EXPERIENCES

OF MY DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE
PATIENTS AND OF MANY ADDICTS.

THAT'S WHAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN
BUT DID.

BUT THEN
THERE IS THE NON-STRESSED,

ATTUNED, NON-DISTRACTED
ATTENTION OF THE PARENT

THAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS,

THAT, VERY OFTEN,
CHILDREN DON'T GET.

THEY'RE NOT ABUSED,
THEY'RE NOT NEGLECTED,

AND THEY'RE NOT TRAUMATIZED,

BUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN --

THE PRESENCE OF THE EMOTIONALLY
AVAILABLE, NURTURING PARENT --

JUST IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM

BECAUSE OF THE STRESSES
IN OUR SOCIETY

AND THE PARENTING ENVIRONMENT.

AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST
ALLAN SCHORE CALLS THAT

"PROXIMAL ABANDONMENT" --

WHEN THE PARENT IS PHYSICALLY
PRESENT BUT EMOTIONALLY ABSENT.

-I HAVE SPENT, UH,

OH, ROUGHLY,
THE LAST 40 YEARS OF MY LIFE

WORKING WITH THE MOST VIOLENT
PEOPLE OUR SOCIETY PRODUCES --

MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND SO ON --

IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT CAUSES THIS VIOLENCE.

I DISCOVERED THAT

THE MOST VIOLENT OF THE
CRIMINALS IN OUR PRISONS

HAD, THEMSELVES, BEEN VICTIMS

OF A DEGREE OF CHILD ABUSE

THAT WAS BEYOND THE SCALE
OF WHAT I EVER THOUGHT

OF APPLYING THE TERM
"CHILD ABUSE" TO.

I HAD NO IDEA
OF THE DEPTH OF THE DEPRAVITY

WITH WHICH CHILDREN
IN OUR SOCIETY

ARE ALL TOO OFTEN TREATED.

THE MOST VIOLENT PEOPLE
I SAW WERE, THEMSELVES,

THE SURVIVORS
OF THEIR OWN ATTEMPTED MURDER,

OFTEN AT THE HANDS
OF THEIR PARENTS

OR OTHER PEOPLE
IN THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT,

OR WERE THE SURVIVORS OF FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN KILLED --

THEIR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBERS --

BY OTHER PEOPLE.

-THE BUDDHA ARGUED

THAT EVERYTHING DEPENDS
ON EVERYTHING ELSE.

HE SAYS,
"THE ONE CONTAINS THE MANY
AND THE MANY CONTAINS THE ONE."

THAT YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND
ANYTHING

IN ISOLATION
FROM ITS ENVIRONMENT.

THE LEAF CONTAINS THE SUN,
THE SKY, AND THE EARTH,

OBVIOUSLY.

THIS HAS NOW BEEN SHOWN
TO BE TRUE,

OF COURSE, ALL AROUND,
AND, SPECIFICALLY,

WHEN IT COMES
TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.

THE MODERN
SCIENTIFIC TERM FOR IT

IS THE "BIO PSYCHO SOCIAL"
NATURE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,

WHICH SAYS THAT
THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS

DEPENDS VERY MUCH
ON THEIR INTERACTION

WITH THE SOCIAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT.

AND, SPECIFICALLY,

THE PSYCHIATRIST
AND RESEARCHER DANIEL SIEGEL

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,
LOS ANGELES -- UCLA --

HAS COINED A PHRASE,
"INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY,"

WHICH MEANS TO SAY THAT THE WAY

THAT OUR
NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

DEPENDS VERY MUCH
ON OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS --

IN THE FIRST PLACE,
WITH THE PARENTING CAREGIVERS,

AND, IN THE SECOND PLACE,

WITH OTHER IMPORTANT
ATTACHMENT FIGURES IN OUR LIVES,

AND, IN THE THIRD PLACE,
WITH OUR ENTIRE CULTURE,

SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEPARATE
THE NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING

OF A HUMAN BEING
FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

IN WHICH HE OR SHE GREW UP IN
AND CONTINUES TO EXIST IN,

AND THIS IS TRUE
THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE.

IT'S PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN
YOU ARE DEPENDENT AND HELPLESS

AND YOUR BRAIN IS DEVELOPING,

BUT IT'S TRUE EVEN IN ADULTS
AND EVEN AT THE END OF LIFE.

-HUMAN BEINGS HAVE LIVED
IN ALMOST EVERY KIND OF SOCIETY,

FROM THE MOST EGALITARIAN --

HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES

SEEM TO HAVE BEEN
VERY EGALITARIAN, FOR INSTANCE,

BASED ON FOOD SHARING,
GIFT EXCHANGE.

-SMALL BANDS OF PEOPLE,

LIVING PREDOMINATELY
OFF OF FORAGING,

BUT A LITTLE BIT OF HUNTING,

PREDOMINANTLY, AMONG PEOPLE,
YOU HAVE, AT THE LEAST,

KNOWN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE,

IF NOT SURROUNDED
BY THIRD COUSINS OR CLOSER,

IN A WORLD IN WHICH THERE
IS A GREAT DEAL OF FLUIDITY

BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS,

IN A WORLD IN WHICH THERE IS NOT

A WHOLE LOT IN TERMS
OF MATERIAL CULTURE,

THIS IS HOW HUMANS HAVE SPENT
MOST OF THEIR HOMINID HISTORY.

AND, NO SURPRISE, THAT MAKES
FOR A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD.

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU GET
AS A RESULT OF THAT

IS FAR LESS VIOLENCE.

ORGANIZED GROUP VIOLENCE

IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED
AT THAT TIME OF HUMAN HISTORY,

AND THAT SEEMS QUITE CLEAR.

SO, WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?

-VIOLENCE IS NOT UNIVERSAL.

IT'S NOT
SYMMETRICALLY DISTRIBUTED

THROUGHOUT THE HUMAN RACE.

THERE IS A HUGE VARIATION

IN THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE
IN DIFFERENT SOCIETIES.

THERE ARE SOME SOCIETIES
THAT HAVE VIRTUALLY NO VIOLENCE.

THERE ARE OTHERS
THAT DESTROY THEMSELVES.

SOME OF THE
ANABAPTIST RELIGIOUS GROUPS

THAT ARE COMPLETE,
STRICT PACIFISTS,

LIKE THE AMISH,
THE MENNONITES, THE HUTTERITES,

AMONG SOME OF THESE GROUPS --
THE HUTTERITES --

THERE ARE NO RECORDED CASES
OF HOMICIDE.

DURING OUR MAJOR WARS,
LIKE WORLD WAR II,

WHERE PEOPLE WERE BEING DRAFTED,

THEY WOULD REFUSE
TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY.

THEY WOULD GO TO PRISON RATHER
THAN SERVE IN THE MILITARY.

IN THE KIBBUTZIM, IN ISRAEL,

THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IS SO LOW
THAT THE CRIMINAL COURTS THERE

WILL OFTEN
SEND VIOLENT OFFENDERS --

PEOPLE WHO HAVE
COMMITTED CRIMES --

TO LIVE ON THE KIBBUTZIM

IN ORDER TO LEARN
HOW TO LIVE A NON-VIOLENT LIFE,

BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY
PEOPLE LIVE THERE.

-SO,
WE ARE AMPLY SHAPED BY SOCIETY.

OUR SOCIETIES --
IN THE BROADER SENSE,

INCLUDING OUR THEOLOGICAL,
OUR METAPHYSICAL,

OUR LINGUISTIC INFLUENCES,
ET CETERA --

OUR SOCIETIES HELP SHAPE US
AS TO WHETHER OR NOT

WE THINK LIFE IS BASICALLY
ABOUT SIN OR ABOUT BEAUTY --

WHETHER THE AFTERLIFE
WILL CARRY A PRICE

FOR HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES
OR IF IT'S IRRELEVANT.

IN A BROAD SORT OF WAY,
DIFFERENT LARGE SOCIETIES

COULD BE TERMED AS
INDIVIDUALISTIC OR COLLECTIVIST,

AND YOU GET
VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE,

AND DIFFERENT MIND-SETS,
AND, I SUSPECT, DIFFERENT BRAINS

COMING ALONG WITH THAT.

WE, IN AMERICA,

ARE IN ONE OF THE MOST
INDIVIDUALISTIC OF SOCIETIES,

AND CAPITALISM, BEING A SYSTEM

THAT ALLOWS YOU TO GO HIGHER AND
HIGHER UP A POTENTIAL PYRAMID,

AND THE DEAL IS, IT COMES WITH
FEWER AND FEWER SAFETY NETS.

BY DEFINITION, THE MORE
STRATIFIED A SOCIETY IS,

THE FEWER PEOPLE
YOU HAVE AS PEERS --

THE FEWER PEOPLE WITH WHOM

YOU HAVE SYMMETRICAL,
RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS,

AND, INSTEAD,

ALL YOU HAVE ARE DIFFERING SPOTS
AND ENDLESS HIERARCHIES,

AND A WORLD IN WHICH
YOU HAVE FEW RECIPROCAL PARTNERS

IS A WORLD
WITH A LOT LESS ALTRUISM.

-AYE, SO, THIS BRINGS US
TO A TOTAL IMPOSSIBLE JUNCTURE,

WHICH IS TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE
IN PERSPECTIVE SCIENCE

AS TO WHAT THE NATURE
IS OF HUMAN NATURE.

YOU KNOW, ON A CERTAIN LEVEL,

THE NATURE OF OUR NATURE

IS NOT TO BE PARTICULARLY
CONSTRAINED BY OUR NATURE.

WE COME UP WITH MORE
SOCIAL VARIABILITY

THAN ANY SPECIES OUT THERE --
MORE SYSTEMS OF BELIEF,

OF STYLES OF FAMILY STRUCTURES,
OF WAYS OF RAISING CHILDREN.

THE CAPACITY FOR VARIETY
THAT WE HAVE IS EXTRAORDINARY.

-IN A SOCIETY WHICH IS
PREDICATED ON COMPETITION

AND REALLY, VERY OFTEN,

THE RUTHLESS EXPLOITATION
OF ONE HUMAN BEING BY ANOTHER,

THE PROFITEERING OFF
OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS,

AND, VERY OFTEN,

THE CREATION OF PROBLEMS
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROFITEERING,

THE RULING IDEOLOGY WILL
VERY OFTEN JUSTIFY THAT BEHAVIOR

BY APPEALS TO SOME FUNDAMENTAL
AND UNALTERABLE HUMAN NATURE.

SO, THE MYTH IN OUR SOCIETY

IS THAT PEOPLE
ARE COMPETITIVE BY NATURE,

AND THAT THEY ARE
INDIVIDUALISTIC,

AND THAT THEY'RE SELFISH.

THE REAL REALITY
IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

WE HAVE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN TALK
ABOUT HUMAN NATURE CONCRETELY

IS BY RECOGNIZING THAT
THERE ARE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

WE HAVE A HUMAN NEED
FOR COMPANIONSHIP

AND FOR CLOSE CONTACT,
TO BE LOVED, TO BE ATTACHED TO,

TO BE ACCEPTED, TO BE SEEN,
TO BE RECEIVED FOR WHO WE ARE.

IF THOSE NEEDS ARE MET,

WE DEVELOP INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE
COMPASSIONATE AND COOPERATIVE,

AND, UM...

AND WHO HAVE EMPATHY
FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

SO...

THE OPPOSITE, THAT WE OFTEN SEE
IN OUR SOCIETY IS, IN FACT,

A DISTORTION OF HUMAN NATURE,

PRECISELY BECAUSE SO FEW PEOPLE
HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET.

SO, YES,
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HUMAN NATURE,

BUT ONLY IN THE SENSE
OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

THAT ARE INSTINCTIVELY EVOKED,
OR, I SHOULD SAY,

CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS THAT LEAD TO
CERTAIN TRAITS IF THEY ARE MET,

AND A DIFFERENT SET OF TRAITS
IF THEY ARE DENIED.

-SO, WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THE FACT
THAT THE HUMAN ORGANISM,

WHICH HAS A GREAT DEAL
OF ADAPTIVE FLEXIBILITY,

ALLOWING US TO SURVIVE
IN MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS,

IS ALSO RIGIDLY PROGRAMMED FOR

CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS, OR HUMAN NEEDS,

A SOCIAL IMPERATIVE
BEGINS TO EMERGE.

JUST AS OUR BODIES REQUIRE
PHYSICAL NUTRIENTS,

THE HUMAN BRAIN DEMANDS POSITIVE
FORMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

AT ALL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT,

WHILE ALSO NEEDING
TO BE PROTECTED

FROM OTHER NEGATIVE
FORMS OF STIMULUS.

AND IF THINGS
THAT SHOULD HAPPEN DO NOT,

OR IF THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T
HAPPEN DO,

IT IS NOW APPARENT
THAT THE DOOR CAN BE OPENED

FOR NOT ONLY A CASCADE
OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISEASES,

BUT MANY DETRIMENTAL
HUMAN BEHAVIORS AS WELL.

SO, AS WE TURN OUR PERSPECTIVE
NOW OUTWARD

AND TAKE ACCOUNT FOR
THE STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY,

WE MUST ASK THE QUESTION,

IS THE CONDITION WE HAVE CREATED
IN THE MODERN WORLD

ACTUALLY SUPPORTING OUR HEALTH?

IS THE BEDROCK OF OUR
SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM

ACTING AS A POSITIVE FORCE

FOR HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
AND PROGRESS?

OR, IS THE FOUNDATIONAL
GRAVITATION OF OUR SOCIETY

ACTUALLY GOING AGAINST THE CORE
EVOLUTIONARY REQUIREMENTS

NEEDED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN

OUR PERSONAL
AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING?

-SO, ONE MIGHT ASK,
"WHERE DID THIS ALL BEGIN?" --

WHAT WE HAVE TODAY --

REALLY, A WORLD IN A STATE
OF CUMULATIVE COLLAPSE.

-YOU GET IT STARTED
WITH JOHN LOCKE,

AND JOHN LOCKE
INTRODUCES PROPERTY,

AND HE HAS THREE PROVISOS FOR
JUST PRIVATE RIGHT AND PROPERTY.

AND THE THREE PROVISOS ARE

THAT THERE MUST BE
ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS,

AND THAT YOU MUST
NOT LET IT SPOIL,

AND THAT YOU, MOST OF ALL,
MUST MIX YOUR LABOR WITH IT.

IT SEEMS JUSTIFIED --

YOU MIX YOUR LABOR
WITH THE WORLD,

THEN YOU'RE ENTITLED
TO THE PRODUCT,

AND AS LONG AS THERE'S ENOUGH
LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS,

AND AS LONG AS IT
DOESN'T SPOIL --

YOU DON'T ALLOW ANYTHING TO GO
TO WASTE -- THAT'S OKAY.

WELL, HE SPENDS A LONG TIME

OF HIS FAMOUS
TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT,

AND IT'S SINCE
BEEN THE CANONICAL TEXT

FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
AND LEGAL UNDERSTANDING.

IT'S STILL A CLASSIC TEXT
THAT'S STUDIED.

WELL, WHAT HE DID --

AFTER HE GIVES THE PROVISOS

AND YOU'RE ALMOST THINKING,
AT THE TIME,

WHETHER YOU'RE
FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OR NOT,

HE'S GIVEN A VERY --

A VERY GOOD AND PLAUSIBLE
AND POWERFUL DEFENSE

OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, HERE.

WELL, HE DROPS THEM!

HE DROPS THEM LIKE THAT,
RIGHT IN ONE SENTENCE.

HE SAYS, "WELL, ONCE THE
INTRODUCTION OF MONEY CAME IN

BY MEN'S TACIT CONSENT,
THEN IT BECAME" --

AND HE DOESN'T SAY ALL THE
PROVISOS ARE CANCELED OR ERASED,

BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

SO, NOW WE HAVE NOT

PRODUCT AND YOUR PROPERTY EARNED
BY YOUR OWN LABOR --

OH, NO --
MONEY BUYS LABOR NOW.

THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION

OF WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH
LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS.

THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION
OF WHETHER IT SPOILS,

BECAUSE HE SAYS, "WELL, MONEY'S
LIKE SILVER AND GOLD,

AND GOLD CAN'T SPOIL.

THEREFORE, MONIES CAN'T
RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE,"

WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT
MONEY AND SILVER.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
WHAT ITS EFFECTS ARE.

IT'S ONE NON SEQUITUR
AFTER ANOTHER --

JUST THE MOST STARTLING
LOGICAL LEGERDEMAIN

THAT HE GETS AWAY WITH, HERE,

BUT IT FITS THE INTERESTS
OF CAPITAL OWNERS.

THEN ADAM SMITH COMES ALONG,

AND WHAT HE ADDS
IS THE RELIGION TO THIS.

LOCKE STARTED WITH,
"GOD MADE IT ALL THIS WAY.

THIS IS GOD'S RIGHT,"

AND NOW WE GET, ALSO,
WITH SMITH, COMING ALONG --

HE SAYS,
"IT'S NOT ONLY GOD'S" --

I MEAN, HE'S NOT SAYING THIS,
BUT THIS IS WHAT THIS HAPPENING,

PHILOSOPHICALLY,
BEING PRINCIPLE.

HE'S SAYING, "IT'S NOT ONLY A
QUESTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY" --

THAT'S ALL NOW PRESUPPOSED.
IT'S GIVEN.

AND THAT MONEY INVESTORS
THAT BUY LABOR -- GIVEN.

THAT THERE'S NO LIMIT
TO HOW MUCH THEY CAN BUY

OF OTHER MEN'S LABOR,
HOW MUCH THEY CAN ACCUMULATE,

HOW MUCH INEQUALITY --
THAT'S ALL GIVEN, NOW.

AND SO HE COMES ALONG, AND WHAT
HIS BIG IDEA IS --

AND, AGAIN, IT'S JUST INTRODUCED
IN PARENTHESES, EN PASSANT --

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE
PUT OUT GOODS FOR SALE,

AND OTHERS,
YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY,

AND OTHER PEOPLE BUY THEM,
WITH THE DEMAND, AND SO FORTH,

HOW DO YOU -- HOW DO WE HAVE
SUPPLY EQUALING DEMAND,

OR DEMAND EQUALING SUPPLY?

HOW CAN THEY COME INTO
EQUILIBRIUM?

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL
NOTIONS OF ECONOMICS,

IS HOW DO THEY COME INTO
EQUILIBRIUM?

AND HE SAYS, IT'S THE
"INVISIBLE HAND OF THE MARKET"

THAT BRINGS THEM
INTO EQUILIBRIUM.

SO, NOW WE HAVE
"GOD IS ACTUALLY IMMINENT."

HE JUST DIDN'T GIVE THE RIGHTS
TO PROPERTY AND HOW --

YOU KNOW, ALL ITS WHEREWITHAL,
AND ITS "NATURAL RIGHTS"

OF DOING ALL THAT LOCKE SAID.

NOW WE HAVE THE SYSTEM ITSELF
AS GOD.

IN FACT, SMITH SAYS,
WHEN HE TALKS --

AND YOU'LL NEVER
FIND THIS QUOTED --

YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE OF

"THE INQUIRY INTO
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS" --

HE SAYS,
"THE SCANTINESS OF SUBSISTENCE

SETS LIMITS TO THE REPRODUCTION
OF THE POOR,

AND THAT NATURE CAN DEAL
WITH THIS IN NO OTHER WAY

THAN ELIMINATION OF THEIR
CHILDREN.

SO, HE ANTICIPATED
EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

IN THE WORST SENSE.

THIS IS WELL BEFORE DARWIN.

AND, SO, HE CALLED THEM
THE "RACE OF LABORERS."

SO, YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS
INHERENT RACISM BUILT IN, HERE.

THERE WAS AN INHERENT
ACCEPTANCE -- LIFE BLINDNESS --

TO KILL INNUMERABLE CHILDREN,

AND HE THOUGHT,
"WELL, THAT'S THE INVISIBLE HAND

MAKING SUPPLY MEET DEMAND
AND DEMAND MEET SUPPLY,

SO, SEE HOW WISE GOD IS?"

SO, YOU CAN SEE
A LOT OF THE REALLY VIRULENT,

LIFE-DESTRUCTIVE,
ECO-GENOCIDAL THINGS

THAT ARE GOING ON NOW HAVE,
IN A WAY,

A "THOUGHT GENE"
BACK IN SMITH, TOO.

-WHEN WE REFLECT
ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT

OF THE SO-CALLED
FREE-MARKET CAPITALIST SYSTEM,

AS INITIATED BY EARLY ECONOMIC
PHILOSOPHERS SUCH AS ADAM SMITH,

WE SEE THAT
THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF A MARKET

WAS BASED AROUND REAL, TANGIBLE,
LIFE-SUPPORTING GOODS FOR TRADE.

ADAM SMITH NEVER FATHOMED

THAT THE MOST PROFITABLE
ECONOMIC SECTOR ON THE PLANET

WOULD EVENTUALLY BE IN
THE ARENA OF FINANCIAL TRADING,

OR SO-CALLED "INVESTMENT,"

WHERE MONEY ITSELF
IS SIMPLY GAINED

BY THE MOVEMENT OF OTHER MONEY
IN AN ARBITRARY GAME

WHICH HOLDS ZERO
PRODUCTIVE MERIT TO SOCIETY.

YET, REGARDLESS OF SMITH'S
INTENT,

THE DOOR FOR SUCH
SEEMINGLY ANOMALOUS ADVENTS

WAS LEFT WIDE OPEN

BY ONE FUNDAMENTAL TENET
OF THIS THEORY --

MONEY IS TREATED AS
A COMMODITY, IN AND OF ITSELF.

TODAY, IN EVERY
ECONOMY OF THE WORLD,

REGARDLESS OF THE SOCIAL
SYSTEM THEY CLAIM,

MONEY IS PURSUED FOR THE SAKE
OF MONEY AND NOTHING ELSE.

THE UNDERLYING IDEA,

WHICH WAS MYSTERIOUSLY QUALIFIED
BY ADAM SMITH

WITH HIS RELIGIOUS DECLARATION
OF THE INVISIBLE HAND,

IS THAT THE NARROW,
SELF-INTERESTED PURSUIT OF THIS

FICTIONAL COMMODITY WILL
SOMEHOW, MAGICALLY,

MANIFEST HUMAN AND SOCIAL
WELL-BEING AND PROGRESS.

THE REALITY IS THAT THE MONETARY
INCENTIVE "INTEREST,"

OR WHAT SOME HAVE TERMED THE
"MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE,"

HAS NOW COMPLETELY DECOUPLED

FROM THE FOUNDATIONAL
LIFE INTEREST,

WHICH COULD BE TERMED THE
"LIFE SEQUENCE OF VALUE."

-WHAT HAS HAPPENED

IS THAT THERE'S A COMPLETE
CONFUSION IN ECONOMIC DOCTRINE

BETWEEN THOSE TWO SEQUENCES.

THEY THINK THAT THE MONEY
SEQUENCE OF VALUE

DELIVERS
THE LIFE SEQUENCE OF VALUE,

AND THAT'S WHY THEY SAY IF MORE
GOODS ARE SOLD --

IF GDPs RISE AND SO FORTH --

THEREFORE, THERE WOULD BE
MORE WELL-BEING --

ENHANCED WELL-BEING.

WE COULD TAKE THE GDP TO BE,

BASICALLY,
OUR INDICATOR OF SOCIAL HEALTH.

WELL,
THERE YOU SEE THE CONFUSION.

IT'S TALKING ABOUT MONEY
SEQUENCES OF VALUE --

THAT IS, ALL THE RECEIPTS,
ALL THE REVENUES

THAT ARE DERIVED FROM
SELLING GOODS --

AND THEY'RE CONFUSING THAT
WITH LIFE REPRODUCTION,

SO THAT YOU HAVE,

BUILT RIGHT INTO THIS THING FROM
THE BEGINNING,

IS A COMPLETE CONFLATION
OF THE MONEY

AND LIFE SEQUENCES OF VALUE.

SO, WE'RE DEALING WITH A KIND OF
STRUCTURED DELUSION

THAT BECOMES
MORE AND MORE DEADLY

AS THE MONEY SEQUENCE DECOUPLES
FROM PRODUCING ANYTHING AT ALL.

SO, IT'S A SYSTEM DISORDER,

AND THE SYSTEM DISORDER
SEEMS TO BE FATAL.

-IN SOCIETY TODAY,

YOU SELDOM HEAR ANYONE SPEAK

OF THE PROGRESS
OF THEIR COUNTRY OR SOCIETY

IN TERMS OF THEIR
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING,

STATE OF HAPPINESS,
TRUST, OR SOCIAL STABILITY.

RATHER, THE MEASURES
ARE PRESENTED TO US

THROUGH ECONOMIC ABSTRACTIONS.

WE HAVE
THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT,

THE CONSUMER-PRICE INDEX,
THE VALUE OF THE STOCK MARKET,

RATES OF INFLATION, AND SO ON.

BUT DOES THIS TELL US ANYTHING
OF REAL VALUE

AS TO THE QUALITY
OF PEOPLE'S LIVES?

NO.

ALL THESE MEASURES HAVE TO DO
WITH THE MONEY SEQUENCE ITSELF

AND NOTHING MORE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE GROSS DOMESTIC
PRODUCT OF A COUNTRY

IS A MEASURE OF THE VALUE
OF GOODS AND SERVICES SOLD.

THIS MEASURE
IS CLAIMED TO CORRELATE

TO THE STANDARD OF LIVING
OF A COUNTRY'S PEOPLE.

IN THE UNITED STATES,

HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTED
FOR OVER 17% OF GDP IN 2009,

AMOUNTING TO OVER
$2.5 TRILLION SPENT,

HENCE, CREATING A POSITIVE
EFFECT ON THIS ECONOMIC MEASURE.

AND, BASED ON THIS LOGIC,

IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER FOR
THE U.S. ECONOMY

IF HEALTH-CARE SERVICES
INCREASED MORE SO --

PERHAPS TO $3 TRILLION, OR
$5 TRILLION,

SINCE THAT WOULD CREATE
MORE GROWTH, MORE JOBS,

AND, HENCE,
BOASTED BY ECONOMISTS

AS A RISE IN THEIR
COUNTRY'S STANDARD OF LIVING.

BUT...WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT DO HEALTH-CARE SERVICES
ACTUALLY REPRESENT?

WELL, SICK AND DYING PEOPLE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THE MORE UNHEALTHY PEOPLE
THERE ARE IN AMERICA,

THE BETTER THE ECONOMY.

NOW, THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION
OR A CYNICAL PERSPECTIVE.

IN FACT,
IF WE STEP BACK FAR ENOUGH,

YOU WILL REALIZE THAT THE GDP

NOT ONLY DOESN'T REFLECT
REAL PUBLIC OR SOCIAL HEALTH

ON ANY TANGIBLE LEVEL,

IT IS, IN FACT, MOSTLY A MEASURE

OF INDUSTRIAL INEFFICIENCY
AND SOCIAL DEGRADATION,

AND THE MORE YOU SEE IT RISE,
THE WORSE THINGS ARE BECOMING

WITH RESPECT
TO PERSONAL, SOCIAL,

AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.

-YOU HAVE TO CREATE PROBLEMS
TO CREATE PROFIT.

THERE IS NO PROFIT
UNDER THE CURRENT PARADIGM

IN SAVING LIVES,
PUTTING BALANCE ON THIS PLANET,

HAVING JUSTICE AND PEACE,
OR ANYTHING ELSE.

THERE'S JUST NO PROFIT THERE.

THERE'S AN OLD SAYING --
"PASS A LAW, CREATE A BUSINESS,"

WHETHER YOU'RE
CREATING A BUSINESS

FOR A LAWYER OR WHATEVER.

SO, YOU KNOW,
CRIME DOES CREATE BUSINESS,

JUST LIKE DESTRUCTION
CREATES BUSINESS IN HAITI.

WE HAVE NOW ROUGHLY 2 MILLION
PEOPLE INCARCERATED

IN THIS COUNTRY,

AND OF THOSE,

MANY OF THEM ARE IN PRISONS RUN
BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS --

CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF
AMERICA, WACKENHUT,

WHO TRADE THEIR STOCK ON
WALL STREET

BASED UPON
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL.

NOW, THAT'S SICKNESS.

BUT THAT IS A REFLECTION

OF WHAT THIS ECONOMIC PARADIGM
CALLS FOR.

-SO, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS
ECONOMIC PARADIGM CALL FOR?

WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS
OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM GOING?

CONSUMPTION.

OR, MORE ACCURATELY,
CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION.

WHEN WE BREAK DOWN

THE FOUNDATION
OF CLASSIC MARKET ECONOMICS,

WE ARE LEFT WITH A PATTERN
OF MONETARY EXCHANGE

THAT SIMPLY CANNOT
BE ALLOWED TO STOP

OR EVEN SUBSTANTIALLY SLOWED

IF THE SOCIETY AS WE KNOW
IT IS TO REMAIN OPERATIONAL.

THERE ARE THREE MAIN ACTORS ON
THE ECONOMIC STAGE --

THE EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYER,
AND THE CONSUMER.

THE EMPLOYEE SELLS LABOR
TO THE EMPLOYER FOR INCOME.

THE EMPLOYER SELLS
ITS PRODUCTION SERVICES,

AND, HENCE, GOODS,
TO THE CONSUMER FOR INCOME,

AND THE CONSUMER, OF COURSE,

IS SIMPLY ANOTHER ROLE
OF THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE,

SPENDING BACK INTO THE SYSTEM

TO ENABLE THE CYCLICAL
CONSUMPTION TO CONTINUE.

IN OTHER WORDS,

THE GLOBAL MARKET SYSTEM
IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION

THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS
BE ENOUGH PRODUCT DEMAND

IN SOCIETY TO MOVE ENOUGH
MONEY AROUND

AT A RATE WHICH CAN KEEP
THE CONSUMPTION PROCESS GOING.

AND THE FASTER
THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION,

THE MORE SO-CALLED
ECONOMIC GROWTH IS ASSUMED,

AND SO THE MACHINE GOES.

BUT HOLD ON.

I THOUGHT AN ECONOMY WAS MEANT
TO, I DON'T KNOW, ECONOMIZE?

DOESN'T THE VERY TERM HAVE TO DO
WITH PRESERVATION AND EFFICIENCY

AND A REDUCTION OF WASTE?

SO, HOW DOES OUR SYSTEM,
WHICH DEMANDS CONSUMPTION,

AND THE MORE, THE BETTER,

EFFICIENTLY PRESERVE,
OR ECONOMIZE, AT ALL?

WELL, IT DOESN'T.

THE INTENT OF
THE MARKET SYSTEM IS, IN FACT,

THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT A
REAL ECONOMY IS SUPPOSED TO DO,

WHICH IS EFFICIENTLY

AND CONSERVATIVELY ORIENT
THE MATERIALS

FOR PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
OF LIFE-SUPPORTING GOODS.

WE LIVE ON A FINITE PLANET,
WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE,

THE OIL WE UTILIZE TOOK
MILLIONS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP --

WHERE THE MINERALS WE USE TOOK
BILLIONS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP.

SO, HAVING A SYSTEM

THAT DELIBERATELY PROMOTES THE
ACCELERATION OF CONSUMPTION

FOR THE SAKE OF SO-CALLED
"ECONOMIC GROWTH"

IS PURE ECOCIDAL INSANITY.

-ABSENCE OF WASTE,
THAT'S WHAT EFFICIENCY IS.

ABSENCE OF WASTE?

THIS SYSTEM IS MORE WASTEFUL

THAN ALL THE OTHER
EXISTING SYSTEMS

IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET.

EVERY LEVEL OF LIFE ORGANIZATION
AND LIFE SYSTEM

IS IN A STATE OF CRISIS AND
CHALLENGE AND DECAY OR COLLAPSE.

NO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL
IN THE LAST 30 YEARS

WILL TELL YOU
ANYTHING DIFFERENT --

THAT IS, THAT EVERY LIFE SYSTEM
IS IN DECLINE,

AS WELL AS SOCIAL PROGRAMS,
AS WELL AS OUR WATER ACCESS.

TRY TO NAME ANY MEANS OF LIFE

THAT ISN'T THREATENED
AND ENDANGERED.

YOU CAN'T.

THERE ISN'T --

THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE, AND
THAT'S VERY, VERY DESPAIRING.

BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN FIGURED OUT
THE CAUSAL MECHANISM.

WE DON'T WANT TO FACE
THE CAUSAL MECHANISM.

WE JUST WANT TO GO ON.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT INSANITY
IS --

WHERE YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME
THING, OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

EVEN THOUGH
IT CLEARLY DOESN'T WORK.

SO, YOU'RE REALLY DEALING WITH
NOT AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM,

BUT, I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO
SAY, AN ANTI-ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

-THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT THE
COMPETITIVE MARKET MODEL

SEEKS TO CREATE
THE BEST POSSIBLE GOODS

AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES.

THIS STATEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY
THE INCENTIVE CONCEPT,

WHICH JUSTIFIES MARKET
COMPETITION

BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION
THAT THE RESULT

IS THE PRODUCTION
OF HIGHER-QUALITY GOODS.

IF I WAS GOING TO BUILD MYSELF
A TABLE FROM SCRATCH,

I WOULD NATURALLY BUILD IT

OUT OF THE BEST, MOST-DURABLE
MATERIALS POSSIBLE, RIGHT?

WITH THE INTENT FOR IT
TO LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO MAKE
SOMETHING POOR,

KNOWING I WOULD HAVE TO
EVENTUALLY DO IT AGAIN

AND EXPEND MORE MATERIALS
AND MORE ENERGY?

WELL, AS RATIONAL AS THAT MAY
SEEM IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD,

WHEN IT COMES TO THE MARKET
WORLD,

IT IS NOT ONLY
EXPLICITLY IRRATIONAL --

IT IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION.

IT IS TECHNICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO
PRODUCE THE BEST OF ANYTHING

IF A COMPANY IS TO MAINTAIN
A COMPETITIVE EDGE,

AND, HENCE, REMAIN AFFORDABLE
TO THE CONSUMER.

LITERALLY EVERYTHING
CREATED AND SET FOR SALE

IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

IS IMMEDIATELY INFERIOR
THE MOMENT IT IS PRODUCED,

FOR IT IS
A MATHEMATICAL IMPOSSIBILITY

TO MAKE THE MOST
SCIENTIFICALLY ADVANCED,

EFFICIENT, AND STRATEGICALLY
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS.

THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT
THAT THE MARKET SYSTEM

REQUIRES THAT "COST EFFICIENCY,"
OR THE NEED TO REDUCE EXPENSES,

EXISTS T EVERY STAGE
OF PRODUCTION,

FROM THE COST OF LABOR TO THE
COST OF MATERIALS AND PACKAGING,

AND SO ON.

THIS COMPETITIVE STRATEGY,
OF COURSE,

IS TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC BUYS
THEIR GOODS

RATHER THAN FROM
A COMPETING PRODUCER,

WHICH IS DOING
THE EXACT SAME THING

TO ALSO MAKE THEIR GOODS
BOTH COMPETITIVE AND AFFORDABLE.

THIS IMMUTABLY WASTEFUL
CONSEQUENCE OF THE SYSTEM

COULD BE TERMED
"INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE."

HOWEVER, THIS IS ONLY ONE PART
OF A LARGER PROBLEM.

A FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNING
PRINCIPLE OF MARKET ECONOMICS --

ONE THAT YOU WILL NOT FIND IN
ANY TEXTBOOK, BY THE WAY --

IS THE FOLLOWING --

"NOTHING PRODUCED CAN BE ALLOWED
TO MAINTAIN A LIFE-SPAN

LONGER THAN WHAT CAN BE ENDURED

IN ORDER TO CONTINUE
CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION."

IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS CRITICAL
THAT STUFF BREAK DOWN, FAIL,

AND EXPIRE WITHIN A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF TIME.

THIS IS TERMED
"PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE."

PLANNED OBSOLESCE

IS THE BACKBONE OF THE
UNDERLYING MARKET STRATEGY

OF EVERY GOODS-PRODUCING
CORPORATION IN EXISTENCE.

WHILE VERY FEW, OF COURSE,

WOULD ADMIT
TO SUCH A STRATEGY OUTRIGHT,

WHAT THEY DO IS MASK IT WITHIN

THE INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE
PHENOMENON JUST DISCUSSED,

WHILE OFTEN IGNORING
OR EVEN SUPPRESSING

NEW ADVENTS IN TECHNOLOGY

WHICH MIGHT CREATE A MORE
SUSTAINABLE, DURABLE GOOD.

SO, IF IT WASN'T WASTEFUL ENOUGH

THAT THE SYSTEM
INHERENTLY CANNOT ALLOW

THE MOST DURABLE AND EFFICIENT
GOODS TO BE PRODUCED,

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
DELIBERATELY RECOGNIZES

THAT THE LONGER ANY GOOD
IS IN OPERATION,

THE WORSE IT IS FOR SUSTAINING
CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION,

AND, HENCE,
THE MARKET SYSTEM ITSELF.

IN OTHER WORDS,

PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY
IS ACTUALLY INVERSE

TO ECONOMIC GROWTH,

AND, HENCE, THERE IS A DIRECT,
REINFORCED INCENTIVE

TO MAKE SURE
LIFE-SPANS ARE SHORT

OF ANY GIVEN GOOD PRODUCED.

AND, IN FACT, THE SYSTEM
CANNOT OPERATE ANY OTHER WAY.

ONE GLANCE
AT THE SEA OF LANDFILLS

NOW SPREADING ACROSS THE WORLD
SHOW THE OBSOLESCENCE REALITY.

THERE ARE NOW BILLIONS OF
CHEAPLY MADE CELL PHONES,

COMPUTERS, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY,

EACH FULL OF PRECIOUS,
DIFFICULT-TO-MINE MATERIALS,

SUCH AS GOLD, COLTAN, COPPER,
NOW ROTTING IN VAST PILES,

USUALLY DUE
TO THE MERE MALFUNCTION

OR OBSOLESCENCE
OF SMALL PARTS,

WHICH, IN
A CONSERVATIVE SOCIETY,

COULD LIKELY
BE FIXED OR UPDATED,

AND THE LIFE
OF THE GOOD EXTENDED.

UNFORTUNATELY,

AS EFFICIENT AS THAT MAY SEEM
IN OUR PHYSICAL REALITY,

LIVING ON A FINITE PLANET
WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

IT IS EXPLICITLY INEFFICIENT
WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET.

TO PUT IT INTO A PHRASE,

EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY,
AND PRESERVATION

ARE THE ENEMIES OF
OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

LIKEWISE,
JUST AS PHYSICAL GOODS

NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY
PRODUCED AND REPRODUCED,

REGARDLESS OF THEIR
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT,

THE SERVICE INDUSTRY OPERATES
WITH AN EQUAL RATIONALE.

THE FACT IS,
THERE IS NO MONETARY BENEFIT

TO RESOLVING ANY PROBLEMS WHICH
ARE CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED.

AT THE END OF THE DAY,

THE LAST THING THE MEDICAL
ESTABLISHMENT REALLY WANTS

IS THE CURING OF DISEASES,
SUCH AS CANCER,

WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE COUNTLESS
JOBS AND TRILLIONS IN REVENUE.

AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT,

CRIME AND TERRORISM
IN THIS SYSTEM ARE GOOD!

WELL, AT LEAST ECONOMICALLY,

FOR IT IS EMPLOYING POLICE,

GENERATING HIGH-VALUE
COMMODITIES FOR SECURITY,

NOT TO MENTION
THE VALUE OF PRISONS

THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED --
FOR PROFIT.

AND HOW ABOUT WAR?

THE WAR INDUSTRY IN AMERICA IS A
HUGE DRIVER OF GDP --

ONE OF THE
MOST PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES --

PRODUCING WEAPONS
OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.

THE FAVORITE GAME OF THIS
INDUSTRY IS TO BLOW THINGS UP

AND THEN CAN GO
AND REBUILD THEM -- FOR PROFIT.

WE SAW THIS WITH THE WINDFALL
BILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACTS

MADE FROM THE IRAQ WAR.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SOCIALLY
NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF SOCIETY

HAVE BECOME POSITIVELY REWARDED
VENTURES FOR INDUSTRY,

AND ANY INTEREST
IN PROBLEM-RESOLUTION

OR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
AND CONSERVATION

IS INTRINSICALLY COUNTER
TO ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY.

AND THIS IS WHY EVERY TIME YOU
SEE THE GDP RISE IN ANY COUNTRY,

YOU ARE WITNESSING
AN INCREASE IN NECESSITY,

WHETHER REAL OR CONTRIVED,

AND, BY DEFINITION,

A NECESSITY
IS ROOTED IN INEFFICIENCY,

HENCE, INCREASED NECESSITY
MEANS INCREASED INEFFICIENCY.

-THE AMERICAN DREAM
IS BASED ON RAMPANT CONSUMERISM.

IT IS BASED UPON THE FACT
THAT MAINSTREAM MEDIA

AND ESPECIALLY
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING --

ALL CORPORATIONS
WHO NEED THIS INFINITE GROWTH --

HAVE CONVINCED US,

OR BRAINWASHED
MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA,

AND, HENCE, THE WORLD,

THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE "X" NUMBER
OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS,

AND THE POSSIBILITY

OF GAINING INFINITELY MORE
MATERIAL POSSESSIONS,

IN ORDER TO BE HAPPY.

THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

SO WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE
TO BUY IN THIS WAY,

WHICH IS ULTIMATELY
ECO-GENOCIDAL

IN ITS SYSTEMIC EFFECTS,
CUMULATIVELY?

AND IT JUST IS
CLASSICAL OPERANT CONDITIONING.

YOU SIMPLY PUT INPUTS OF
CONDITIONING INTO THE ORGANISM,

AND YOU HAVE
OUTPUTS OF DESIRED BEHAVIORS

OR GOALS OR OBJECTIVES.

AND IT HAS
ALL THE RESOURCES OF TECHNOLOGY,

AND THEY BOAST ABOUT HOW THEY
GET INTO THE MINDS OF INFANTS --

WHAT THEY HEAR IS ALREADY MAKING
THEM CONDITIONED TO THE BRAND.

THEN, YOU SEE, WELL, THAT'S HOW
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUCH FOOLS.

IN A WAY,
THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO BE FOOLS.

IT'S A VALUE-SYSTEM DISORDER.

-YOU KNOW,
IF THERE IS ANY TESTAMENT

TO THE PLASTICITY
OF THE HUMAN MIND,

IF THERE IS ANY PROOF TO HOW
MALLEABLE HUMAN THOUGHT IS

AND HOW EASILY CONDITIONED
AND GUIDED PEOPLE CAN BECOME

BASED ON THE NATURE
OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

AND WHAT IT REINFORCES,

THE WORLD OF COMMERCIAL
ADVERTISING IS THE PROOF.

YOU HAVE TO STAND IN AWE
AT THE LEVEL OF BRAINWASHING

WHERE THESE PROGRAMMED ROBOTS
KNOWN AS "CONSUMERS"

WANDER THE LANDSCAPE,
ONLY TO WALK INTO A STORE

AND SPEND, SAY, $4,000
ON A HANDBAG

THAT LIKELY COST $10 TO MAKE
IN A SWEATSHOP OVERSEAS,

ONLY FOR THE BRAND STATUS

IT SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTS
IN THE CULTURE.

OR PERHAPS THE ANCIENT COMMUNAL
TRADITIONS

WHICH INCREASE TRUST
AND COHESIVENESS IN SOCIETY,

WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN HIJACKED BY
ACQUISITIVE MATERIALISTIC VALUES

WHERE NOW ANNUALLY WE EXCHANGE
USELESS CRAP A FEW TIMES A YEAR.

AND WE MIGHT WONDER WHY SO MANY
TODAY

HAVE A COMPULSION TO SHOPPING
AND ACQUISITION

WHEN IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN CONDITIONED FROM CHILDHOOD

TO EXPECT MATERIAL GOODS

AS A SIGN OF THEIR STATUS
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

THE FACT IS,
THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SOCIETY

ARE THE VALUES
THAT SUPPORT ITS OPERATION,

AND OUR SOCIETY, AS IT EXISTS,
CAN ONLY OPERATE IF OUR VALUES

SUPPORT THE CONSPICUOUS
CONSUMPTION IT REQUIRES

TO CONTINUE THE MARKET SYSTEM.

75 YEARS AGO,

CONSUMPTION IN AMERICA
AND MUCH OF THE FIRST WORLD

WAS HALF OF WHAT WE SEE TODAY,
PER PERSON.

TODAY'S NEW CONSUMER CULTURE HAS
BEEN MANUFACTURED AND IMPOSED

DUE TO THE VERY REAL NEED

FOR HIGHER AND HIGHER LEVELS
OF CONSUMPTION.

AND THIS IS WHY MOST
CORPORATIONS

NOW SPEND MORE MONEY
ON ADVERTISING

THAN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF
PRODUCT CREATION ITSELF.

THEY WORK DILIGENTLY TO CREATE
A FALSE NEED FOR YOU TO FILL,

AND IT HAPPENS TO WORK.

-YOU KNOW, ECONOMISTS ARE,
IN FACT, NOT ECONOMISTS AT ALL.

THEY'RE PROPAGANDISTS OF MONEY
VALUE,

AND YOU WILL FIND
THAT ALL THEIR MODELS

BASICALLY GET DOWN
TO TOKEN EXCHANGES

THAT ARE TO THE PROFIT
OF ONE SIDE, OR BOTH SIDES,

OR WHATEVER -- BUT THEY'RE
COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED

FROM THE ACTUALLY EXISTING WORLD
OF REPRODUCTION.

-UM, IN OHIO,

AN OLD MAN FAILED
TO PAY HIS ELECTRIC BILL.

YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR
WITH THE CASE.

AND THE ELECTRIC COMPANY TURNED
OFF THE ELECTRICITY AND HE DIED.

THE REASON THEY TURNED IT OFF
WAS BECAUSE

IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PROFITABLE
FOR THEM TO KEEP IT ON,

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PAY HIS BILL.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WAS RIGHT?

-THE RESPONSIBILITY REALLY LIES

NOT ON THE ELECTRIC COMPANY
FOR TURNING IT OFF,

BUT ON THOSE
OF THIS MAN'S NEIGHBORS

AND FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES
WHO WERE NOT CHARITABLE ENOUGH

TO ENABLE HIM, AS AN INDIVIDUAL
TO MEET THE ELECTRIC BILL.

-HMM.

DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?

DID HE JUST SAY THE DEATH OF A
MAN CAUSED BY NOT HAVING MONEY

WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER
PEOPLE, OR, IN EFFECT, CHARITY?

[ Chuckling ] WELL, THEN,

I GUESS WE'RE GONNA NEED
A WHOLE LOT OF INFOMERCIALS,

LITTLE MISERABLE COIN-SLOT
DONATIONS FOR BODEGA COUNTERS,

AND A BUNCH OF PICKLE JARS

FOR THE BILLION PEOPLE NOW
STARVING TO DEATH ON THIS PLANET

BECAUSE OF THE VERY SYSTEM
MILTON FRIEDMAN PROMOTES.

WHETHER YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE
PHILOSOPHIES OF MILTON FRIEDMAN,

F.A. HAYEK, JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES,
LUDWIG VON MISES,

OR ANY OTHER
MAJOR MARKET ECONOMIST,

THE BASIS OF RATIONALE RARELY
LEAVES THE MONEY SEQUENCE.

IT IS LIKE A RELIGION.

CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS,
STABILIZATION POLICIES,

DEFICIT SPENDING,
AGGREGATE DEMAND --

IT EXISTS AS A NEVER-ENDING,
SELF-REFERRING,

SELF-RATIONALIZING
CIRCLE OF DISCOURSE

WHERE UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEED,
NATURAL RESOURCES,

OR ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL,
LIFE-SUPPORTING EFFICIENCY

IS RULED OUT BY DEFAULT AND
REPLACED BY THE SINGULAR NOTION

THAT HUMANS SEEKING ADVANTAGE
OVER EACH OTHER FOR MONEY ALONE,

MOTIVATED BY
THEIR OWN NARROW SELF-INTEREST,

WILL MAGICALLY CREATE

DA SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY,
BALANCED SOCIETY.

-THERE IS NO LIFE COORDINATE
IN THIS WHOLE THEORY --

THIS WHOLE DOCTRINE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WHAT THEY'RE DOING
IS TRACKING MONEY SEQUENCES.

THAT'S ALL IT IS,
IS TRACKING MONEY SEQUENCES,

PRESUPPOSING
EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS.

ONE, THAT THERE'S
NO LIFE COORDINATES --

WHAH, NO LIFE COORDINATES!

TWO, THAT ALL THE AGENTS

ARE SELF-MAXIMIZING
PREFERENCE SEEKERS.

THAT IS, THEY THINK OF NOTHING
OTHER THAN THEMSELVES

AND WHAT THEY CAN GET MOST
FOR THEMSELVES.

THAT'S THE NOTION --

THE THE RULING NOTION
OF RATIONALITY --

SELF-MAXIMIZING CHOICE.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'RE
INTERESTED IN SELF-MAXIMIZING

IS MONEY OR COMMODITIES.

WELL, WHERE DOES
SOCIAL RELATIONS COME IN?

IT DOESN'T, EXCEPT IN THE
EXCHANGE TO SELF-MAXIMIZE.

WHERE DO OUR
NATURAL RESOURCES COME IN?

THEY DON'T, EXCEPT TO EXPLOIT.

WHERE...

DOES THE FAMILY COME IN AS BEING
ABLE TO SURVIVE?

IT DOESN'T.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE MONEY
IN ORDER TO PURCHASE ANY GOOD.

WELL, SHOULDN'T AN ECONOMY
DEAL SOMEWHERE WITH HUMAN NEED?

ISN'T THAT
WHAT THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS --

TO SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS?

OH, "NEED" ISN'T
EVEN IN YOUR LEXICON.

YOU DISSOLVE IT INTO "WANTS."
AND WHAT IS A WANT?

THAT MEANS MONEY-DEMAND
THAT WANTS TO BUY.

WELL, IF IT'S MONEY-DEMAND THAT
WANTS TO BUY,

IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO
WITH NEED,

BECAUSE MAYBE THE PERSON
HAS NO MONEY-DEMAND

AND DESPERATELY NEEDS,
SAY, WATER SUPPLY.

OR IT MAY BE MONEY-DEMAND
WANTS A GOLD TOILET SEAT.

WELL, WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

TO THE GOLD TOILET SEAT.

AND YOU CALL THIS ECONOMICS?

[ Laughing ] LIKE, IT'S REALLY,
WHEN ONE THINKS OF IT,

IT'S GOT TO BE
THE MOST BIZARRE, UH, DELUSION

IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN THOUGHT.

-NOW, SO FAR, WE HAVE FOCUSED
ON THE MARKET SYSTEM,

BUT THIS SYSTEM
IS ACTUALLY ONLY ONE HALF

OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC PARADIGM.

THE OTHER HALF
IS THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

WHILE THE MARKET SYSTEM DEALS
WITH THE INTERACTION OF PEOPLE,

GAMING FOR PROFIT

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF LABOR,
PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION,

THE MONETARY SYSTEM IS AN
UNDERLYING SET OF POLICIES,

SET BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,

WHICH CREATE CONDITIONS
FOR THE MARKET SYSTEM,

AMONG OTHER THINGS.

IT INCLUDES TERMS WE OFTEN HEAR,
SUCH AS "INTEREST RATES,"

"LOANS," "DEBT,"
"THE MONEY SUPPLY,"

"INFLATION," ET CETERA.

AND WHILE YOU MIGHT WANT
TO PULL YOUR HAIR OUT,

LISTENING TO THE GIBBERISH

COMING FROM THE MONETARY
ECONOMISTS...

-MODEST PREEMPTIVE ACTIONS
CAN OBVIATE THE NEED

OF MORE DRASTIC ACTIONS
AT A LATER DATE.

-...THE NATURE AND EFFECT
OF THIS SYSTEM

IS ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.

-OUR ECONOMY HAS --

OR, THE GLOBAL ECONOMY HAS THREE
BASIC THINGS THAT GOVERN IT.

ONE IS
FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING --

BANKS PRINTING MONEY
OUT OF NOTHING.

IT'S ALSO BASED UPON COMPOUND
INTEREST --

WHEN YOU BORROW MONEY,

YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK
MORE THAN YOU BORROWED,

WHICH MEANS THAT YOU,

IN EFFECT, CREATE MONEY
OUT OF THIN AIR, AGAIN,

WHICH HAS TO BE SERVICED
BY CREATING STILL MORE MONEY.

WE LIVE
IN AN INFINITE-GROWTH PARADIGM.

THE ECONOMIC PARADIGM WE
LIVE IN NOW IS A PONZI SCHEME.

NOTHING GROWS FOREVER.

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

AS A GREAT PSYCHOLOGIST,
JAMES HILLMAN, WROTE,

"THE ONLY THING THAT GROWS

IN A HUMAN BODY
AFTER A CERTAIN AGE IS CANCER."

IT'S NOT JUST THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY THAT HAS TO KEEP GROWING,

IT'S THE AMOUNT OF CONSUMERS --

CONSUMERS TO BORROW MONEY AT
INTEREST TO GENERATE MORE MONEY.

AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S
NOT POSSIBLE ON A FINITE PLANET.

PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY VEHICLES
TO JUST CREATE MONEY,

WHICH MUST CREATE MORE MONEY

TO KEEP THE WHOLE THING
FROM FALLING APART,

WHICH IS
WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

-THERE ARE REALLY ONLY TWO
THINGS ANYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

ABOUT THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

ONE, ALL MONEY
IS CREATED OUT OF DEBT.

MONEY IS MONETIZED DEBT,

WHETHER IT MATERIALIZED FROM
TREASURY BONDS,

HOME-LOAN CONTRACTS,
OR CREDIT CARDS.

IN OTHER WORDS,

IF ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS TO
BE REPAID RIGHT NOW,

THERE WOULD NOT BE
ONE DOLLAR IN CIRCULATION.

AND, TWO, INTEREST IS CHARGED
ON VIRTUALLY ALL LOANS MADE,

AND THE MONEY NEEDED
TO PAY BACK THIS INTEREST

DOES NOT EXIST IN THE MONEY
SUPPLY OUTRIGHT.

ONLY THE PRINCIPAL
IS CREATED BY THE LOANS,

AND THE PRINCIPAL
IS THE MONEY SUPPLY.

SO IF ALL THIS DEBT WAS TO BE
REPAID RIGHT NOW,

NOT ONLY WOULD THERE NOT BE ONE
DOLLAR LEFT IN CIRCULATION --

THERE WOULD ALSO BE A GIGANTIC
AMOUNT OF MONEY OWED

THAT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO PAY BACK,

FOR IT DOES NOT EXIST.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF ALL OF THIS

IS THAT TWO THINGS
ARE INEVITABLE --

INFLATION AND BANKRUPTCY.

AS FAR AS INFLATION,

THIS CAN BE SEEN
AS A HISTORICAL TREND

IN VIRTUALLY
EVERY COUNTRY TODAY,

AND EASILY TIED TO ITS CAUSE,

WHICH IS THE PERPETUAL INCREASE
OF THE MONEY SUPPLY,

WHICH IS REQUIRED
TO COVER THE INTEREST CHARGES

AND KEEP THE SYSTEM GOING.

AS FAR AS BANKRUPTCY,

IT COMES IN THE FORM
OF DEBT COLLAPSE.

THIS COLLAPSE WILL INEVITABLY
OCCUR WITH A PERSON, A BUSINESS,

OR A COUNTRY,

AND TYPICALLY HAPPENS
WHEN THE INTEREST PAYMENTS

ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO MAKE.

BUT THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE
TO ALL OF THIS --

WELL, AT LEAST
IN TERMS OF THE MARKET SYSTEM,

BECAUSE DEBT CREATES PRESSURE.

DEBT CREATES WAGE SLAVES.

A PERSON IN DEBT
IS MUCH MORE LIKELY

TO TAKE A LOW WAGE
THAN A PERSON WHO ISN'T,

HENCE BECOMING
A CHEAP COMMODITY,

SO IT'S GREAT
FOR THE CORPORATIONS

TO HAVE A POOL OF PEOPLE THAT
HAVE NO FINANCIAL MOBILITY.

BUT, HEY,
THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT

ALSO GOES FOR ENTIRE COUNTRIES.

THE WORLD BANK AND THE
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND,

WHICH MOSTLY SERVE AS PROXIES

FOR TRANSNATIONAL
CORPORATE INTERESTS,

GIVE GIGANTIC LOANS
TO TROUBLED COUNTRIES

AT VERY HIGH INTEREST RATES,

AND THEN,

ONCE THE COUNTRIES ARE DEEPLY
IN THE HOLE AND CAN'T PAY,

AUSTERITY MEASURES ARE APPLIED,

THE CORPORATIONS SWOOP IN,
SET UP SWEATSHOPS,

AND TAKE
THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES.

NOW, THAT'S MARKET EFFICIENCY.

[ APPLAUSE ]

BUT WAIT -- THERE'S MORE.

YOU SEE,
THERE'S THIS UNIQUE HYBRID

OF THE MONETARY
AND MARKET SYSTEM

CALLED "THE STOCK MARKET,"

WHICH, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW,
ACTUALLY PRODUCE ANYTHING REAL,

THEY JUST BUY AND SELL
MONEY ITSELF.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT,
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO?

THAT'S RIGHT. THEY TRADE IT.

THEY ACTUALLY BUY
AND SELL DEBT FOR PROFIT.

FROM CREDIT-DEFAULT SWAPS

AND COLLATERALIZED-DEBT
OBLIGATIONS FOR CONSUMER DEBT

TO COMPLEX DERIVATIVE SCHEMES

USED TO MASK THE DEBT
OF ENTIRE COUNTRIES,

SUCH AS THE COLLUSION

OF INVESTMENT BANK GOLDMAN SACHS
AND GREECE,

WHICH NEARLY COLLAPSED
THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN ECONOMY.

SO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE STOCK
MARKET AND WALL STREET,

WE HAVE AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL
OF INSANITY

BORN OUT OF
THE MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE.

-ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
MARKETS

WAS WRITTEN IN AN EDITORIAL IN
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

IT WAS CALLED "LESSONS OF THE
BRAIN-DAMAGED INVESTOR."

AND IN THIS EDITORIAL,

THEY EXPLAINED WHY PEOPLE WITH
SLIGHT BRAIN DAMAGE

DO BETTER AS INVESTORS

THAN PEOPLE
WITH NORMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONALITY.

WHY? BECAUSE THE SLIGHTLY
BRAIN-DAMAGED PERSON

HAS NO EMPATHY,
AND THAT'S THE KEY.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EMPATHY,
YOU DO WELL AS AN INVESTOR,

AND SO WALL STREET BREEDS PEOPLE
WHO HAVE NO EMPATHY

TO GO IN THERE
AND TO MAKE DECISIONS

AND MAKE TRADES THAT THEY HAVE
NO COMPUNCTION ABOUT

AND NO THOUGHT WHATSOEVER
AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING

MIGHT AFFECT
THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEING.

SO, THEY BREED THESE ROBOTS,

THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SOULS,

AND SINCE THEY DON'T EVEN WANT
TO PAY THESE PEOPLE ANYMORE,

THEY'RE NOW BREEDING ROBOTS --
REAL ROBOTS --

REAL ALGORITHMIC TRADERS.

GOLDMAN SACHS, IN THE
HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING SCANDAL,

THEY PUT A COMPUTER NEXT TO THE
EXCHANGE --

THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

THIS COMPUTER,
THIS "CO-LOCATED COMPUTER,"

AS THEY CALL IT,

IT FRONT-RUNS ALL THE TRADES
ON THE EXCHANGE

AND HITS THE EXCHANGE
WITH VOLUMES OF ORDERS

IN WAYS THAT SCALP PENNIES AND
NICKELS AWAY FROM THE EXCHANGE.

IT JUST -- IT'S LIKE THEY'RE
SIPHONING MONEY ALL DAY LONG.

THEY WENT ONE QUARTER LAST YEAR,

30 OR 60 STRAIGHT DAYS WITHOUT
A SINGLE DOWN DAY

AND MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
EVERY SINGLE DAY.

IS THAT BECAUSE -- WELL, THAT'S
STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

WHEN I WORKED ON WALL STREET,

THE WAY IT WORKS IS EVERYONE
KICKS UPSTAIRS TO BRIBES.

THE BROKERS BRIBE
TO THE OFFICE MANAGER.

THE OFFICE MANAGER BRIBES
TO THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER

BRIBES TO
THE NATIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

IT'S A COMMON UNDERSTANDING.

AT CHRISTMAS,

WHO GETS THE BIGGEST BONUS
AT CHRISTMAS

IN AN AVERAGE BROKER JOB?

IT'S THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER.

THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER
SITS THERE ALL DAY LONG.

HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING SURE

YOU DON'T
VIOLATE ANY OF THE MARGIN RULES

AND YOU'RE "COMPLYING"
WITH THE LAW.

OF COURSE, YEAH,

TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN BRIBE
THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER,

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU ARE COMPLYING WITH THE LAW.

SO, HOW HAS FRAUD
BECOME THE SYSTEM?

IT'S NO LONGER A BYPRODUCT.

IT I THE SYSTEM.

IT'S LIKE THAT
OLD WOODY ALLEN JOKE.

HE SAYS, "DOCTOR, MY BROTHER
THINKS HE'S A CHICKEN."

AND THE DOCTOR SAYS,

"TAKE A PILL AND THAT SHOULD
CURE THE PROBLEM."

AND HE SAYS, "NO DOCTOR.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

WE NEED THE EGGS."
OKAY?

SO, THE TRADING OF FRAUDULENT
CLAIMS BACK AND FORTH

BETWEEN BANKS TO GENERATE FEES,
TO GENERATE BONUSES,

HAS BECOME THE GDP-PRODUCING
GROWTH ENGINE

OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY,

EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY
TRADING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS

THAT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE
OF EVER PAYING BACK.

THEY'RE PROCESSING
AND GENERATING

AND RE-SECURITIZING NOTHING.

IF I WRITE "$20 BILLION"
ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

AND I SELL IT TO JPMorgan

WHILE JPMorgan WRITES
$20 BILLION ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

AND WE SWAP THOSE TWO COCKTAIL
NAPKINS AT A BAR

AND WE EACH PAY OURSELVES
A QUARTER OF 1% IN A FEE,

WE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY
FOR OUR CHRISTMAS BONUS.

WE EACH HAVE ON OUR BOOKS A
$20-BILLION COCKTAIL NAPKIN,

WHICH HAS NO REAL VALUE
UNTIL SUCH TIME

AS THE SYSTEM IS NO LONGER
ABLE TO ABSORB

BOGUS COCKTAIL NAPKINS,

IN WHICH CASE WE GO TO THE
GOVERNMENT TO GET BAILED OUT.

-AND BECAUSE OF WALL STREET AND
THE GLOBAL STOCK MARKET,

THERE ARE NOW CONSERVATIVELY
ABOUT $700 TRILLION

OF OUTSTANDING,
FRAUDULENT CLAIMS,

KNOWN AS DERIVATIVES,
STILL WAITING TO COLLAPSE --

A VALUE AMOUNTING TO OVER 10
TIMES THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

OF THE ENTIRE PLANET.

AND WHILE WE HAVE SEEN

THE BAILOUTS OF CORPORATIONS
AND BANKS BY GOVERNMENTS,

WHICH, OF COURSE,

COMEDICALLY BORROW THEIR
MONEY FROM BANKS TO BEGIN WITH,

WE ARE NOW SEEING ATTEMPTS
TO BAIL OUT WHOLE COUNTRIES

BY CONGLOMERATES
OF OTHER COUNTRIES

THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL BANKS.

BUT HOW DO YOU
BAIL OUT A PLANET?

THERE IS NO COUNTRY OUT THERE

THAT ISN'T NOW
SATURATED IN DEBT.

THE CASCADE OF SOVEREIGN DEBT
DEFAULTS WE HAVE SEEN

CAN ONLY BE THE BEGINNING,

WHEN THE MATH
IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED IN
THE UNITED STATES ALONE

THAT INCOME TAX WOULD NEED TO BE
RAISED TO 65% PER PERSON

JUST TO COVER
THE INTEREST IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ECONOMISTS ARE NOW FORESHADOWING
THAT WITHIN A FEW DECADES,

60% OF THE COUNTRIES
ON THE PLANET WILL BE BANKRUPT.

BUT...HOLD ON.
LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.

THE WORLD IS GOING BANKRUPT,
WHATEVER THE HELL THAT MEANS,

BECAUSE OF THIS IDEA
CALLED "DEBT,"

WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST
IN THE PHYSICAL REALITY.

IT'S ONLY PART OF A GAME
THAT WE'VE INVENTED.

AND, YET, THE WELL-BEING
OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE

IS NOW BEING COMPROMISED.

EXTREME LAYOFFS, TENT CITIES,
ACCELERATING POVERTY,

AUSTERITY MEASURES IMPOSED,
SCHOOLS SHUTTING DOWN,

CHILD HUNGER,

AND OTHER LEVELS
OF FAMILIAL DEPRIVATION,

ALL BECAUSE OF THIS
ELABORATE FICTION.

WHAT ARE WE, FUCKING STUPID?!

-HEY, HEY.
MARS, MY MAN.

HELP A BROTHER OUT, HUH?

[ CHANGE JINGLES ]

-GROW UP, KID.

-[ GROANS ]

[ LIGHTER CLICKS ]

[ INHALES DEEPLY ]

SATURN!
WHAT'S UP, MAN?

YOU REMEMBER THAT SMOKIN' NEBULA

I HOOKED YOU UP WITH
A WHILE BACK?

[ CHANGE JINGLES ]

-UH, LISTEN, EARTH.

WE'RE GETTING
REALLY TIRED OF YOU.

YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN EVERYTHING,
AND YET YOU WASTE IT ALL.

-YEAH.
-YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF RESOURCES,

AND YOU KNOW IT.

WHY DON'T YOU GROW UP AND LEARN
SOME RESPONSIBILITY,

FOR CHRIST'S SAKE?
-[ GROANS ]

-YOU'RE MAKIN'
YOUR MOTHER MISERABLE.

[ SAD TROMBONE PLAYS ]

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, PAL.

-YEAH, WHATEVER.

[ GULPING ]

-NOW, ALL OF THIS CONSIDERED,

FROM THE WASTE MACHINE KNOWN AS
THE MARKET SYSTEM

TO THE DEBT MACHINE KNOWN AS THE
MONETARY SYSTEM,

HENCE CREATING THE
MONETARY-MARKET PARADIGM,

WHICH DEFINES THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
TODAY,

THERE IS ONE CONSEQUENCE

THAT RUNS THROUGH
THE ENTIRE MACHINE --

INEQUALITY.

WHETHER IT IS THE MARKET SYSTEM,

WHICH CREATES
A NATURAL GRAVITATION

TOWARDS MONOPOLY
AND POWER CONSOLIDATION

WHILE ALSO GENERATING POCKETS OF
WEALTHY INDUSTRIES

THAT TOWER OVER OTHERS
REGARDLESS OF UTILITY,

SUCH AS THE FACT THAT TOP
HEDGE-FUND MANAGERS

ON WALL STREET NOW TAKE HOME
OVER $300 MILLION A YEAR

FOR CONTRIBUTING
LITERALLY NOTHING,

WHILE A SCIENTIST LOOKING
FOR A CURE FOR A DISEASE,

TRYING TO HELP HUMANITY,

MIGHT MAKE $60,000 A YEAR,
IF THEY'RE LUCKY,

OR WHETHER IT IS
THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

WHICH HAS CLASS DIVISION BUILT
RIGHT INTO ITS STRUCTURE.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE
$1 MILLION TO SPARE

AND I PUT IT INTO A C.D. AT
4% INTEREST,

I WILL MAKE $40,000 A YEAR --

NO SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION,
NO NOTHING.

HOWEVER, IF I'M A LOWER-CLASS
PERSON

AND HAVE TO TAKE LOANS
TO BUY MY CAR OR HOME,

I AM PAYING IN INTEREST,
WHICH, IN ABSTRACTION,

IS GOING TO PAY THAT MILLIONAIRE
WITH THE 4% C.D.

THIS STEALING FROM THE POOR TO
PAY THE RICH

IS A FOUNDATIONAL, BUILT-IN
ASPECT OF THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

AND IT COULD BE LABELED
"STRUCTURAL CLASSISM".

OF COURSE, HISTORICALLY,

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEEMED UNFAIR,

BUT OBVIOUSLY ACCEPTED OVERALL,

AS, NOW, 1% OF THE POPULATION
OWNS 40% OF THE PLANET'S WEALTH.

BUT, MATERIAL FAIRNESS ASIDE,

THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON

UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE
OF INEQUALITY,

CAUSING
AN INCREDIBLE DETERIORATION

IN PUBLIC HEALTH AS A WHOLE.

-WELL, I THINK PEOPLE ARE OFTEN
PUZZLED BY THE CONTRAST BETWEEN

THE MATERIAL SUCCESS
OF OUR SOCIETY'S

UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF WEALTH
AND THE MANY SOCIAL FAILINGS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT
THE RATES OF DRUG ABUSE

OR VIOLENCE OR SELF-HARM
AMONGST KIDS, OR MENTAL ILLNESS,

THERE'S CLEARLY SOMETHING GOING
DEEPLY WRONG WITH OUR SOCIETIES.

WHAT THE DATA THAT I'VE BEEN
DESCRIBING DOES

IS SIMPLY SHOWS THAT INTUITION

THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,

THAT INEQUALITY IS DIVISIVE
AND SOCIALLY CORROSIVE.

BUT THAT INTUITION IS TRUER THAN
I THINK WE EVER IMAGINED.

THERE ARE VERY POWERFUL

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS
OF INEQUALITY --

MORE TO DO, I SUPPOSE,

WITH FEELINGS OF
SUPERIORITY AND INFERIORITY,

THAT KIND OF DIVISION,

AND MAYBE GOING WITH THE, SORT
OF, RESPECT, DISRESPECT,

PEOPLE FEELING
LOOKED-DOWN-ON AT THE BOTTOM,

WHICH, BY THE WAY,

IS WHY VIOLENCE IS MORE COMMON
IN MORE UNEQUAL SOCIETIES.

IT'S -- THE TRIGGER TO VIOLENCE

IS SO OFTEN PEOPLE FEELING
LOOKED-DOWN-ON AND DISRESPECTED.

-IF THERE IS ONE PRINCIPLE
I COULD EMPHASIZE

THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
PRINCIPLE UNDERLYING

THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE,
IT WOULD BE EQUALITY.

THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT
FACTOR

THAT AFFECTS
THE RATE OF VIOLENCE

IS THE DEGREE OF EQUALITY

VERSUS THE DEGREE OF INEQUALITY
IN THAT SOCIETY.

-SO, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

IS A SORT OF
GENERAL SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION.

IT'S NOT JUST ONE OR TWO THINGS

THAT GO WRONG
AS INEQUALITY INCREASES.

IT SEEMS TO BE
EVERYTHING,

WHETHER WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT CRIME OR HEALTH

OR MENTAL ILLNESS OR WHATEVER.

-ONE OF THE REALLY DISTURBING
FINDINGS OUT

IN PUBLIC HEALTH THERE IS --

NEVER EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE
OF BEING POOR

OR BEING BORN POOR.

YOUR HEALTH PAYS FOR IT
IN ENDLESS SORTS OF WAYS --

SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE
"HEALTH SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENT."

AS YOU MOVE DOWN FROM THE
HIGHEST STRATA IN SOCIETY,

IN TERMS
OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

EVERY STEP DOWN,

HEALTH GETS WORSE
FOR UMPTEEN DIFFERENT DISEASES.

LIFE EXPECTANCY GETS WORSE.
INFANT MORTALITY RATE.

EVERYTHING YOU COULD LOOK AT.

SO, A HUGE ISSUE HAS BEEN

WHY IS IT
THAT THIS GRADIENT EXISTS?

TOTALLY SIMPLE, OBVIOUS ANSWER,

WHICH IS IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY
SICK,

YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE VERY
PRODUCTIVE,

SO HEALTH CAUSES
DRIVE SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES.

NOT THAT IN THE SLIGHTEST,
ON THE VERY SIMPLE LEVEL

THAT YOU COULD LOOK
AT THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

OF A 10-YEAR-OLD

AND THAT'S GONNA TO PREDICT
SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR HEALTH

DECADES LATER.

SO, THAT'S THE DIRECTION
OF CAUSALITY.

NEXT ONE.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT --
"OH, IT'S PERFECTLY OBVIOUS --

POOR PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD
TO GO TO THE DOCTOR."

IT'S HEALTHCARE ACCESS.

IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH
THAT,

'CAUSE YOU SEE
THESE SAME GRADIENTS

IN COUNTRIES
WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE,

SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

OKAY, NEXT SIMPLE EXPLANATION --

"OH, ON THE AVERAGE,

THE POORER YOU ARE, THE MORE
LIKELY YOU ARE TO SMOKE,

TO DRINK, TO -- ALL SORTS
OF LIFESTYLE-RISK-FACTOR STUFF."

YEAH, THOSE CONTRIBUTE,

BUT CAREFUL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN

THAT EXPLAINS MAYBE ABOUT 1/3
OF THE VARIABILITY.

SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

AND WHAT'S LEFT
IS HAVING A TON TO DO

WITH THE STRESS OF POVERTY.

SO, THE POORER YOU ARE,
STARTING OFF BEING, YOU KNOW,

THE PERSON WHO'S ONE DOLLAR
INCOME BEHIND BILL GATES,

THE POORER YOU ARE
IN THIS COUNTRY, ON THE AVERAGE,

THE WORSE YOUR HEALTH IS.

THIS TELLS US
SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT --

THE HEALTH CONNECTION
WITH POVERTY --

IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING POOR.
IT'S ABOUT FEELING POOR.

-INCREASINGLY,
WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM...

CHRONIC STRESS IS AN IMPORTANT
INFLUENCE ON HEALTH,

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES
OF STRESS

ARE THE QUALITY
OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

-AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING

THAT LOWERS THE QUALITY OF
SOCIAL RELATIONS,

IT IS THE SOCIOECONOMIC
STRATIFICATION OF SOCIETY.

WHAT SCIENCE HAS NOW SHOWN

IS THAT REGARDLESS
OF MATERIAL WEALTH,

THE STRESS OF SIMPLY
LIVING IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY

LEADS TO A VAST SPECTRUM
OF PUBLIC-HEALTH PROBLEMS.

AND THE GREATER THE INEQUALITY,
THE WORSE THEY BECOME.

LIFE EXPECTANCY --
LONGER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

DRUG ABUSE --
LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

MENTAL ILLNESS --
LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

SOCIAL CAPITAL,

MEANING THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE
TO TRUST EACH OTHER --

NATURALLY, GREATER
IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

EDUCATIONAL SCORES --
HIGHER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

HOMICIDE RATES --
LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

CRIME AND RATES OF IMPRISONMENT
-- LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

IT GOES ON AND ON.

INFANT MORTALITY,
OBESITY, TEEN-BIRTH RATE --

LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

AND, PERHAPS MOST INTERESTING,

INNOVATION --
GREATER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES,

WHICH CHALLENGES THE AGE-OLD
NOTION

THAT A COMPETITIVE,
STRATIFIED SOCIETY

IS SOMEHOW
MORE CREATIVE AND INVENTIVE.

MOREOVER, A STUDY
DONE IN THE U.K.,

CALLED "THE WHITEHALL STUDY,"

CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A SOCIAL
DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASE

AS YOU GO FROM THE TOP OF THE
SOCIOECONOMIC LADDER

TO THE BOTTOM.

FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT

THE LOWEST RUNGS
OF THE HIERARCHY

HAD A FOUR-FOLD INCREASE

OF HEART-DISEASE-BASED MORTALITY
COMPARED TO THE HIGHEST RUNGS.

AND THIS PATTERN EXISTS,

IRRESPECTIVE OF ACCESS
TO HEALTH CARE.

HENCE, THE WORSE A PERSON'S
RELATIVE FINANCIAL STATUS,

THE WORSE THEIR HEALTH IS GOING
TO BE, ON AVERAGE.

THIS PHENOMENON IS ROOTED
IN WHAT COULD BE TERMED

"PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS,"

AND IT IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF
THE GREATEST SOCIAL DISTORTIONS

PLAGUING OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

ITS CAUSE?

THE MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM.

MAKE NO MISTAKE --

THE GREATEST
DESTROYER OF ECOLOGY,

THE GREATEST SOURCE OF WASTE
AND DEPLETION AND POLLUTION,

THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF
VIOLENCE, WAR, CRIME, POVERTY,

ANIMAL ABUSE, AND INHUMANITY,

THE GREATEST GENERATOR OF SOCIAL
AND PERSONAL NEUROSIS,

MENTAL DISORDERS,
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY,

NOT TO MENTION THE GREATEST
SOURCE OF SOCIAL PARALYSIS

STOPPING US FROM MOVING INTO
NEW METHODOLOGIES

FOR PERSONAL HEALTH,
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY,

AND PROGRESS ON THIS PLANET,

IS NOT SOME CORRUPT GOVERNMENT
OR LEGISLATION,

NOT SOME ROGUE CORPORATION
OR BANKING CARTEL,

NOT SOME FLAW OF HUMAN NATURE,

AND NOT SOME SECRET HIDDEN
CABAL THAT CONTROLS THE WORLD.

IT IS, IN FACT,
THE SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM ITSELF,

AT ITS VERY FOUNDATION.

LET'S IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT
WE HAD THE OPTION

TO REDESIGN HUMAN CIVILIZATION
FROM THE GROUND UP.

WHAT IF,
HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING,

WE DISCOVERED AN EXACT REPLICA
OF THE PLANET EARTH,

AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THIS NEW PLANET
AND OUR CURRENT ONE

IS THAT HUMAN EVOLUTION
HAD NOT OCCURRED --

IT WAS AN OPEN PALETTE --

NO COUNTRIES, NO CITIES,
NO POLLUTION, NO REPUBLICANS,

JUST A PRISTINE,
OPEN ENVIRONMENT.

SO, WHAT WOULD WE DO?

WELL,
FIRST WE NEED A GOAL, RIGHT?

AND IT'S SAFE TO SAY
THAT GOAL WOULD BE TO SURVIVE.

AND NOT TO JUST SURVIVE,

BUT TO DO SO IN AN OPTIMIZED,
HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS WAY.

MOST PEOPLE, INDEED,
DESIRE TO LIVE,

AND THEY WOULD PREFER TO DO SO
WITHOUT SUFFERING.

THEREFORE,
THE BASIS OF THIS CIVILIZATION

NEEDS TO BE
AS SUPPORTIVE AND, HENCE,

SUSTAINABLE FOR HUMAN LIFE
AS POSSIBLE,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MATERIAL
NEEDS OF ALL THE WORLD'S PEOPLE,

WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE ANYTHING

THAT COULD HURT US
IN THE LONG RUN.

THAT GOAL OF, SAY, "MAXIMUM
SUSTAINABILITY" UNDERSTOOD,

THE NEXT QUESTION REGARDS OUR
METHOD.

WHAT KIND OF APPROACH
DO WE TAKE?

WELL, LET'S SEE.

LAST I CHECKED,

POLITICS WAS THE METHOD
OF SOCIAL OPERATION ON EARTH,

SO WHAT DO THE DOCTRINES
OF THE REPUBLICANS, LIBERALS,

CONSERVATIVES, OR SOCIALISTS

HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT SOCIETAL DESIGN?

HMMM...

NOT A DAMN THING.

OKAY, THEN, WHAT ABOUT RELIGION?

SURELY THE GREAT CREATOR

HAD TO HAVE LEFT
SOME BLUEPRINTS SOMEWHERE.

NOPE, NOTHING I CAN FIND.

OKAY, THEN.
SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

IT APPEARS SOMETHING CALLED
"SCIENCE."

SCIENCE IS UNIQUE
IN THAT ITS METHODS DEMAND

NOT ONLY THAT THE IDEAS PROPOSED
BE TESTED AND REPLICATED,

BUT BUT EVERYTHING SCIENCE

COMES UP WITH
IS ALSO INHERENTLY FALSIFIABLE.

IN OTHER WORDS,
UNLIKE RELIGION AND POLITICS,

SCIENCE HAS NO EGO,
AND EVERYTHING IT SUGGESTS

ACCEPTS THE POSSIBILITY OF
BEING PROVEN WRONG EVENTUALLY.

IT HOLDS ON TO NOTHING
AND EVOLVES CONSTANTLY.

WELL, THAT SOUNDS NATURAL
ENOUGH TO ME.

SO, THEN, BASED ON THE CURRENT
STATE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

IN THE EARLY 21st CENTURY,

ALONG WITH OUR GOAL OF MAXIMUM
SUSTAINABILITY

FOR THE HUMAN POPULATION,

HOW DO WE BEGIN THE ACTUAL
PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION?

WELL,
THE FIRST QUESTION TO ASK --

WHAT DO WE NEED TO SURVIVE?

THE ANSWER, OF COURSE,
ARE PLANETARY RESOURCES.

WHETHER IT IS
THE WATER WE DRINK,

THE ENERGY WE USE,

THE RAW MATERIALS WE UTILIZE
TO CREATE TOOLS AND SHELTER,

THE PLANET HOSTS
AN INVENTORY OF RESOURCES,

MANY OF WHICH
ARE DEMANDED FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

SO, GIVEN THAT REALITY,

IT THEN BECOMES
CRITICAL TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT WE HAVE AND WHERE IT IS.

THIS MEANS
WE NEED TO CONDUCT A SURVEY.

WE SIMPLY LOCATE AND IDENTIFY

EVERY PHYSICAL RESOURCE
ON THE PLANET WE CAN,

ALONG WITH THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE
AT EACH LOCATION,

FROM THE DEPOSITS OF COPPER,

TO THE MOST POTENT LOCATIONS FOR
WIND FARMS TO PRODUCE ENERGY,

TO THE NATURAL
FRESHWATER SPRINGS,

TO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AMOUNT
OF FISH IN THE OCEAN,

TO THE MOST PRIME ARABLE LAND
FOR FOOD CULTIVATION, ET CETERA.

BUT, SINCE WE HUMANS

ARE GOING TO BE CONSUMING
THESE RESOURCES OVER TIME,

WE THEN REALIZE THAT NOT ONLY DO
WE NEED TO LOCATE AND IDENTIFY,

WE ALSO NEED TO TRACK.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T
RUN OUT OF ANY OF THIS STUFF.

THAT WOULD BE BAD.

AND THIS MEANS NOT ONLY
TRACKING OUR RATES OF USE,

BUT THE RATES OF
EARTHLY REGENERATION, AS WELL,

SUCH AS HOW LONG IT TAKES
FOR, SAY, A TREE TO GROW

OR A SPRING TO REPLENISH.

THIS IS CALLED
"DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM."

IN OTHER WORDS,

IF WE USE UP TREES FASTER THAN
THEY CAN BE GROWN BACK,

WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM,
FOR IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

SO, THEN, HOW DO WE TRACK THIS
INVENTORY,

ESPECIALLY WHEN WE RECOGNIZE

THAT ALL OF THIS STUFF
IS SCATTERED EVERYWHERE?

WE HAVE LARGE MINERAL MINES
IN WHAT WE CALL AFRICA,

ENERGY CONCENTRATIONS IN THE
MIDDLE EAST,

HUGE TIDAL-POWER POSSIBILITIES

ON THE ATLANTIC COAST
OF NORTH AMERICA,

THE LARGEST SUPPLY OF FRESHWATER
IN BRAZIL, ET CETERA.

WELL, ONCE AGAIN, GOOD OLD
SCIENCE HAS A SUGGESTION.

IT'S CALLED "SYSTEMS THEORY."

SYSTEMS THEORY RECOGNIZES THAT
THE FABRIC OF THE NATURAL WORLD,

FROM HUMAN BIOLOGY
TO THE EARTHLY BIOSPHERE

TO THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM ITSELF,

IS ONE HUGE, SYNERGISTICALLY
CONNECTED SYSTEM,

FULLY INTERLINKED,

JUST AS HUMAN CELLS CONNECT TO
FORM OUR ORGANS,

AND THE ORGANS CONNECT TO FORM
OUR BODIES,

AND SINCE OUR BODIES CANNOT LIVE
WITHOUT THE EARTHLY RESOURCES

OF FOOD, AIR, AND WATER,

WE ARE INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED
TO THE EARTH, AND SO ON.

SO, AS NATURE SUGGESTS,

WE TAKE ALL OF THIS INVENTORY
AND TRACKING DATA

AND CREATE A
SYSTEM TO MANAGE IT --

A GLOBAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM, IN FACT,

TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY RELEVANT
RESOURCE ON THE PLANET.

THERE IS SIMPLY NO LOGICAL
ALTERNATIVE

IF OUR GOAL AS A SPECIES
IS SURVIVAL IN THE LONG RUN.

WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK,
AS A WHOLE.

THAT UNDERSTOOD,
WE CAN NOW CONSIDER PRODUCTION.

HOW DO WE USE ALL THIS STUFF?

WHAT WILL OUR PROCESS OF
PRODUCTION BE,

AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER
TO MAKE SURE

IT IS AS OPTIMIZED AS POSSIBLE
TO MAXIMIZE OUR SUSTAINABILITY?

WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPS
RIGHT OUT AT US

IS THE FACT THAT WE NEED
TO CONSTANTLY TRY AND PRESERVE.

THE PLANET'S RESOURCES
ARE ESSENTIALLY FINITE,

SO IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT WE BE STRATEGIC.

STRATEGIC PRESERVATION IS KEY.

THE SECOND THING WE RECOGNIZE

IS THAT SOME RESOURCES ARE
REALLY NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS

IN THEIR PERFORMANCE.

IN FACT, SOME OF THIS STUFF,
WHEN PUT INTO USE,

HAS A TERRIBLE EFFECT
OF THE ENVIRONMENT,

WHICH INVARIABLY
HINDERS OUR OWN HEALTH.

FOR EXAMPLE, OIL AND FOSSIL
FUELS, NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT IT,

RELEASE SOME PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE
AGENTS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

THEREFORE, IT IS CRITICAL

WE DO OUR BEST
TO USE SUCH THINGS

ONLY WHEN WE REALLY HAVE TO,
IF AT ALL.

FORTUNATELY FOR US,

WE SEE A TON OF SOLAR, WIND,
TIDAL, WAVE, HEAT-DIFFERENTIAL,

AND GEOTHERMAL POSSIBILITIES
FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION,

SO WE CAN STRATEGIZE OBJECTIVELY
ABOUT WHAT WE USE AND WHERE,

TO AVOID WHAT COULD BE CALLED
"NEGATIVE RETROACTIONS,"

OR ANYTHING THAT RESULTS
FROM PRODUCTION OR USE

THAT DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT
AND, HENCE, OURSELVES.

WE WILL CALL THIS
"STRATEGIC SAFETY"

TO COUPLE IN WITH OUR
STRATEGIC PRESERVATION.

BUT PRODUCTION STRATEGIES
DO NOT STOP THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO NEED AN
EFFICIENCY STRATEGY

FOR THE ACTUAL MECHANICS
OF PRODUCTION ITSELF.

AND WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THERE
ARE ROUGHLY THREE

SPECIFIC PROTOCOLS
WE MUST ADHERE TO.

ONE, EVERY GOOD WE PRODUCE MUST
BE DESIGNED TO LAST

AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

NATURALLY, THE MORE THINGS BREAK
DOWN,

THE MORE RESOURCES WE ARE
GOING TO NEED TO REPLACE THEM

AND THE MORE WASTE PRODUCED.

TWO, WHEN THINGS DO BREAK DOWN
OR ARE NO LONGER USABLE,

FOR WHATEVER REASON,

IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE HARVEST,

OR RECYCLE
AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

SO, THE PRODUCTION DESIGN MUST
TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT DIRECTLY

AT THE VERY EARLIEST STAGES.

THREE, QUICKLY EVOLVING
TECHNOLOGIES,

SUCH AS ELECTRONICS,
WHICH ARE SUBJECT

TO THE FASTEST RATES OF
TECHNOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE,

WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNED

TO FORESHADOW AND ACCOMMODATE
PHYSICAL UPDATES.

THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO

IS THROW AWAY AN ENTIRE COMPUTER
SYSTEM

JUST BECAUSE IT HAS ONLY ONE
BROKEN PART OR IS OUTDATED.

SO, WE SIMPLY DESIGN THE
COMPONENTS TO BE EASILY UPDATED,

PART BY PART, STANDARDIZED,
AND UNIVERSALLY INTERCHANGEABLE,

FORESHADOWED BY THE CURRENT
TREND OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.

AND WHEN WE REALIZE

THAT THE MECHANISMS OF STRATEGIC
PRESERVATION, STRATEGIC SAFETY,

AND STRATEGIC EFFICIENCY ARE
PURELY TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS,

DEVOID OF ANY HUMAN OPINION
OR BIAS,

WE SIMPLY PROGRAM THESE
STRATEGIES INTO A COMPUTER

WHICH CAN WEIGH AND CALCULATE
ALL THE RELEVANT VARIABLES,

ALLOWING US TO ALWAYS ARRIVE AT
THE ABSOLUTE BEST METHOD

FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION BASED
ON CURRENT UNDERSTANDINGS.

AND WHILE THAT MIGHT SOUND
COMPLEX,

ALL IT IS
IS A GLORIFIED CALCULATOR --

NOT TO MENTION SUCH MULTI-VARIED

DECISION-MAKING AND MONITORING
SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY USED

ACROSS THE WORLD TODAY
FOR ISOLATED PURPOSES.

IT IS SIMPLY A PROCESS
OF SCALING IT OUT.

SO, NOW, WE NOT ONLY HAVE OUR
RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

BUT ALSO A PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM,

BOTH OF WHICH ARE EASILY
COMPUTER-AUTOMATED TO MAXIMIZE

EFFICIENCY,
PRESERVATION, AND SAFETY.

THE INFORMATIONAL REALITY IS
THAT THE HUMAN MIND,

OR EVEN A GROUP OF HUMANS,

CANNOT TRACK
WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRACKED.

IT MUST BE DONE BY COMPUTERS,

AND IT CAN BE.

AND THIS BRINGS US TO THE NEXT
LEVEL -- DISTRIBUTION.

WHAT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
MAKE SENSE HERE?

WELL, SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE
SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN

TWO POINTS IS A STRAIGHT LINE,

AND SINCE ENERGY IS REQUIRED
TO POWER TRANSPORT MACHINES,

THE LESS TRANSPORT DISTANCE,
THE MORE EFFICIENT.

PRODUCING GOODS IN ONE CONTINENT

AND SHIPPING THEM
OVER TO ANOTHER

ONLY MAKES SENSE IF THE GOODS IN
QUESTION

SIMPLY CANNOT BE PRODUCED
IN THE TARGET AREA.

OTHERWISE,
IT IS NOTHING BUT WASTEFUL.

WE MUST LOCALIZE PRODUCTION,
SO DISTRIBUTION IS SIMPLE, FAST,

AND REQUIRES
THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

WE'LL CALL THIS
THE "PROXIMITY STRATEGY,"

WHICH SIMPLY MEANS
WE REDUCE THE TRAVEL OF GOODS

AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,

WHETHER RAW MATERIALS
OR FINISHED CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

OF COURSE,
IT MIGHT ALSO BE IMPORTANT

TO KNOW WHAT GOODS
WE ARE WE TRANSPORTING AND WHY,

AND THIS FALLS
UNDER THE CATEGORY OF DEMAND,

AND DEMAND IS SIMPLY WHAT PEOPLE
NEED TO BE HEALTHY

AND TO HAVE
A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE.

THE SPECTRUM OF MATERIAL HUMAN
NEEDS

RANGE FROM CORE
LIFE-SUPPORTING NECESSITIES

SUCH AS FOOD, CLEAN WATER,
SHELTER,

TO SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL GOODS

WHICH ALLOW FOR RELAXATION AND
PERSONAL, SOCIAL ENJOYMENT --

BOTH IMPORTANT FACTORS IN
HUMAN AND SOCIAL HEALTH OVERALL.

SO, VERY SIMPLY,
WE TAKE ANOTHER SURVEY.

PEOPLE DESCRIBE THEIR NEEDS,
DEMAND IS ASSESSED,

AND PRODUCTION BEGINS
BASED ON THAT DEMAND.

AND SINCE THE LEVEL OF DEMAND OF
DIFFERENT GOODS

WILL NATURALLY FLUCTUATE AND
CHANGE AROUND DIFFERENT REGIONS,

WE NEED TO CREATE

A "DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION
TRACKING SYSTEM,"

SO TO AVOID
OVERRUNS AND SHORTAGES.

OF COURSE,
THIS IDEA IS OLD NEWS.

IT IS USED
IN EVERY MAJOR STORE CHAIN TODAY

TO MAKE SURE THEY
KEEP UP WITH THEIR INVENTORY.

ONLY THIS TIME, WE ARE TRACKING
ON A GLOBAL SCALE.

BUT, WAIT A MINUTE.

WE REALLY CAN'T
FULLY UNDERSTAND DEMAND

IF WE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR THE
ACTUAL USAGE OF THE GOOD ITSELF.

IS IT LOGICAL AND SUSTAINABLE
FOR EVERY SINGLE HUMAN TO, SAY,

HAVE ONE OF EVERYTHING MADE,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR USAGE?

NO. THAT WOULD BE SIMPLY
WASTEFUL AND INEFFICIENT.

IF A PERSON
HAS A NEED FOR A GOOD,

BUT THAT NEED IS ONLY FOR, SAY,
45 MINUTES A DAY, ON AVERAGE,

IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT
IF THAT GOOD WAS MADE AVAILABLE

TO THEM AND TO OTHERS
WHEN NEEDED.

MANY FORGET THAT IT ISN'T
THE GOOD THAT THEY WANT --

IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT GOOD.

WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THE GOOD
ITSELF

IS ONLY AS IMPORTANT
AS ITS UTILITY,

WE SEE THAT
"EXTERNAL RESTRICTION,"

OR WHAT WE MIGHT CALL, TODAY,
"OWNERSHIP,"

IS EXTREMELY WASTEFUL
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ILLOGICAL

IN A FUNDAMENTAL,
ECONOMIC SENSE.

SO WE NEED DEVISE A STRATEGY
CALLED "STRATEGIC ACCESS."

THIS WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION

OF OUR DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION
TRACKING SYSTEM,

WHICH MAKES SURE
WE CAN MEET THE DEMAND

OF THE POPULATION'S NEEDS
FOR ACCESS

OF WHATEVER THEY NEED,
WHEN THEY NEED IT.

AND AS FAR AS PHYSICALLY
OBTAINING THE GOODS,

CENTRALIZED AND REGIONAL ACCESS
CENTERS ALL MAKE SENSE FOR,

THE MOST PART --

PLACED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY
TO THE POPULATION,

AND A PERSON WOULD SIMPLY COME
IN,

TAKE THE ITEM, USE IT,
AND, WHEN FINISHED,

RETURN IT
WHEN IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED --

SORT OF HOW
A LIBRARY WORKS TODAY.

IN FACT, THESE CENTERS COULD NOT
ONLY EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY

IN THE WAY WE SEE LOCAL STORES
TODAY,

BUT SPECIALIZED ACCESS CENTERS
WOULD EXIST IN SPECIFIC AREAS

WHERE OFTEN CERTAIN GOODS
ARE UTILIZED,

SAVING MORE ENERGY
WITH LESS REPEAT TRANSPORT.

AND ONCE THIS DEMAND-TRACKING
SYSTEM IS IN ORDER,

IT IS TIED INTO OUR
PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AND, OF COURSE, INTO OUR
RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

HENCE CREATING A UNIFIED,
DYNAMICALLY UPDATING GLOBAL

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT MACHINE

THAT SIMPLY MAKES SURE
WE REMAIN SUSTAINABLE,

STARTING WITH
SECURING THE INTEGRITY

OF OUR FINITE RESOURCES,

MOVING TO MAKE SURE
WE ONLY CREATE

THE BEST,
MOST STRATEGIC GOODS POSSIBLE

WHILE DISTRIBUTING EVERYTHING

IN THE MOST INTELLIGENT
AND EFFICIENT WAY.

AND THE UNIQUE RESULT OF THIS
PRESERVATION-BASED APPROACH,

WHICH IS INTUITIVELY COUNTER
TO MANY,

IS THAT THIS LOGICAL, GROUND-UP,

EMPIRICAL PROCESS OF
PRESERVATION AND EFFICIENCY,

WHICH CAN ONLY DEFINE TRUE HUMAN
SUSTAINABILITY ON THE PLANET,

WOULD LIKELY ENABLE SOMETHING

NEVER BEFORE SEEN
IN HUMAN HISTORY --

ACCESS ABUNDANCE --

NOT JUST FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE
GLOBAL POPULATION,

BUT THE ENTIRE CIVILIZATION.

THIS ECONOMIC MODEL,
AS WAS JUST GENERALIZED --

THIS RESPONSIBLE,
SYSTEMS APPROACH

TO TOTAL EARTH-RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSES,

DESIGNED AGAIN
TO DO NOTHING LESS

THAN TAKE CARE OF HUMANITY
AS WHOLE

IN THE MOST EFFICIENT
AND SUSTAINABLE WAY,

COULD BE TERMED
A "RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY."

THE IDEA WAS DEFINED IN THE
1970s

BY STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
JACQUE FRESCO.

HE UNDERSTOOD BACK THEN

THAT SOCIETY WAS ON A COLLISION
COURSE WITH NATURE AND ITSELF,

UNSUSTAINABLE ON EVERY LEVEL,

AND IF THINGS DIDN'T CHANGE,
WE WOULD DESTROY OURSELVES,

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

-ARE ALL OF THESE THINGS
YOU'RE SAYING, JACQUE,

COULD THEY BE BUILT WITH WHAT WE
KNOW TODAY,

OR ARE SOME OF THESE
THINGS, ARE YOU GUESSING,

BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY?

-NO, ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN BE
BUILT WITH WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.

IT WOULD TAKE 10 YEARS TO CHANGE
THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH --

TO REBUILD THE WORLD
INTO A SECOND GARDEN OF EDEN.

THE CHOICE LIES WITH YOU.

THE STUPIDITY
OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE,

THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS,

TRYING TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS
POLITICALLY

BY ELECTING THIS POLITICAL PARTY
OR THAT POLITICAL PARTY,

THAT ALL POLITICS
IS IMMERSED IN CORRUPTION.

LET ME SAY IT AGAIN --
COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, FASCISM,

THE DEMOCRATS, THE LIBERALS,
WE WANT TO ABSORB HUMAN BEINGS.

ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT BELIEVE
IN A BETTER LIFE FOR MAN --

THERE ARE NO NEGRO PROBLEMS
OR POLISH PROBLEMS

OR JEWISH PROBLEMS
OR GREEK PROBLEMS

OR WOMEN'S PROBLEMS.

THERE ARE HUMAN PROBLEMS.

I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYBODY.

I DON'T WORK FOR ANYONE.

NO ONE CAN DISCHARGE ME.

I HAVE NO BOSS.

I AM AFRAID TO LIVE
IN THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN TODAY.

OUR SOCIETY CANNOT BE MAINTAINED
BY THIS TYPE OF INCOMPETENCY.

IT WAS GREAT --
THE FREE-ENTERPRISE SYSTEM --

ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO.

THAT WAS
THE LAST OF ITS USEFULNESS.

NOW WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE
OUR WAY OF THINKING OR PERISH.

-THE HORROR MOVIES OF THE FUTURE
WILL BE OUR SOCIETY --

THE WAY IT DIDN'T WORK --

AND POLITICS
WOULD BE PART OF A HORROR MOVIE.

WELL, LOTS OF PEOPLE TODAY
USE THE TERM "COLD SCIENCE,"

BECAUSE THEY'RE ANALYTICAL,

AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT
"ANALYTICAL" MEANS.

SCIENCE MEANS CLOSER
APPROXIMATIONS

AT THE WAY
THE WORLD REALLY WORKS.

SO, IT'S TELLING THE TRUTH,
IS WHAT IT IS.

A SCIENTIST DOESN'T
TRY TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE.

THEY TELL THEM
WHAT THEIR FINDINGS ARE.

THEY HAVE
TO QUESTION ALL THINGS,

AND IF SOME SCIENTIST COMES UP
WITH AN EXPERIMENT

THAT SHOWS CERTAIN MATERIALS
HAVE CERTAIN STRENGTHS,

OTHER SCIENTISTS HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO DUPLICATE THAT EXPERIMENT

AND COME UP
WITH THE SAME RESULTS.

EVEN IF A SCIENTIST FEELS THAT
AN AIRPLANE WING,

DUE TO MATHEMATICS OR
CALCULATIONS,

CAN HOLD UP A GIVEN AMOUNT OF
WEIGHT,

THEY STILL PILE SANDBAGS ON IT
TO SEE WHEN IT BREAKS,

AND THEY SAY, "YOU KNOW, MY
CALCULATIONS ARE RIGHT,"

OR "THEY'RE NOT CORRECT."

I LOVE THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S
FREE OF BIAS

AND FREE OF THINKING THAT MATH
CAN SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS.

YOU HAVE TO PUT
YOUR MATH TO TEST ALSO.

I THINK THAT EVERY SYSTEM

THAT CAN BE PUT TO TEST
SHOULD BE PUT TO TEST,

AND THAT ALL DECISIONS
SHOULD BE BASED UPON RESEARCH.

-A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY
IS SIMPLY

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
APPLIED TO SOCIAL CONCERN --

AN APPROACH UTTERLY ABSENT
IN THE WORLD TODAY.

SOCIETY
IS A TECHNICAL INVENTION,

AND THE MOST EFFICIENT METHODS
OF OPTIMIZED HUMAN HEALTH,

PHYSICAL PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION,

CITY INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND THE LIKE

RESIDE IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY,

NOT POLITICS
OR MONETARY ECONOMICS.

IT OPERATES IN THE SAME
SYSTEMATIC WAY AS,

SAY, AN AIRPLANE,

AND THERE IS NO REPUBLICAN
OR LIBERAL WAY

TO BUILD AN AIRPLANE.

LIKEWISE, NATURE ITSELF IS THE
PHYSICAL REFERENT

WE USE TO PROVE OUR SCIENCE,

AND IT IS A SET SYSTEM,

EMERGING ONLY FROM OUR
INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

IN FACT, IT HAS NO REGARD FOR
WHAT YOU SUBJECTIVELY THINK

OR BELIEVE TO BE TRUE.

RATHER, IT GIVES YOU AN OPTION.

YOU CAN LEARN AND FALL IN LINE
WITH ITS NATURAL LAWS

AND CONDUCT YOURSELF
ACCORDINGLY,

INVARIABLY CREATING GOOD HEALTH
AND SUSTAINABILITY,

OR YOU CAN GO AGAINST
THE CURRENT, TO NO AVAIL.

IT DOESN'T MATTER
HOW MUCH YOU BELIEVE

YOU CAN JUST STAND UP RIGHT NOW

AND WALK
ON THE WALL NEXT TO YOU.

THE LAW OF GRAVITY
WILL NOT ALLOW IT.

IF YOU DO NOT EAT,
YOU WILL DIE.

IF YOU ARE NOT TOUCHED
AS AN INFANT, YOU WILL DIE.

AS HARSH AS IT MAY SOUND,
NATURE IS A DICTATORSHIP,

AND WE CAN EITHER LISTEN TO IT
AND COME IN HARMONY WITH IT

OR SUFFER THE INEVITABLE
ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.

SO, A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY IS
NOTHING MORE

THAN A SET OF PROVEN,
LIFE-SUPPORTING UNDERSTANDINGS

WHERE ALL DECISIONS ARE BASED
UPON OPTIMIZED HUMAN

AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY.

IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE
EMPIRICAL "LIFE GROUND"

WHICH EVERY HUMAN BEING SHARES
AS A NEED, REGARDLESS, AGAIN,

OF THEIR POLITICAL
OR RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY.

THERE IS NO CULTURAL RELATIVISM
TO THIS APPROACH.

IT ISN'T A MATTER OF OPINION.

HUMAN NEEDS ARE HUMAN NEEDS,

AND HAVING ACCESS TO THE
NECESSITIES OF LIFE,

SUCH AS CLEAN AIR, NUTRITIOUS
FOOD, AND CLEAN WATER,

ALONG WITH A POSITIVELY
REINFORCING, STABLE, NURTURING,

AND NONVIOLENT ENVIRONMENT

IS DEMANDED FOR OUR MENTAL
AND PHYSICAL HEALTH,

OUR EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS,

AND, HENCE,
THE SPECIES' SURVIVAL ITSELF.

-A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

WOULD BE BASED UPON
AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

YOU CAN'T JUST BRING A LOT OF
PEOPLE TO AN ISLAND

OR BUILD A CITY OF 50,000 PEOPLE

WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS
TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE.

SO, WHEN I USE THE TERM "A
COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS APPROACH,"

I'M TALKING ABOUT DOING AN
INVENTORY OF THE AREA FIRST

AND DETERMINING
WHAT THAT AREA CAN SUPPLY.

NOT JUST ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH,
NOT JUST DESIGN APPROACH --

BUT DESIGN MUST BE BASED ON ALL
OF THE REQUIREMENTS

TO ENHANCE HUMAN LIFE,

AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY
"AN INTEGRATED WAY OF THINKING."

FOOD, CLOTHING,
SHELTER, WARMTH, LOVE --

ALL THOSE THINGS ARE NECESSARY.

IF YOU DEPRIVE PEOPLE
OF ANY OF THEM,

YOU HAVE A LESSER HUMAN BEING,
LESS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING.

-AS PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED,

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY'S
GROUND-UP, GLOBAL,

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO EXTRACTION,
PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION

IS BASED UPON ON A SET
OF TRUE ECONOMIC MECHANISMS,

OR STRATEGIES,

WHICH GUARANTEE
EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

IN EVERY AREA OF THE ECONOMY.

SO, CONTINUING
THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT

REGARDING LOGICAL DESIGN,

WHAT IS NEXT IN OUR EQUATION?

WHERE DOES ALL THIS MATERIALIZE?

CITIES.

THE ADVENT OF THE CITY
IS A DEFINING FEATURE

OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.

ITS ROLE
IS TO ENABLE EFFICIENT ACCESS

TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE
ALONG WITH

INCREASED SOCIAL SUPPORT
AND COMMUNITY INTERACTION.

SO HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT
DESIGNING AN IDEAL CITY?

WHAT SHAPE SHOULD WE MAKE IT?

SQUARE? TRAPEZOID?

WELL, GIVEN WE'RE GONNA BE
MOVING AROUND THE THING,

WE MIGHT AS WELL

MAKE IT AS EQUIDISTANT AS
POSSIBLE, FOR EASE,

HENCE THE CIRCLE.

WHAT SHOULD THE CITY CONTAIN?

WELL, NATURALLY, WE NEED A
RESIDENTIAL AREA,

A GOODS-PRODUCTION AREA,

A POWER-GENERATION AREA,

AN AGRICULTURAL AREA.

BUT WE ALSO NEED NURTURING
AS HUMAN BEINGS,

HENCE CULTURE, NATURE,
RECREATION, AND EDUCATION.

SO, LETS INCLUDE
A NICE, OPEN PARK,

AN ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS AREA

FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES
AND SOCIALIZING,

AND EDUCATIONAL
AND RESEARCH FACILITIES.

AND SINCE WE ARE WORKING WITH A
CIRCLE,

IT SEEMS RATIONAL TO
PLACE THESE FUNCTIONS IN BELTS

BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF LAND
REQUIRED FOR EACH GOAL.

ALONG WITH EASE OF ACCESS.

VERY GOOD.

NOW,
LET'S GET DOWN TO SPECIFICS.

FIRST, WE NEED TO CONSIDER
THE CORE INFRASTRUCTURE,

OR INTESTINES
OF THE CITY ORGANISM.

THESE WOULD BE THE WATER,

GOOD, WASTE,
AND ENERGY TRANSPORT CHANNELS.

JUST AS WE HAVE WATER AND SEWAGE
SYSTEMS UNDER OUR CITIES TODAY,

WE WOULD EXTEND THIS CHANNELING
CONCEPT TO INTEGRATE

WASTE RECYCLING
AND DELIVERY ITSELF.

NO MORE MAILMEN OR GARBAGE MEN.

IT IS BUILT RIGHT IN.

WE COULD EVEN USE
AUTOMATED PNEUMATIC TUBES

AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES.

SAME GOES FOR TRANSPORT.

IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED AND
STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED

TO REDUCE OR EVEN REMOVE THE
NEED FOR WASTEFUL,

INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILES.

ELECTRIC TRAMS, CONVEYORS,
TRANSVEYORS, AND MAGLEVS,

WHICH CAN TAKE YOU VIRTUALLY
ANYWHERE IN THE CITY,

EVEN UP AND DOWN,

ALONG WITH CONNECTING YOU
TO OTHER CITIES, AS WELL.

AND, OF COURSE, IN THE EVENT
AN AUTOMOBILE IS REQUIRED,

IT IS AUTOMATED BY SATELLITE
FOR SAFETY AND INTEGRITY.

IN FACT,
THIS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

IS IN WORKING ORDER RIGHT NOW.

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS KILL

ABOUT 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE
EVERY SINGLE YEAR,

INJURING ABOUT 50 MILLION.

THIS IS ABSURD
AND DOESN'T HAVE TO OCCUR.

BETWEEN EFFICIENT CITY DESIGN
AND AUTOMATED, DRIVERLESS CARS,

THIS DEATH TOLL
CAN BE VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED.

AGRICULTURE.

TODAY, THROUGH OUR HAPHAZARD,
COST-CUTTING INDUSTRIAL METHODS,

USING PESTICIDES, EXCESSIVE
FERTILIZERS, AND OTHER MEANS,

WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED

MUCH OF THE ARABLE LAND
ON THIS PLANET,

NOT TO MENTION ALSO EXTENSIVELY
POISONING OUR BODIES.

IN FACT, INDUSTRIAL AND
AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL TOXINS

NOW SHOW UP IN VIRTUALLY
EVERY HUMAN BEING TESTED,

INCLUDING INFANTS.

FORTUNATELY, THERE IS A GLARING
ALTERNATIVE --

THE SOILLESS MEDIUMS OF
HYDROPONICS AND AEROPONICS,

WHICH ALSO REDUCE
NUTRIENT AND WATER REQUIREMENTS

BY UP TO 75%
OF OUR CURRENT USAGE.

FOOD CAN NOW
BE ORGANICALLY GROWN

ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE
IN ENCLOSED VERTICAL FARMS,

SUCH AS IN 50-STORY,
1-ACRE PLOTS,

VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING THE NEED

FOR PESTICIDES
AND HYDROCARBONS IN GENERAL.

THIS IS THE FUTURE OF
INDUSTRIAL FOOD CULTIVATION --

EFFICIENT, CLEAN, AND ABUNDANT.

SO, SUCH ADVANCED SYSTEMS
WOULD BE, IN PART,

WHAT COMPRISE
OUR AGRICULTURAL BELT,

PRODUCING ALL THE FOOD REQUIRED

FOR THE ENTIRE CITY'S
POPULATION,

WITH NO NEED TO IMPORT ANYTHING
FROM THE OUTSIDE,

SAVING TIME, WASTE, AND ENERGY.

AND, SPEAKING OF ENERGY,

THE ENERGY BELT WOULD WORK
IN A SYSTEMS APPROACH

TO EXTRACT ELECTRICITY FROM OUR
ABUNDANT RENEWABLE MEDIUMS --

SPECIFICALLY, WIND, SOLAR,
GEOTHERMAL,

AND HEAT DIFFERENTIALS,

AND, IF NEAR WATER POTENTIALS,
TIDAL AND WAVE POWER.

TO AVOID INTERMITTENCY

AND MAKE SURE A POSITIVE
NET ENERGY RETURN OCCURS,

THESE MEDIUMS WOULD OPERATE
IN AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM,

POWERING EACH OTHER
WHEN NEEDED,

WHILE STORING EXCESSIVE
ENERGY TO LARGE SUPER-CAPACITORS

UNDER THE GROUND,

SO NOTHING CAN GO TO WASTE.

AND NOT ONLY DOES THE CITY
POWER ITSELF --

PARTICULAR STRUCTURES
WILL ALSO POWER INDEPENDENTLY

AND GENERATE ELECTRICITY THROUGH
PHOTOVOLTAIC PAINTS,

STRUCTURAL PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS,

THE THERMOCOUPLE EFFECT,

AND OTHER CURRENT
BUT UNDERUTILIZED TECHNOLOGIES.

BUT, OF COURSE,
THIS BEGS THE QUESTION --

HOW DOES THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND
GOODS IN GENERAL,

GET CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

THIS BRING US TO PRODUCTION.

THE INDUSTRIAL BELT, APART FROM
HAVING HOSPITALS AND THE LIKE,

WOULD BE THE HUB
OF FACTORY PRODUCTION.

COMPLETELY LOCALIZED OVERALL,

IT WOULD, OF COURSE,
OBTAIN RAW MATERIALS BY WAY OF

THE GLOBAL RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM JUST DISCUSSED,

WITH DEMAND BEING GENERATED

BY THE POPULATION
OF THE CITY ITSELF.

AS FAR AS THE MECHANICS OF
PRODUCTION,

WE NEED TO DISCUSS
A NEW, POWERFUL PHENOMENON

WHICH WAS SPARKED
VERY RECENTLY IN HUMAN HISTORY

AND IS ON PACE
TO CHANGING EVERYTHING.

IT'S CALLED MECHANIZATION,
OR THE AUTOMATION OF LABOR.

-WELL, IF YOU LOOK AROUND YOU,

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ALMOST
EVERYTHING THAT WE USE TODAY

IS BUILT AUTOMATICALLY --

YOUR SHOES, YOUR CLOTHES,

YOUR HOME APPLIANCES,
YOUR CAR, AND SO ON.

THEY'RE ALL BUILT BY MACHINES
IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY.

CAN WE SAY THAT THE SOCIETY HAS
NOT BEEN INFLUENCED

BY THESE MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENTS?

OF COURSE NOT.

THESE SYSTEMS REALLY DICTATE NEW
STRUCTURES AND NEW NEEDS,

AND THEY MAKE A LOT
OF OTHER THINGS OBSOLETE.

SO, WE'VE BEEN GOING UP

IN THE DEVELOPMENT
AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY

IN AN EXPONENTIAL WAY.

SO, DEFINITELY,
AUTOMATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

YOU CANNOT STOP TECHNOLOGIES
THAT JUST MAKE SENSE.

-LABOR AUTOMATION
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

IS AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY MAJOR
SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

IN HUMAN HISTORY,

FROM THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION
AND THE INVENTION OF THE PLOW

TO THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

AND THE INVENTION OF THE POWERED
MACHINE

TO THE INFORMATION AGE
WE LIVE IN NOW,

THROUGH, ESSENTIALLY,

THE INVENTION OF ADVANCED
ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTERS.

AND WITH REGARD TO ADVANCED
PRODUCTION METHODS TODAY,

MECHANIZATION IS NOW EVOLVING
ON ITS OWN,

MOVING AWAY FROM
THE TRADITIONAL METHOD

OF ASSEMBLING COMPONENT PARTS
INTO A CONFIGURATION,

INTO AN ADVANCED METHOD
OF CREATING ENTIRE PRODUCTS

IN ONE SINGLE PROCESS.

-LIKE MOST ENGINEERS,
I'M FASCINATED BY BIOLOGY,

BECAUSE IT'S SO FULL OF EXAMPLES

OF EXTRAORDINARY PIECES
OF ENGINEERING.

AND WHAT BIOLOGY IS,

IS THE STUDY OF THINGS
THAT COPY THEMSELVES.

OF COURSE, THAT'S...AS GOOD A
DEFINITION OF LIFE AS WE'VE GOT.

AGAIN, AS AN ENGINEER,
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED

BY THE IDEA OF MACHINES
THAT CAN COPY THEMSELVES.

RepRap IS
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTER --

THAT'S TO SAY

IT'S A PRINTER THAT
YOU PLUG INTO YOUR COMPUTER,

AND INSTEAD OF MAKING

TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHEETS OF PAPER
WITH PATTERNS ON,

IT MAKES REAL, PHYSICAL,
THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS.

NOW, THERE'S NOTHING NEW
ABOUT THAT.

3-D PRINTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND
FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.

THE BIG THING ABOUT RepRap
IS THAT IT PRINTS

MOST OF ITS OWN PARTS.

SO, IF YOU'VE GOT ONE,

YOU COULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE AND
GIVE IT TO A FRIEND,

AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO PRINT
LOTS OF USEFUL THINGS.

-FROM THE SIMPLE PRINTING

OF BASIC HOUSEHOLD GOODS
IN YOUR HOME

TO THE PRINTING OF AN ENTIRE
AUTOMOBILE BODY IN ONE SWOOP,

ADVANCED, AUTOMATED
3-D PRINTING

NOW HAS THE POTENTIAL

TO TRANSFORM VIRTUALLY EVERY
FIELD OF PRODUCTION,

INCLUDING HOME CONSTRUCTION.

-CONTOUR CRAFTING IS ACTUALLY
A FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY.

THE SO-CALLED 3-D PRINTING,

WHEN YOU DIRECTLY BUILD 3-D
OBJECTS FROM A COMPUTER MODEL.

USING CONTOUR CRAFTING,

IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO BUILD
A 2,000 SQUARE-FOOT HOME

ENTIRELY BY THE MACHINE
IN ONE DAY.

THE REASON
THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED

IN AUTOMATING CONSTRUCTION

IS THAT IT REALLY BRINGS
A LOT OF BENEFITS.

FOR EXAMPLE, CONSTRUCTION
IS PRETTY LABOR-INTENSIVE,

AND ALTHOUGH IT PROVIDES JOBS
FOR A SECTOR OF THE SOCIETY,

IT ALSO HAS
ISSUES AND COMPLICATIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE,

CONSTRUCTION IS THE MOST
DANGEROUS JOB THAT THERE IS.

IT IS WORSE THAN MINING
AND AGRICULTURE.

THAT HAS GOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
OF FATALITY

IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY.

ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE WASTE.

AN AVERAGE HOME
IN THE UNITED STATES

HAS THREE TO SEVEN TONS
OF WASTE.

SO, THIS IS HUGE,

IF WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF
CONSTRUCTION

AND KNOWING THAT ABOUT 40%

OF ALL MATERIALS IN THE WORLD
ARE USED IN CONSTRUCTION,

SO, A BIG WASTE
OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES,

AND BIG DAMAGE
TO THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.

-MAKING HOMES USING HAMMERS AND
NAILS AND WOOD,

WITH THE STATE OF OUR TECHNOLOGY
TODAY, IS REALLY ABSURD,

AND WILL GO THE WAY
OF OUR LABOR CLASS

IN REGARDS TO MANUFACTURING
IN THE UNITED STATES.

RECENTLY, THERE WAS A STUDY BY
ECONOMIST DAVID AUTOR OF M.I.T.

THAT STATES THAT
OUR MIDDLE CLASS IS OBSOLETE

AND BEING REPLACED
BY AUTOMATION.

-QUITE SIMPLY,

MECHANIZATION IS MORE
PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT,

AND SUSTAINABLE THAN HUMAN LABOR

IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SECTOR
OF THE ECONOMY TODAY.

MACHINES DO NOT NEED VACATIONS,
BREAKS, INSURANCE, PENSIONS,

AND THEY CAN 24 WORK HOURS
A DAY, EVERY DAY.

THE OUTPUT POTENTIAL
AND ACCURACY,

COMPARED TO HUMAN LABOR,
IS UNMATCHED.

THE BOTTOM LINE --

REPETITIVE HUMAN LABOR

IS BECOMING OBSOLETE AND
IMPRACTICAL ACROSS THE WORLD,

AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT YOU
SEE AROUND YOU TODAY

IS FUNDAMENTALLY THE RESULT

OF THIS EVOLUTION OF EFFICIENCY
IN TECHNOLOGY.

FOR YEARS, MARKET ECONOMISTS
HAVE DISMISSED

THIS GROWING PATTERN,

WHICH COULD BE CALLED
"TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT,"

BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT NEW
SECTORS ALWAYS SEEMED TO EMERGE

TO REABSORB
THE DISPLACED WORKERS.

TODAY, THE SERVICE SECTOR IS THE
ONLY REAL HUB LEFT,

AND CURRENTLY EMPLOYS OVER 80%
OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE,

WITH MOST INDUSTRIALIZED
COUNTRIES

MAINTAINING
A SIMILAR PROPORTION.

HOWEVER, THIS SECTOR IS NOW
BEING CHALLENGED INCREASINGLY

BY AUTOMATED KIOSKS,
AUTOMATED RESTAURANTS,

AND EVEN AUTOMATED STORES.

ECONOMISTS TODAY ARE FINALLY
ACKNOWLEDGING

WHAT THEY
HAVE BEEN DENYING FOR YEARS --

NOT ONLY
IS TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT

EXASPERATING THE CURRENT LABOR
CRISIS WE SEE ACROSS THE WORLD

DUE TO THE
GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,

BUT THE MORE THE RECESSION
DEEPENS,

THE FASTER THE INDUSTRIES
ARE MECHANIZING.

THE CATCH,
WHICH IS NOT REALIZED,

IS THAT THE FASTER THEY
MECHANIZE TO SAVE MONEY,

THE MORE THEY DISPLACE PEOPLE,

THE MORE THEY REDUCE
PUBLIC PURCHASING POWER.

THIS MEANS THAT WHILE THE
CORPORATION

CAN PRODUCE
EVERYTHING MORE CHEAPLY,

FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE

WILL ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY
TO BUY ANYTHING,

REGARDLESS
OF HOW CHEAP THEY BECOME.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT
THE "LABOR FOR INCOME" GAME

IS SLOWLY COMING TO AN END.

IN FACT,
IF YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT

ON THE JOBS
WHICH ARE IN EXISTENCE TODAY

WHICH AUTOMATION COULD TAKE OVER
RIGHT NOW, IF APPLIED,

75% OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE

COULD BE REPLACED
BY MECHANIZATION TOMORROW.

AND THIS IS WHY,
IN A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

THERE IS
NO MONETARY MARKET SYSTEM --

NO MONEY AT ALL,

FOR THERE IS NO NEED.

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

RECOGNIZES THE EFFICIENCY
OF MECHANIZATION

AND ACCEPTS IT
FOR WHAT IT OFFERS.

IT DOESN'T FIGHT IT,
LIKE WE DO TODAY.

WHY? BECAUSE
IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE NOT TO,

GIVEN ANY INTEREST IN EFFICIENCY
AND SUSTAINABILITY.

AND THIS BRINGS US BACK
TO OUR CITY SYSTEM.

IN THE CENTER
IS THE CENTRAL DOME,

WHICH NOT ONLY HOUSES

THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
AND TRANSPORTATION HUB --

IT ALSO HOSTS THE MAINFRAME

THAT RUNS THE CITY'S
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS.

THE CITY IS, IN FACT,
ONE BIG AUTOMATED MACHINE.

IT HAS SENSORS
IN ALL TECHNICAL BELTS

TO TRACK
THE PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE,

ENERGY GATHERING, PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION, AND THE LIKE.

NOW, WOULD PEOPLE BE NEEDED TO
OVERSEE THESE OPERATIONS

IN THE EVENT OF A MALFUNCTION
OR THE LIKE?

MOST, PROBABLY, YES,

BUT THAT NUMBER
WOULD DECREASE OVER TIME

AS IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE.

HOWEVER, AS OF TODAY,

MAYBE 3% OF THE CITY POPULATION
WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THIS JOB,

WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN,

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

...WHILE OFTEN STRUGGLING WITH
DEBT THAT DOESN'T EXIST

JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET,

I GUARANTEE YOU,
PEOPLE WILL VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME

LEFT AND RIGHT TO MAINTAIN AND
IMPROVE A SYSTEM

THAT ACTUALLY
TAKES CARE OF THEM.

AND COUPLED WITH THIS ISSUE
OF INCENTIVE

COMES THE COMMON ASSUMPTION

THAT IF THERE ISN'T
SOME EXTERNAL PRESSURE

FOR ONE TO WORK FOR A LIVING,

PEOPLE WILL JUST SIT AROUND,
DO NOTHING,

AND TURN INTO FAT, LAZY BLOBS.

THIS IS NONSENSE.

THE LABOR SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY

IS, IN FACT,
THE GENERATOR OF LAZINESS,

NOT A RESOLVER OF IT.

IF YOU THINK BACK TO WHEN
YOU WERE A CHILD, FULL OF LIFE,

INTERESTED
IN NEW THINGS TO UNDERSTAND,

LIKELY CREATING AND EXPLORING...

BUT, AS TIME WENT ON,

THE SYSTEM PUSHED YOU
INTO THE FOCUS

OF FIGURING OUT
HOW TO MAKE MONEY,

AND FROM EARLY EDUCATION
TO STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY,

YOU ARE NARROWED,

ONLY TO EMERGE AS A CREATURE
WHICH SERVES AS A COG IN A WHEEL

IN A MODEL THAT SENDS
ALL THE FRUITS TO THE UPPER 1%.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE NOW
SHOWN THAT PEOPLE ARE, IN FACT,

NOT MOTIVATED BY MONETARY REWARD

WHEN IT COMES
TO INGENUITY AND CREATION.

THE CREATION ITSELF
IS THE REWARD.

MONEY, IN FACT, APPEARS
ONLY TO SERVE AS AN INCENTIVE

FOR REPETITIVE,
MUNDANE ACTIONS --

A ROLE WE HAVE JUST NOW SHOWN
CAN BE REPLACED BY MACHINE.

SO, WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION,

THE ACTUAL USE
OF THE HUMAN MIND,

THE MONETARY INCENTIVE
HAS PROVEN TO BE A HINDRANCE,

INTERFERING AND DETRACTING
FROM CREATIVE THOUGHT.

AND THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN
WHY NIKOLA TESLA,

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS,
AND OTHER INVENTORS

WHO CONTRIBUTED MASSIVELY
TO OUR CURRENT WORLD

NEVER SHOWED
A MONETARY INCENTIVE TO DO SO.

MONEY IS, IN FACT,
A FALSE INCENTIVE,

AND CAUSES 100 TIMES
MORE DISTORTION

THAN IT DOES CONTRIBUTION.

[ LAUGHTER ]

-GOOD MORNING, CLASS.
PLEASE SETTLE DOWN.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE
TO DO IS GO AROUND THE ROOM

AND ASK WHAT EVERYONE WOULD LIKE
TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST?

OKAY, HOW ABOUT YOU, SARAH?

-WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO WORK
AT McDONALD'S, LIKE MY MOM!

-OH, FAMILY TRADITION, EH?

HOW ABOUT YOU, LINDA?

-WHEN I GROW UP,

I'M GONNA BE A PROSTITUTE
ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY!

-OH, GLAMOUR GIRL, HUH?

VERY AMBITIOUS.

HOW ABOUT YOU, TOMMY?

-WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GONNA BE
A RICH, ELITIST BUSINESSMAN

WHO WORKS ON WALL STREET

AND PROFITS OFF OF THE COLLAPSE
OF FOREIGN ECONOMIES.

-ENTERPRISING.

AND GREAT TO SEE
SOME MULTICULTURAL INTEREST.

-AS STATED BEFORE,

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

APPLIES THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
TO SOCIAL CONCERN,

AND THIS ISN'T LIMITED
TO SIMPLY TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY.

IT ALSO HAS THE CONSIDERATION

OF HUMAN
AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING DIRECTLY

AND WHAT COMPRISES IT.

WHAT GOOD IS A SOCIAL SYSTEM
IF, IN THE END,

IT DOESN'T PRODUCE HAPPINESS
AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE?

SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT

THAT WITH THE REMOVAL
OF THE MONEY SYSTEM

AND THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE
PROVIDED,

WE WOULD SEE A GLOBAL REDUCTION
IN CRIME BY ABOUT 95%

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,

FOR THERE IS NOTHING TO STEAL,
EMBEZZLE, SCAM, OR THE LIKE.

95% OF ALL PEOPLE
IN PRISONS TODAY ARE THERE

DUE TO SOME MONETARY-RELATED
CRIME OR DRUG ABUSE,

AND DRUG ABUSE IS A DISORDER,
NOT A CRIME.

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 5% --

THE TRULY VIOLENT,

OFTEN SEEMING TO SOME
AS BEING VIOLENT

FOR THE SAKE OF BEING VIOLENT?

ARE THEY JUST EVIL PEOPLE?

-THE REASON THAT I FRANKLY THINK
IT'S A WASTE OF TIME

TO ENGAGE
IN MORAL VALUE JUDGMENTS

ABOUT PEOPLE'S VIOLENCE

IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADVANCE
BY ONE IOTA

OUR UNDERSTANDING
OF EITHER THE CAUSES

OR THE PREVENTION
OF THE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK

IF I BELIEVE
IN FORGIVING CRIMINALS.

MY ANSWER TO THAT IS,

NO, I DON'T BELIEVE
IN FORGIVENESS

ANY MORE THAN I BELIEVE
IN CONDEMNATION.

IT'S ONLY IF WE, AS A SOCIETY,

CAN TAKE THE SAME ATTITUDE OF
TREATING VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM

IN PUBLIC HEALTH
AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE,

RATHER THAN AS A MORAL EVIL.

IT'S ONLY WHEN WE MAKE
THAT CHANGE IN OUR OWN ATTITUDES

AND ASSUMPTIONS AND VALUES

THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY SUCCEED

IN REDUCING
THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE

RATHER THAN STIMULATING IT,

WHICH IS WHAT WE DO NOW.

-THE MORE JUSTICE YOU SEEK,
THE MORE HURT YOU BECOME,

'CAUSE THERE'S NO SUCH THING
AS JUSTICE.

THERE IS WHATEVER THERE IS
OUT THERE.

THAT'S IT.

IN OTHER WORDS,

IF PEOPLE ARE CONDITIONED
TO BE RACIST BIGOTS --

IF THEY'RE BROUGHT UP
IN AN ENVIRONMENT

THAT ADVOCATES THAT --

WHY DO YOU BLAME
THE PERSON FOR IT?

THEY'RE A VICTIM
OF A SUBCULTURE.

THEREFORE,
THEY HAVE TO BE HELPED.

THE POINT IS WE HAVE TO
REDESIGN THE ENVIRONMENT

THAT PRODUCES ABERRANT BEHAVIOR.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM,
NOT PUTTING A PERSON IN JAIL.

THAT'S WHY JUDGES, LAWYERS,
FREEDOM OF CHOICE --

SUCH CONCEPTS ARE DANGEROUS,

BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU
MISINFORMATION

THAT THE PERSON IS BAD

OR THAT PERSON
IS A SERIAL KILLER.

SERIAL KILLERS ARE MADE,

JUST LIKE SOLDIERS BECOME SERIAL
KILLERS WITH A MACHINE GUN.

THEY BECOME KILLING MACHINES,

BUT NOBODY LOOKS AT THEM
AS MURDERERS OR ASSASSINS

BECAUSE THAT'S NATURAL.

SO, WE BLAME PEOPLE.

WE SAY, "WELL, THIS GUY WAS
A NAZI. HE TORTURED JEWS."

NO, HE WAS BROUGHT UP
TO TORTURE JEWS.

ONCE YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT
PEOPLE HAVE INDIVIDUAL CHOICES

AND THEY'RE FREE
TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES --

"FREE TO MAKE CHOICES" MEANS
WITHOUT BEING INFLUENCED,

AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT
AT ALL.

ALL OF US ARE INFLUENCED
IN ALL OUR CHOICES

BY THE CULTURE WE LIVE IN,
BY OUR PARENTS,

AND BY THE VALUES THAT DOMINATE.

SO, WE'RE INFLUENCED,
SO THERE CAN'T BE FREE CHOICES.

WHAT'S THE GREATEST COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD?

THE TRUE ANSWER --

I HAVEN'T BEEN
ALL OVER THE WORLD,

AND I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH
ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES

TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY
THAT SPEAKS THAT WAY.

THEY SAY,
"IT'S THE GOOD OLD U.S.A.,

THE GREATEST COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD!"

THERE IS NO SURVEY.

"HAVE YOU BEEN TO INDIA?"
"NO."

"HAVE YOU BEEN TO ENGLAND?"
"NO."

"HAVE YOU BEEN TO FRANCE?"
"NO."

WHAT DO YOU MAKE
YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ON?

THEY CAN'T ANSWER.
THEY GET MAD AT YOU.

THEY SAY, "WELL, GOD DAMN IT!

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU
TO TELL ME WHAT TO THINK?"

YOU KNOW.

DON'T FORGET, YOU'RE DEALING
WITH ABERRATED PEOPLE.

THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR THEIR ANSWERS.

THEY'RE VICTIMS OF CULTURE.

THAT MEANS THEY'VE BEEN
INFLUENCED BY THEIR CULTURE.

-WHEN WE CONSIDER
A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

THERE ARE OFTEN
A NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS

THAT TEND TO COME UP
WITH REGARD --

-HEY! HEY! HEY!
-UH...

-NOW, HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE.

-YES?

-I KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

THIS IS CALLED MARXISM, BUDDY.

STALIN KILLED 800 BILLION PEOPLE
'CAUSE OF IDEAS LIKE THIS.

-MY FATHER DIED IN THE GULAG!

-YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE.
THIS IS JUST NONSENSE.

-ALL RIGHT. HOLD ON. HOLD ON.
-COMMUNIST!

-FASCIST!
-YOU DON'T LIKE AMERICA,

YOU SHOULD JUST LEAVE,
YOU KNOW WHAT?

-ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY,
JUST CALM DOWN.

-DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

-AND AS THE IRRATIONALITY
OF THE AUDIENCE GREW,

SHOCKED AND CONFUSED,

SUDDENLY, THE NARRATOR SUFFERED
A FATAL HEART ATTACK.

-[ GASPS ]

-AND THE SEEMINGLY COMMUNIST
PROPAGANDA FILM WAS NO MORE.

[ BEEPING ]

[ WARBLING ]

[ BEEPING ]

[ STATIC BUZZES ]

-...YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID
THAT SORT OF THING TO PEOPLE

IN THINK-TANK-TYPE
OF SITUATIONS,

AND, YOU KNOW, THESE "CLUB
OF ROME" TYPES, AND SO FORTH.

"MARXIST!"

"WHAT? MARXIST?
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?"

YOU KNOW?

THEY JUST -- THEY GOT THIS ICON
THEY HOLD ON TO.

IT'S THEIR HOLY GRAIL.

AND IT'S SUCH AN EASY ONE,
YOU KNOW?

-PEOPLE ASK IF I'M A SOCIALIST
OR A COMMUNIST OR CAPITALIST,

AND I SAY, "I'M NONE OF THE
ABOVE, AND WHY DO YOU THINK --

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT
THOSE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS?"

ALL OF THOSE
POLITICAL CONSTRUCTS

WERE CREATED BY WRITERS

WHO ASSUMED THAT WE LIVED ON
A PLANET OF INFINITE RESOURCES.

NOT A ONE OF THOSE
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES

EVEN CONTEMPLATES

THAT THERE MIGHT BE
A SHORTAGE OF ANYTHING.

-I BELIEVE THAT COMMUNISM,
SOCIALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE,

FASCISM ARE PART
OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION --

THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE A GIANT STEP
FROM ONE CULTURE TO ANOTHER,

BUT THERE ARE
IN-BETWEEN SYSTEMS.

-BEFORE THERE'S ANY "ISM",
WE'VE GOT LIFE GROUND,

AND THE LIFE GROUND IS, AS I'VE
JUST DESCRIBED MOST EASILY,

IS ALL THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED
TO TAKE YOUR NEXT BREATH,

AND THAT INVOLVES
THE AIR YOU BREATHE,

THE WATER YOU GET,
THE SAFETY YOU HAVE,

THE EDUCATION YOU CAN ACCESS --

ALL THESE THINGS
THAT WE SHARE AND USE,

AND THAT NO LIFE,
IN ANY CULTURE, CAN DO WITHOUT.

SO, WE'VE GOT TO RESET
DOWN TO THE LIFE GROUND,

AND THE LIFE GROUND
IS NO LONGER ANY "ISM."

IT'S LIFE VALUE ANALYSIS.

-IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER
OF HISTORICAL FACT

THAT THE DOMINANT
INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

OF ANY PARTICULAR SOCIETY

REFLECTS THE INTERESTS

OF THE DOMINANT GROUP
IN THAT SOCIETY.

IN A SLAVE-OWNING SOCIETY,

THE BELIEFS ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND SO ON

WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS
OF THE SLAVE OWNERS.

IN A SOCIETY WHICH, AGAIN,

IS BASED ON THE POWER
OF CERTAIN PEOPLE

TO CONTROL AND PROFIT FROM

THE LIVES AND WORK
OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS,

THE DOMINANT
INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS
OF THE DOMINANT GROUP.

AND, SO, THAT,
IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD,

THE IDEAS THAT PERVADE
PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

AND HISTORY AND POLITICAL
ECONOMY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

FUNDAMENTALLY REFLECT CERTAIN
ELITE INTERESTS,

AND THE ACADEMICS
WHO QUESTION THAT TOO MUCH

TEND TO GET SHUNTED TO THE SIDE

OR TO BE SEEN
AS, SORT OF, RADICALS.

-THE DOMINANT VALUES
OF A CULTURE

TEND TO SUPPORT AND PERPETUATE

WHAT IS REWARDED
BY THAT CULTURE,

AND IN A SOCIETY
WHERE SUCCESS AND STATUS

IS MEASURED BY MATERIAL WEALTH,
NOT SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION,

IT IS EASY TO SEE

WHY THE STATE OF THE WORLD
IS WHAT IT IS TODAY.

WE ARE DEALING
WITH A VALUE SYSTEM DISORDER,

COMPLETELY DENATURED,

WHERE THE PRIORITY
OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL HEALTH

HAVE BECOME SECONDARY

TO THE DETRIMENTAL NOTIONS

OF ARTIFICIAL WEALTH
AND LIMITLESS GROWTH.

AND, LIKE A VIRUS,

THIS DISORDER NOW PERMEATES
EVERY FACET OF GOVERNMENT,

NEWS MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT,

AND EVEN ACADEMIA.

AND BUILT INTO ITS STRUCTURE

ARE MECHANISMS OF PROTECTION

FROM ANYTHING
THAT MIGHT INTERFERE.

DISCIPLES OF THE MONETARY-MARKET
RELIGION,

THE SELF-APPOINTED GUARDIANS
OF THE STATUS QUO,

CONSTANTLY SEEK OUT WAYS
TO AVOID ANY FORM OF THOUGHT

WHICH MIGHT INTERFERE
WITH THEIR BELIEFS --

THE MOST COMMON OF WHICH
ARE PROJECTED DUALITIES.

IF YOU ARE NOT A REPUBLICAN,
YOU MUST BE A DEMOCRAT,

IF YOU ARE NOT CHRISTIAN,
YOU MIGHT BE A SATANIST,

AND IF YOU FEEL SOCIETY CAN BE
GREATLY IMPROVED

TO CONSIDER, PERHAPS, I DON'T
KNOW, TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE,

YOU'RE JUST A UTOPIANIST.

AND THE MOST INSIDIOUS
OF THEM ALL --

IF YOU ARE NOT
FOR THE FREE MARKET,

YOU MUST BE
AGAINST FREEDOM ITSELF.

-I'M A BELIEVER IN FREEDOM!

-EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE WORD
"FREEDOM" BEING SAID ANYWHERE,

OR "GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE"
SAID ANYWHERE,

IT MEANS, DECODED,

BLOCKING MAXIMIZATION OF
TURNING MONEY INTO MORE MONEY

FOR PRIVATE MONEY POSSESSORS.

THAT'S IT.

EVERY OTHER THING THEY'LL SAY --

"OH, WE NEED MORE COMMODITIES
FOR PEOPLE,"

"OH, THIS IS FREEDOM
AGAINST TYRANNY,"

AND SO FORTH --

EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT,
YOU CAN DECODE IT DOWN TO THAT,

AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND
A ONE-TO-ONE CORRELATION

WITH EVERY TIME THEY USE IT.

AND THIS IS A SENSE
IN WHICH WE MIGHT CALL --

IT'S A SYNTAX,

A GOVERNING SYNTAX
OF UNDERSTANDING AND OF VALUE,

SO THAT IT GOVERNS BENEATH
THEIR OWN RECOGNITION OF IT,

SO THEY MAY NOT SAY,

"OH, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT AT ALL,"

BUT, IN FACT,
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO,

JUST LIKE YOU MAY SPEAK
A GRAMMAR

AND YOU HAVE RULES OF GRAMMAR
YOU FOLLOW

WITHOUT RECOGNIZING
WHAT THE RULES ARE.

AND, SO,
WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT I CALL

THE "RULING VALUE SYNTAX"
THAT UNDERLIES THIS.

SO, EVERY TIME THEY USE
THESE WORDS --

"GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE,"
"LACK OF FREEDOM" OR "FREEDOM,"

OR "PROGRESS" OR "DEVELOPMENT,"

YOU CAN DECODE THEM ALL
TO COME BACK TO MEAN THAT.

-OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HEAR
THE WORD "FREEDOM,"

IT TENDS TO BE IN SAME SENTENCE

WITH SOMETHING
CALLED "DEMOCRACY."

IT'S FASCINATING HOW PEOPLE
TODAY SEEM TO BELIEVE

THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE
A RELEVANT INFLUENCE

ON WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT DOES,

FORGETTING THAT
THE VERY NATURE OF OUR SYSTEM

OFFERS EVERYTHING FOR SALE.

THE ONLY VOTE THAT COUNTS
IS THE MONETARY VOTE,

AND IT DOESN'T MATTER
HOW MUCH ANY ACTIVIST YELLS

ABOUT ETHICS OR ACCOUNTABILITY.

IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

EVERY POLITICIAN,
EVERY LEGISLATION,

AND, HENCE, EVERY GOVERNMENT
IS FOR SALE.

AND EVEN WITH THE
20-TRILLION-DOLLAR BANK BAILOUTS

STARTING IN 2007,

AN AMOUNT OF MONEY
WHICH COULD HAVE CHANGED,

SAY, THE GLOBAL ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE

TO FULLY RENEWABLE METHODS,

INSTEAD GOING
TO A SERIES OF INSTITUTIONS

THAT LITERALLY DO NOTHING
TO HELP SOCIETY --

INSTITUTIONS
THAT COULD BE REMOVED TOMORROW

WITH NO RECOURSE.

THE BLIND CONDITIONING

THAT POLITICS AND POLITICIANS
EXIST FOR THE PUBLIC WELL-BEING

STILL CONTINUES.

THE FACT IS
POLITICS IS A BUSINESS,

NO DIFFERENT THAN
ANY OTHER IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

AND THEY CARE
ABOUT THEIR SELF-INTEREST

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

-I DON'T REALLY, HONESTLY,
DEEP DOWN,

BELIEVE IN POLITICAL ACTION.

I THINK THE SYSTEM CONTRACTS
AND EXPANDS AS IT WANTS TO.

IT ACCOMMODATES THESE CHANGES.

I THINK THE CIVIL-RIGHTS
MOVEMENT WAS AN ACCOMMODATION

ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO OWN
THE COUNTRY.

I THINK THEY SEE WHERE
THEIR SELF-INTEREST LIES.

THEY SEE A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF FREEDOM SEEMS GOOD --

AN ILLUSION OF LIBERTY --

"GIVE THESE PEOPLE
A VOTING DAY EVERY YEAR

SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE
ILLUSION OF MEANINGLESS CHOICE."

MEANINGLESS CHOICE,

THAT WE GO LIKE SLAVES
AND SAY "OH, I VOTED."

THE LIMITS OF DEBATE
IN THIS COUNTRY ARE ESTABLISHED

BEFORE THE DEBATE EVEN BEGINS,

AND EVERYONE ELSE
IS MARGINALIZED

AND MADE TO SEEM
EITHER TO BE COMMUNIST

OR SOME SORT OF
DISLOYAL PERSON --

A "KOOK," THERE'S A WORD --

AND NOW IT'S "CONSPIRACY."

SEE, THEY MADE THAT SOMETHING

THAT SHOULD NOT BE EVEN
ENTERTAINED FOR A MINUTE,

THAT POWERFUL PEOPLE MIGHT GET
TOGETHER AND HAVE A PLAN!

"DOESN'T HAPPEN!"
"YOU'RE A KOOK!"

"YOU'RE A CONSPIRACY BUFF!"

-AND OF ALL THE MECHANISMS
OF DEFENSE OF THIS SYSTEM,

THERE ARE TWO
THAT REPEATEDLY COME UP.

THE FIRST IS THIS IDEA

THAT THE SYSTEM
HAS BEEN THE CAUSE

OF THE MATERIAL PROGRESS
WE HAVE SEEN ON THIS PLANET.

WELL, NO.

THERE ARE BASICALLY
TWO ROOT CAUSES

WHICH HAVE CREATED
THE INCREASED SO-CALLED "WEALTH"

AND POPULATION GROWTH
WE SEE TODAY.

ONE, THE EXPONENTIAL ADVANCEMENT
OF PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY --

HENCE, SCIENTIFIC INGENUITY.

AND, TWO, THE INITIAL DISCOVERY
OF ABUNDANT HYDROCARBON ENERGY,

WHICH IS CURRENTLY
THE FOUNDATION

OF THE ENTIRE
SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM.

THE FREE-MARKET, CAPITALIST,
MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM,

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT,

HAS DONE NOTHING BUT RIDE
THE WAVE OF THESE ADVENTS

WITH A DISTORTED
INCENTIVE SYSTEM

AND A HAPHAZARD,
GROSSLY UNEQUAL METHOD

OF UTILIZING
AND DISTRIBUTING THOSE FRUITS.

THE SECOND DEFENSE
IS A BELLIGERENT SOCIAL BIAS,

GENERATED
FROM YEARS OF PROPAGANDA,

WHICH SEES
ANY OTHER SOCIAL SYSTEM

AS A ROUTE TO SO-CALLED
"TYRANNY,"

WITH VARIOUS NAME-DROPPINGS
OF STALIN, MAO, HITLER,

AND THE DEATH TOLLS
THEY GENERATED.

WELL, AS DESPOTIC AS THESE MEN
MIGHT HAVE BEEN,

ALONG WITH THE SOCIETAL
APPROACHES THEY PERPETUATED,

WHEN IT COMES
TO THE GAME OF DEATH,

WHEN IT COMES TO THE SYSTEMATIC,

DAILY MASS MURDER
OF HUMAN BEINGS,

NOTHING IN HISTORY COMPARES
TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

-FAMINES,

THROUGHOUT AT LEAST
THE LAST CENTURY OF OUR HISTORY,

HAVE NOT BEEN CAUSED
BY A LACK OF FOOD.

THEY'VE BEEN CAUSED
BY RELATIVE POVERTY.

THE ECONOMIC RESOURCES
WERE SO INEQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED

THAT THE POOR SIMPLY
DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

WITH WHICH TO BUY THE FOOD
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AVAILABLE

IF THEY COULD HAVE AFFORDED
TO PAY FOR IT.

THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE
OF STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE --

IN AFRICA
AND SOME OTHER AREAS --

WELL, I'LL PARTICULARLY FOCUS
ON AFRICA --

TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
ARE DYING OF AIDS.

WHY ARE THEY DYING?

IT'S NOT BECAUSE
WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT AIDS.

WE HAVE -- YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE IN THE WEALTHY COUNTRIES

ARE GETTING ALONG
REMARKABLY WELL

BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MEDICINES
THAT WILL TREAT IT.

THE PEOPLE IN AFRICA
WHO ARE DYING OF AIDS

ARE NOT DYING
BECAUSE OF THE HIV VIRUS.

THEY'RE DYING BECAUSE
THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY

WITH WHICH TO PAY FOR THE DRUGS
THAT WOULD KEEP THEM ALIVE.

GANDHI SAW THIS.

HE SAID, "THE DEADLIEST FORM
OF VIOLENCE IS POVERTY."

AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

POVERTY KILLS FAR MORE PEOPLE
THAN ALL THE WARS IN HISTORY,

MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL
THE MURDERERS IN HISTORY,

MORE THAN ALL THE SUICIDES
IN HISTORY.

NOT ONLY DOES STRUCTURAL
VIOLENCE KILL MORE PEOPLE

THAN ALL THE BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE
PUT TOGETHER,

STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE

IS ALSO THE MAIN CAUSE
OF BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE.

-OIL IS THE FOUNDATION OF

AND IT IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT

THE EDIFICE
OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION.

THERE ARE 10 CALORIES
OF HYDROCARBON ENERGY --

OIL AND NATURAL GAS --

IN EVERY CALORIE OF FOOD
YOU AND I EAT

IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD.

FERTILIZERS
ARE MADE FROM NATURAL GAS.

PESTICIDES ARE MADE FROM OIL.

YOU DRIVE OIL-POWERED MACHINES

TO PLANT, PLOW, IRRIGATE,
HARVEST, TRANSPORT, PACKAGE.

YOU WRAP THE FOOD IN PLASTIC --
THAT'S OIL.

ALL PLASTIC IS OIL.

THERE ARE SEVEN GALLONS OF OIL
IN EVERY TIRE.

OIL IS EVERYWHERE.
IT'S UBIQUITOUS.

AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF OIL

THAT THERE ARE
7 BILLION PEOPLE --

OR ALMOST 7 BILLION PEOPLE
ON THIS PLANET RIGHT NOW.

-THE ARRIVAL OF THIS CHEAP,
EASY ENERGY --

WHICH IS EQUIVALENT, BY THE WAY,

TO BILLIONS OF SLAVES WORKING
AROUND THE CLOCK --

CHANGED THE WORLD
IN SUCH A RADICAL WAY

OVER THE LAST CENTURY,

AND THE POPULATION
HAS GONE UP 10 TIMES,

BUT BY 2050,

OIL SUPPLY IS ABLE TO SUPPORT

LESS THAN HALF
THE PRESENT WORLD'S POPULATION

IN THEIR PRESENT WAY OF LIFE.

SO, THE SCALE OF ADJUSTMENT
TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY

IS JUST ENORMOUS.

-THE WORLD IS NOW USING
SIX BARRELS OF OIL

FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

FIVE YEARS AGO,

IT WAS USING FOUR BARRELS OF OIL
FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

A YEAR FROM NOW, IT'S GONNA BE
USING EIGHT BARRELS OF OIL

FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

-WHAT'S DISTURBING TO ME
IS THE LACK OF ANY REAL EFFORT

FROM GOVERNMENTS WORLDWIDE
OR INDUSTRY LEADERS WORLDWIDE

TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, WE HAVE THESE

SORT OF ATTEMPTS
TO BUILD MORE WIND POWER

AND TO MAYBE DO SOMETHING
WITH TIDE,

WE'VE GOT ATTEMPTS

TO MAKE OUR CARS
A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT,

BUT THERE'S NOTHING

WHICH REALLY LOOKS LIKE
A REVOLUTION COMING ALONG.

THESE ARE ALL PRETTY MINOR,

AND THAT, I THINK,
IS PRETTY FRIGHTENING.

-AND THE GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE
DRIVEN BY THESE ECONOMISTS

WHO DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

ARE TRYING TO
STIMULATE CONSUMERISM

TO RESTORE PAST PROSPERITY

IN THE HOPE
THAT THEY CAN RESTORE THE PAST.

THEY'RE PRINTING YET MORE MONEY,
LACKING ANY COLLATERAL AT ALL.

SO, IF THE ECONOMY IMPROVES
AND RECOVERS AND GROWTH --

THE FAMOUS GROWTH COMES BACK,

IT'LL ONLY BE SHORT-LIVED,

BECAUSE WITHIN
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

COUNTED IN MONTHS,
RATHER THAN YEARS,

IT'LL HIT
THE SUPPLY BARRIER AGAIN.

THERE'LL BE ANOTHER PRICE SHOCK
AND A DEEPER RECESSION.

SO I THINK WE GO INTO
A SERIES OF VICIOUS CIRCLES.

-SO, YOU HAVE
THE ECONOMIC GROWTH GOING UP.

PRICE SPIKE --
EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THEN IT STARTS TO COME UP AGAIN.

BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW

IS THIS AREA WHERE THERE'S
NO MORE ABILITY

TO PRODUCE CHEAP ENERGY.

WE'RE AT THE PEAK.

WE'RE ON THE DOWNSLOPE
OF OIL PRODUCTION.

NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY MORE
OUT OF THE GROUND ANY FASTER,

WHICH MEANS
THAT THINGS SHUT DOWN,

THE PRICE OF OIL DROPS,

WHICH IT DID IN EARLY 2009,

BUT THEN, AS YOU HAVE AN ERSATZ,
SO-CALLED RECOVERY,

THE PRICE OF OIL
STARTS TO COME BACK.

IT'S RECENTLY BEEN HOVERING
AROUND $80 A BARREL,

AND WHAT WE SEE
IS AT $80 A BARREL, NOW,

WITH THE ECONOMIC
AND FINANCIAL COLLAPSE,

PEOPLE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME
AFFORDING THAT.

-WORLD OIL PRODUCTION,
RIGHT NOW,

IS ABOUT 86 MILLION BARRELS
A DAY.

OVER 10 YEARS,

YOU'RE LOOKING AT
ROUGHLY 40 MILLION BARRELS A DAY

HAVING TO BE REPLACED.

THERE'S NOTHING AROUND
WHICH CAN COME EVEN WITHIN 1%

OF MEETING THAT SORT OF DEMAND.

IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING
PRETTY QUICKLY,

THERE'S GOING TO BE
A HUGE ENERGY DEFICIENCY.

I THINK THE BIG MISTAKE
IS IN NOT RECOGNIZING,

A DECADE OR SO AGO,

THAT AN EFFORT --
A CONCERTED EFFORT --

NEEDED TO BE MADE

TO DEVELOP THESE
SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF ENERGY.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING OUR
GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOOK BACK ON

WITH TOTAL DISBELIEF.

"YOU PEOPLE KNEW THAT YOU WERE
DEALING WITH A FINITE COMMODITY.

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY
HAVE BUILT YOUR ECONOMY

AROUND SOMETHING
WHICH WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR?"

-FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN HUMAN HISTORY,

THE SPECIES IS NOW FACED

WITH THE DEPLETION
OF A CORE RESOURCE

CENTRAL TO OUR CURRENT SYSTEM
OF SURVIVAL,

AND THE PUNCH LINE
OF THE WHOLE THING

IS THAT EVEN WITH OIL
BECOMING MORE AND MORE SCARCE,

THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM
WILL STILL BLINDLY PUSH

ITS CANCEROUS GROWTH MODEL

SO PEOPLE CAN GO OUT AND BUY
MORE OIL-POWERED CARS

TO GENERATE GDP AND JOBS,
EXASPERATING THE DECLINE.

ARE THERE SOLUTIONS

TO REPLACE THE EDIFICE
OF THE HYDROCARBON ECONOMY?

OF COURSE.

BUT THE PATH NEEDED
TO ACCOMPLISH THESE CHANGES

WILL NOT MANIFEST

THROUGH THE MARKET SYSTEM
PROTOCOLS REQUIRED,

SINCE NEW SOLUTIONS
CAN ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED

THROUGH THE PROFIT MECHANISM.

PEOPLE ARE NOT INVESTING
IN RENEWABLE ENERGIES

BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY IN IT

IN BOTH THE LONG AND SHORT TERM,

AND THE COMMITMENT NEEDED
TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

CAN ONLY OCCUR
AT A SEVERE FINANCIAL LOSS.

HENCE,
THERE IS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

AND IN THIS SYSTEM,

IF THERE'S
NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN.

AND, ON TOP OF IT ALL,

PEAK OIL IS JUST ONE
OF MANY SURFACING CONSEQUENCES

OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIAL
TRAIN WRECK GAINING SPEED TODAY.

OTHER DECLINES
INCLUDE FRESHWATER --

THE VERY FABRIC
OF OUR EXISTENCE --

WHICH IS CURRENTLY
SHOWING SHORTAGES

FOR 2.8 BILLION PEOPLE,

AND THOSE SHORTAGES ARE ON PACE
TO REACH 4 BILLION BY 2030.

FOOD PRODUCTION --

THE DESTRUCTION
OF ARABLE CROPLAND,

FROM WHICH 99.7% OF ALL
HUMAN FOOD COMES FROM TODAY --

IS OCCURRING
UP TO 40 TIMES FASTER

THAN IT IS BEING REPLENISHED.

AND OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS,

30% OF THE ARABLE LAND
HAS BECOME UNPRODUCTIVE --

NOT TO MENTION THAT HYDROCARBONS

ARE THE BACKBONE
OF AGRICULTURE TODAY,

AND AS IT DECLINES,
SO WILL THE FOOD SUPPLY.

AS FAR AS RESOURCES IN GENERAL,

AT OUR CURRENT PATTERNS
OF CONSUMPTION,

BY 2030, WE WILL NEED TWO
PLANETS TO CONTINUE OUR RATES --

NOT TO MENTION
THE CONTINUAL DESTRUCTION

OF LIFE-SUPPORTING BIODIVERSITY,

CAUSING EXTINCTION SPASMS

AND ENVIRONMENTAL
DESTABILIZATION

ACROSS THE GLOBE.

AND WITH ALL OF THESE DECLINES,

WE HAVE THE NEAR-EXPONENTIAL
POPULATION GROWTH,

WHERE, BY 2030,

THERE MIGHT BE OVER 8 BILLION
PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET.

ENERGY PRODUCTION ALONE WOULD
NEED TO INCREASE 44% BY 2030

TO MEET SUCH DEMAND.

AND, AGAIN, SINCE MONEY IS
THE ONLY INITIATOR OF ACTION,

ARE WE TO EXPECT
THAT ANY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET

IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD

THE MASSIVE CHANGES NEEDED TO
REVOLUTIONIZE AGRICULTURE,

WATER PROCESSING,
ENERGY PRODUCTION, AND THE LIKE,

WHEN THE GLOBAL DEBT
PYRAMID SCHEME

IS SLOWLY SHUTTING
THE ENTIRE WORLD DOWN?

NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THE
UNEMPLOYMENT YOU CURRENTLY SEE

IS GOING TO BECOME NORMALITY

DUE TO THE NATURE
OF TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT.

THE JOBS ARE NOT COMING BACK.

AND, FINALLY,
A BROAD SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE.

FROM 1970 TO 2010,

POVERTY ON THIS PLANET DOUBLED
DUE TO THIS SYSTEM,

AND GIVEN OUR CURRENT STATE,

DO YOU HONESTLY THINK
WE WILL SEE ANYTHING LESS

THAN MORE DOUBLING,
MORE SUFFERING,

AND MORE MASS STARVATION?

-THERE IS NOT GONNA BE
ANY RECOVERY.

THIS IS NOT SOME LONG DEPRESSION

THAT WE'RE SOMEDAY
GONNA PULL OUT OF.

I THINK THE NEXT PHASE
WE'RE GOING TO SEE

AFTER THE NEXT ROUND
OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

IS MASSIVE CIVIL UNREST

WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS
STOP BEING PAID

BECAUSE THE STATES
HAVE NO MONEY LEFT.

-AND WHEN THINGS GET SO BAD

THAT PEOPLE LOSE CONFIDENCE
IN THEIR ELECTED LEADERS,

THEY WILL DEMAND CHANGE --

IF WE DON'T KILL EACH OTHER
IN THE PROCESS

OR DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT.

I'M JUST AFRAID THAT WE MIGHT
GET TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN,

AND THAT BOTHERS ME NO END.

WE DO ALL WE CAN
TO AVOID THAT CONDITION.

-IT'S CLEAR
THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE

OF A GREAT TRANSITION
IN HUMAN LIFE.

-THAT WHAT WE FACE NOW
IS THIS FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE

OF THE LIFE WE'VE KNOWN
OVER THE LAST CENTURY.

-THERE HAS TO BE A LINK

BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND
THE RESOURCES OF THIS PLANET --

THE RESOURCES BEING, OF COURSE,
ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE,

THE HEALTH OF THE OCEANS,
AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

THIS IS A MONETARY PARADIGM
THAT WILL NOT LET GO

UNTIL IT'S KILLED
THE LAST HUMAN BEING.

-THE "IN" GROUP WILL DO
ALL IT CAN TO STAY IN POWER,

AND THAT'S WHAT
YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND.

THEY'LL USE THE ARMY AND NAVY
AND LIES,

OR WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO USE
TO KEEP IN POWER.

THEY'RE NOT ABOUT TO GIVE IT UP,

'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW
OF ANY OTHER SYSTEM

THAT WILL PERPETUATE THEIR KIND.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ]

[ MUSIC ENDS ]

[ "I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE"
PLAYS ]

-* TAKE A STRAIGHT
AND STRONGER COURSE *

* TO THE CORNER OF YOUR LIFE

* JUST REMEMBER THAT THE GOAL

* IS FOR US ALL
TO CAPTURE ALL WE WANT *

-* MOVE ME ON TO
ANY BLACK SQUARE *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF
WITH YOURSELF *

* MOVE ON BACK TWO SQUARES

* SEND AN INSTANT KARMA TO ME

* INITIAL IT

-* WITH LOVING CARE

* FOR YOURSELF

* 'CAUSE IT'S TIME,
THIS TIME, IN TIME *

* WITH YOUR TIME,
AND ITS NEWS *

* IS CAPTURED

* FOR THE QUEEN TO USE

* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT
DOOT DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT
DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF
WITH YOURSELF *

-* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT
DOOT DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY