Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)

1. - DEADLY RIOTS OVER THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN

2. TO AVOID DEFAULTING ON ITS LOANS...

3. - ... IS THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT KEEPS RISING,

4. AND IT HAS TO KEEP RISING,

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

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

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

8. - M-O-N-E-Y,

9. IN THE FORM OF A CONVENIENT PERSONAL LOAN...

10. - A FILTER CIGARETTE THAT DELIVERS THE TASTE...

11. - 45 MALT LIQUOR...

12. - ARE YOU HOT?

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

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

15. - AMERICA IS SPONSORING TERROR ATTACKS IN IRAN...

16. - I FIRST LEARNED IT FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.

17. NOW, MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON.

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

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

20. SHE WOULD ACCUMULATE EVERYTHING SHE COULD,

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

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

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

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

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

26. AND THAT SUMMER, I LEARNED TO PLAY THE GAME.

27. I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THE ONLY WAY TO WIN

28. IS TO MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO ACQUISITION.

29. I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY AND POSSESSIONS —

30. THAT'S THE WAY THAT YOU KEEP SCORE.

31. AND BY THE END OF THAT SUMMER,

32. I WAS MORE RUTHLESS THAN MY GRANDMOTHER.

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

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

35. I TOOK EVERYTHING SHE HAD.

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

37. AND THEN SHE HAD ONE MORE THING TO TEACH ME.

38. THEN SHE SAID,

39. "NOW IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

40. ALL THOSE HOUSES AND HOTELS,

41. ALL THE RAILROADS AND UTILITY COMPANIES,

42. ALL THAT PROPERTY, AND ALL THAT WONDERFUL MONEY —

43. NOW IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

44. NONE OF IT WAS REALLY YOURS.

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

46. BUT IT WAS AROUND A LONG TIME

47. BEFORE YOU SAT DOWN AT THE BOARD,

48. AND IT WILL BE HERE AFTER YOU'RE GONE.

49. PLAYERS COME, PLAYERS GO.

50. HOUSES AND CARS...

51. TITLES AND CLOTHES...

52. EVEN YOUR BODY."

53. 'CAUSE THE FACT IS

54. THAT EVERYTHING I CLUTCH AND CONSUME AND HOARD

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

56. SO, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF,

57. WHEN YOU FINALLY GET THE ULTIMATE PROMOTION,

58. WHEN YOU'VE MADE THE ULTIMATE PURCHASE,

59. WHEN YOU BUY THE ULTIMATE HOME,

60. WHEN YOU HAVE STORED UP FINANCIAL SECURITY

61. AND CLIMBED THE LADDER OF SUCCESS

62. TO THE HIGHEST RUNG YOU CAN POSSIBLY CLIMB IT,

63. AND THE THRILL WEARS OFF —

64. AND IT WILL WEAR OFF —

65. THEN WHAT?

66. HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO WALK DOWN THAT ROAD

67. BEFORE YOU SEE WHERE IT LEADS?

68. SURELY YOU UNDERSTAND IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH.

69. SO YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION —

70. WHAT MATTERS?

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

72. I REFUSED TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.

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

74. AND HE ASKED ME,

75. "WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE?

76. EVERYBODY DOES."

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

78. BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT SO."

79. I EXPLAINED THAT AMERICA OWED EVERYTHING IT HAS

80. TO OTHER CULTURES AND OTHER NATIONS,

81. AND THAT I WOULD RATHER PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE EARTH

82. AND EVERYONE ON IT.

83. NEEDLESS TO SAY,

84. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE I LEFT SCHOOL ENTIRELY

85. AND I SET UP A LAB IN MY BEDROOM.

86. THERE, I BEGAN TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE AND NATURE.

87. I REALIZED THEN THAT THE UNIVERSE IS GOVERNED BY LAWS

88. AND THAT THE HUMAN BEING, ALONG WITH SOCIETY ITSELF,

89. WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM THESE LAWS.

90. THEN CAME THE CRASH OF 1929,

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

92. I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

93. WHY MILLIONS WERE OUT OF WORK, HOMELESS, STARVING,

94. WHILE ALL THE FACTORIES WERE SITTING THERE.

95. THE RESOURCES WERE UNCHANGED.

96. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED

97. THAT THE RULES OF THE ECONOMIC GAME WERE INHERENTLY INVALID.

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

99. SYSTEMATICALLY DESTROYING EACH OTHER.

100. I LATER CALCULATED

101. THAT ALL THE DESTRUCTION AND WASTED RESOURCES

102. SPENT ON THAT WAR

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

104. SINCE THAT TIME,

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

106. I HAVE WATCHED AS THE PRECIOUS FINITE RESOURCES

107. ARE PERPETUALLY WASTED AND DESTROYED

108. IN THE NAME OF PROFIT AND FREE MARKETS.

109. I HAVE WATCHED THE SOCIAL VALUES OF SOCIETY

110. BE REDUCED INTO A BASE ARTIFICIALITY

111. OF MATERIALISM AND MINDLESS CONSUMPTION.

112. AND I HAVE WATCHED AS THE MONETARY POWERS

113. CONTROL THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF SUPPOSEDLY FREE SOCIETIES.

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

115. IS THE SAME AS IT WAS 75 YEARS AGO.

116. THIS SHIT'S GOT TO GO.

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

118. HAMMERED INTO YOUR HEAD

119. IS THE INEVITABLE "NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,"

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

121. OR "GREEKS VERSUS TROJANS."

122. SO, NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,

123. THIS, BY NOW, UTTERLY OVERSIMPLIFYING VIEW

124. OF WHERE INFLUENCES ARE —

125. INFLUENCES ON HOW A CELL DEALS WITH AN ENERGY CRISIS

126. UP TO WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE

127. ON THE MOST INDIVIDUALISTIC LEVELS OF PERSONALITY.

128. AND WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS THIS COMPLETE FALSE DICHOTOMY

129. BUILT AROUND NATURE AS DETERMINISTIC

130. AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF ALL THE CAUSALITY OF LIFE.

131. THERE'S DNA AND THE CODE OF CODES

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

133. AND, AT THE OTHER END,

134. A MUCH MORE SOCIAL-SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE,

135. WHICH IS WE ARE SOCIAL ORGANISMS,

136. AND BIOLOGY IS FOR SLIME MOLDS.

137. HUMANS ARE FREE OF BIOLOGY.

138. AND, OBVIOUSLY, BOTH VIEWS ARE NONSENSE.

139. WHAT YOU SEE INSTEAD

140. IS IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW BIOLOGY WORKS

141. OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF ENVIRONMENT.

142. ONE OF THE MOST CRAZY-MAKING, YET WIDESPREAD

143. AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS NOTIONS IS,

144. "OH, THAT BEHAVIOR IS GENETIC."

145. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

146. IT MEANS ALL SORTS OF SUBTLE STUFF

147. IF YOU, SORT OF, KNOW MODERN BIOLOGY,

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

149. IS A DETERMINISTIC VIEW OF LIFE,

150. ONE ROOTED IN BIOLOGY AND GENETICS —

151. GENES EQUAL THINGS THAT CAN'T BE CHANGED.

152. GENES EQUAL THINGS THAT ARE INEVITABLE,

153. AND THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT WASTE RESOURCES TRYING TO FIX —

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

155. BECAUSE IT'S INEVITABLE, IT'S UNCHANGEABLE.

156. AND THAT IS SHEER NONSENSE.

157. - IT IS WIDELY THOUGHT

158. THAT CONDITIONS LIKE ADHD ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED,

159. CONDITIONS LIKE SCHIZOPHRENIA ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED.

160. THE TRUTH IS THE OPPOSITE.

161. NOTHING IS GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED.

162. THEY'RE VERY RARE DISEASES.

163. I MEAN, A SMALL HANDFUL,

164. EXTREMELY SPARSELY REPRESENTED IN THE POPULATION,

165. THAT ARE TRULY GENETICALLY DETERMINED.

166. MOST COMPLEX CONDITIONS MIGHT HAVE A PREDISPOSITION

167. THAT HAS A GENETIC COMPONENT,

168. BUT A PREDISPOSITION IS NOT THE SAME AS A PREDETERMINATION.

169. THE WHOLE SEARCH

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

171. BEFORE ANYBODY EVEN THOUGHT OF IT

172. BECAUSE MOST DISEASES ARE NOT GENETICALLY PREDETERMINED.

173. HEART DISEASE, CANCERS, STROKES,

174. RHEUMATOID CONDITIONS,

175. AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS IN GENERAL,

176. MENTAL-HEALTH CONDITIONS, ADDICTIONS —

177. THESE ARE NONE OF THEM GENETICALLY DETERMINED.

178. BREAST CANCER, FOR EXAMPLE —

179. OUT OF 100 WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER,

180. ONLY SEVEN WILL CARRY THE BREAST-CANCER GENES.

181. 93 DO NOT.

182. AND OUT OF 100 WOMEN WHO DO HAVE THE GENES,

183. NOT ALL OF THEM WILL GET CANCER.

184. - GENES ARE NOT JUST THINGS THAT MAKE US BEHAVE

185. IN A PARTICULAR WAY, REGARDLESS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

186. GENES GIVE US DIFFERENT WAYS OF RESPONDING TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.

187. AND, IN FACT, IT LOOKS AS IF

188. SOME OF THE EARLY-CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES

189. AND THE KIND OF CHILD-REARING

190. AFFECT GENE EXPRESSION —

191. ACTUALLY TURNING ON AND OFF DIFFERENT GENES —

192. TO PUT YOU ON A DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL TRACK,

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

194. - SO, FOR EXAMPLE,

195. A STUDY DONE IN MONTREAL WITH SUICIDE VICTIMS

196. LOOKED AT AUTOPSIES OF THE BRAINS OF THESE PEOPLE,

197. AND IT TURNED OUT THAT IF A SUICIDE VICTIM —

198. THESE ARE USUALLY YOUNG ADULTS —

199. HAD BEEN ABUSED AS CHILDREN,

200. THE ABUSE ACTUALLY CAUSED A GENETIC CHANGE IN THE BRAIN

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

202. THAT'S AN EPIGENETIC EFFECT.

203. "EPI" MEANS "ON TOP OF,"

204. SO THAT THE EPIGENETIC INFLUENCE IS WHAT HAPPENS ENVIRONMENTALLY

205. TO EITHER ACTIVATE OR DEACTIVATE CERTAIN GENES.

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

207. IN A TOWN CALLED DUNEDIN,

208. IN WHICH A FEW THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS

209. WERE STUDIED FROM BIRTH UP TO THEIR — INTO THEIR 20s.

210. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT THEY COULD IDENTIFY

211. A GENETIC MUTATION, AN ABNORMAL GENE,

212. WHICH DID HAVE SOME RELATION

213. TO THE PREDISPOSITION TO COMMIT VIOLENCE,

214. BUT ONLY IF THE INDIVIDUAL

215. HAD ALSO BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEVERE CHILD ABUSE.

216. IN OTHER WORDS,

217. A CHILD WITH THIS ABNORMAL GENE

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

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

220. THAN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL GENES,

221. AS LONG AS THEY WEREN'T ABUSED AS CHILDREN.

222. - GREAT ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GENES

223. ARE NOT "BE ALL, END ALL" —

224. FANCY TECHNIQUE WHERE YOU CAN

225. TAKE A SPECIFIC GENE OUT OF A MOUSE,

226. THAT MOUSE AND ITS DESCENDANTS WILL NOT HAVE THAT GENE.

227. YOU HAVE KNOCKED OUT THAT GENE.

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

229. THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH LEARNING AND MEMORY,

230. AND — THIS FABULOUS DEMONSTRATION —

231. KNOCK OUT THAT GENE,

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

233. OOH, A GENETIC BASIS FOR INTELLIGENCE!

234. WHAT WAS MUCH LESS APPRECIATED IN THAT LANDMARK STUDY

235. THAT GOT PICKED UP BY THE MEDIA LEFT AND RIGHT

236. IS TAKE THOSE GENETICALLY IMPAIRED MICE

237. AND RAISE THEM IN A MUCH MORE ENRICHED,

238. STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT THAN YOUR NORMAL MICE IN A LAB CAGE,

239. AND THEY COMPLETELY OVERCAME THAT DEFICIT.

240. SO, WHEN ONE SAYS, IN A CONTEMPORARY SENSE,

241. THAT "OH, THIS BEHAVIOR IS GENETIC" —

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

243. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS,

244. "THERE IS A GENETIC CONTRIBUTION

245. TO HOW THIS ORGANISM RESPONDS TO ENVIRONMENT,

246. GENES MAY INFLUENCE THE READINESS WITH WHICH AN ORGANISM

247. WILL DEAL WITH A CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE."

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

249. AND, NOT TO BE TOO SOAPBOXING,

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

251. AND IT'S NOT THAT FAR FROM

252. THE HISTORY OF EUGENICS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.

253. IT'S A WIDESPREAD MISCONCEPTION,

254. AND IT'S A POTENTIALLY FAIRLY DANGEROUS ONE.

255. - ONE REASON THAT THE,

256. SORT OF, BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR VIOLENCE —

257. ONE REASON THAT HYPOTHESIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS —

258. IT'S NOT JUST MISLEADING, IT CAN REALLY DO HARM —

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

260. "WELL, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO

261. TO CHANGE THE PREDISPOSITION PEOPLE HAVE TO BECOMING VIOLENT.

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

263. YOU KNOW, LOCK THEM UP OR EXECUTE THEM.

264. "BUT WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT

265. CHANGING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OR THE SOCIAL PRECONDITIONS

266. THAT MAY LEAD PEOPLE TO BECOME VIOLENT,

267. BECAUSE THAT'S IRRELEVANT."

268. - THE GENETIC ARGUMENT ALLOWS US THE LUXURY

269. OF IGNORING PAST AND PRESENT HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS,

270. AND, IN THE WORDS OF LOUIS MENAND,

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

272. "IT'S ALL IN THE GENES —

273. AN EXPLANATION FOR THE WAY THINGS ARE

274. THAT DOES NOT THREATEN THE WAY THINGS ARE.

275. WHY SHOULD SOMEONE FEEL UNHAPPY OR ENGAGE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

276. WHEN THAT PERSON IS LIVING

277. IN THE FREEST AND MOST PROSPEROUS NATION ON EARTH?

278. IT CAN'T BE THE SYSTEM!

279. THERE MUST BE A FLAW IN THE WIRING SOMEWHERE."

280. WHICH IS A GOOD WAY OF PUTTING IT.

281. SO, THE GENETIC ARGUMENT IS SIMPLY A COP-OUT

282. WHICH ALLOWS US TO IGNORE

283. THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FACTORS

284. THAT, IN FACT, UNDERLIE MANY TROUBLESOME BEHAVIORS.

285. ADDICTIONS ARE USUALLY

286. CONSIDERED TO BE A DRUG-RELATED ISSUE,

287. BUT, LOOKING AT IT MORE BROADLY,

288. I DEFINE ADDICTION

289. AS ANY BEHAVIOR THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CRAVING,

290. WITH TEMPORARY RELIEF,

291. AND WITH LONG-TERM NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

292. ALONG WITH AN IMPAIRMENT OF CONTROL OVER IT,

293. SO THAT THE PERSON WISHES TO GIVE IT UP,

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

295. AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT,

296. THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE ADDICTIONS

297. THAN SIMPLY THOSE RELATED TO DRUGS.

298. SO, THERE'S WORKAHOLISM,

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

300. THERE'S THE ADDICTION TO POWER —

301. PEOPLE THAT HAVE POWER, BUT THEY WANT MORE AND MORE AND MORE —

302. NOTHING IS EVER ENOUGH FOR THEM.

303. ACQUISITION — CORPORATIONS THAT MUST OWN MORE AND MORE.

304. THE ADDICTION TO OIL,

305. OR, AT LEAST, TO THE WEALTH

306. AND TO THE PRODUCTS MADE ACCESSIBLE TO US BY OIL.

307. LOOK AT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

308. WE ARE DESTROYING THE VERY EARTH THAT WE INHABIT

309. FOR THE SAKE OF THAT ADDICTION.

310. NOW, THESE ADDICTIONS

311. ARE FAR MORE DEVASTATING IN THEIR SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

312. THAN THE COCAINE OR HEROIN HABITS

313. OF MY DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE PATIENTS.

314. YET THEY'RE REWARDED

315. AND CONSIDERED TO BE RESPECTABLE.

316. THE TOBACCO-COMPANY EXECUTIVE THAT SHOWS A HIGHER PROFIT

317. WILL GET A MUCH BIGGER REWARD.

318. HE DOESN'T FACE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

319. LEGALLY OR OTHERWISE.

320. IN FACT, HE IS A RESPECTED MEMBER

321. OF THE BOARD OF SEVERAL OTHER CORPORATIONS.

322. BUT TOBACCO-SMOKE-RELATED DISEASES

323. KILL 5h MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD EVERY YEAR.

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

325. AND THESE PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO WHAT? TO PROFIT.

326. TO SUCH A DEGREE ARE THEY ADDICTED,

327. THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN DENIAL

328. ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THEIR ACTIVITIES,

329. WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR ADDICTS, IS DENIAL.

330. AND THAT'S A RESPECTABLE ONE.

331. IT'S RESPECTABLE TO BE ADDICTED TO PROFIT,

332. NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.

333. SO, WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT IS RESPECTABLE

334. IS A HIGHLY ARBITRARY PHENOMENON IN OUR SOCIETY,

335. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE GREATER THE HARM,

336. THE MORE RESPECTABLE THE ADDICTION.

337. THERE'S A GENERAL MYTH THAT DRUGS,

338. IN THEMSELVES, ARE ADDICTIVE.

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

340. THAT IF YOU INTERDICT THE SOURCE OF DRUGS,

341. YOU CAN DEAL WITH ADDICTION THAT WAY.

342. NOW, IF YOU UNDERSTAND ADDICTION IN THE BROADER SENSE,

343. WE SEE THAT NOTHING, IN ITSELF, IS ADDICTIVE —

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

345. AND NO BEHAVIOR IS, BY ITSELF, ADDICTIVE.

346. MANY PEOPLE CAN GO SHOPPING WITHOUT BECOMING SHOPAHOLICS.

347. NOT EVERYBODY BECOMES A FOOD ADDICT.

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

349. SO, THE REAL ISSUE IS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

350. BECAUSE IT'S THE COMBINATION OF A SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUAL

351. AND THE POTENTIALLY ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE OR BEHAVIOR

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

353. IN SHORT, IT'S NOT THE DRUG THAT'S ADDICTIVE —

354. IT'S THE QUESTION OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL

355. TO BEING ADDICTED

356. TO A PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE OR BEHAVIOR.

357. IF WE WISH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, THEN,

358. MAKES SOME PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

359. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE.

360. THE OLD IDEA, ALTHOUGH IT'S OLD,

361. BUT IT'S STILL BROADLY HELD,

362. THAT ADDICTIONS ARE DUE TO SOME GENETIC CAUSE,

363. IS SIMPLY SCIENTIFICALLY UNTENABLE.

364. WHAT THE CASE IS, ACTUALLY,

365. IS THAT CERTAIN LIFE EXPERIENCES MAKE PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE —

366. LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT NOT ONLY SHAPE THE PERSON'S PERSONALITY

367. AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS,

368. BUT ALSO THEIR VERY BRAINS IN CERTAIN WAYS.

369. AND THAT PROCESS BEGINS IN UTERO.

370. IT'S BEEN SHOWN, FOR EXAMPLE,

371. THAT IF YOU STRESS MOTHERS DURING PREGNANCY,

372. THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TRAITS

373. THAT PREDISPOSE THEM TO ADDICTIONS,

374. AND THAT'S BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT

375. IS SHAPED BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.

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

377. AND PROGRAMMED BY THE LIFE EXPERIENCES,

378. BEGINNING IN UTERO.

379. - ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT BEGIN AT BIRTH.

380. ENVIRONMENT BEGINS AS SOON AS YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT.

381. AS SOON AS YOU ARE A FETUS,

382. YOU ARE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER INFORMATION

383. IS COMING THROUGH MOM'S CIRCULATIONS —

384. HORMONES, LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS.

385. A GREAT LANDMARK EXAMPLE OF THIS —

386. SOMETHING CALLED THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER.

387. 1944, NAZIS OCCUPYING HOLLAND — FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS,

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

389. FOR THREE MONTHS, EVERYBODY THERE WAS STARVING.

390. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH.

391. WHAT THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER EFFECT IS,

392. IF YOU WERE A SECOND- OR THIRD-TRIMESTER FETUS

393. DURING THE STARVATION,

394. YOUR BODY LEARNED SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE DURING THAT TIME.

395. AS IT TURNS OUT, SECOND, THIRD TRIMESTER,

396. SOMETHING THAT YOUR BODY

397. IS GOING ABOUT TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IS,

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

399. HOW PLENTIFUL?

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

401. BE A FETUS WHO WAS STARVING DURING THAT TIME,

402. AND YOUR BODY PROGRAMS, FOREVER AFTER,

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

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

405. BE A DUTCH HONGERWINTER FETUS,

406. AND HALF A CENTURY LATER, EVERYTHING ELSE BEING EQUAL,

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

408. OR METABOLIC SYNDROME.

409. THAT IS ENVIRONMENT COMING IN A VERY UNEXPECTED PLACE.

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

411. AND THEIR OFFSPRING

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

413. YOU CAN STRESS HUMAN MOTHERS.

414. FOR EXAMPLE, IN A BRITISH STUDY,

415. WOMEN WHO WERE ABUSED IN PREGNANCY

416. WILL HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF THE STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL

417. IN THEIR PLACENTA AT BIRTH,

418. AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE CONDITIONS

419. THAT PREDISPOSE THEM TO ADDICTIONS BY AGE 7 OR 8.

420. SO, IN-UTERO STRESS ALREADY PREPARES THE GUN

421. FOR ALL KINDS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

422. AN ISRAELI STUDY DONE PRIOR — ON CHILDREN BORN TO MOTHERS

423. WHO WERE PREGNANT PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF THE 1967 WAR —

424. THESE WOMEN, OF COURSE, WERE VERY STRESSED,

425. AND THEIR OFFSPRING HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE

426. OF SCHIZOPHRENIA THAN THE AVERAGE COHORT.

427. SO, THERE IS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE NOW

428. THAT PRENATAL EFFECTS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

429. ON THE DEVELOPING HUMAN BEING.

430. THE POINT ABOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,

431. AND, SPECIFICALLY, HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT,

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

433. AND MOSTLY AFTER BIRTH.

434. NOW, IF YOU COMPARE US TO A HORSE,

435. WHICH CAN RUN ON THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE,

436. WE SEE THAT WE ARE VERY UNDEVELOPED —

437. WE CAN'T DEVELOP — WE CAN'T, UH...

438. MUSTER THAT MUCH NEUROLOGICAL COORDINATION,

439. BALANCE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, VISUAL ACUITY,

440. UNTIL A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS,

441. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE HORSE

442. HAPPENS IN THE SAFETY OF THE WOMB.

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

444. AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH SIMPLE EVOLUTIONARY LOGIC.

445. AS THE HEAD GETS LARGER,

446. WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US INTO HUMAN BEINGS —

447. THE BURGEONING OF THE FOREBRAIN

448. IS WHAT CREATES THE HUMAN SPECIES, ACTUALLY —

449. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WALK ON TWO LEGS,

450. SO OUR PELVIS NARROWS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT,

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

452. BINGO — WE HAVE TO BE BORN PREMATURELY.

453. AND THAT MEANS THAT THE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

454. THAT IN OTHER ANIMALS OCCURS IN UTERO,

455. IN US, OCCURS AFTER BIRTH,

456. AND MUCH OF THAT UNDER THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

457. AND THE CONCEPT OF NEURAL DARWINISM

458. SIMPLY MEANS THAT THE CIRCUITS

459. THAT GET THE APPROPRIATE INPUT FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

460. WILL DEVELOP OPTIMALLY,

461. AND THE ONES THAT DON'T

462. WILL EITHER NOT DEVELOP OPTIMALLY

463. OR, PERHAPS, NOT AT ALL.

464. IF YOU TAKE A CHILD WITH PERFECTLY GOOD EYES AT BIRTH

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

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

467. BECAUSE THE CIRCUITS OF VISION

468. REQUIRE LIGHT WAVES FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT, AND WITHOUT THAT,

469. EVEN THE RUDIMENTARY CIRCUITS PRESENT AND ACTIVE AT BIRTH

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

471. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT WAY IN WHICH EARLY EXPERIENCES

472. SHAPE ADULT BEHAVIOR.

473. AND EVEN — AND ESPECIALLY,

474. EARLY EXPERIENCES FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RECALL MEMORY.

475. IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF MEMORY.

476. THERE IS EXPLICIT MEMORY, WHICH IS RECALL —

477. THIS IS WHEN YOU CAN CALL BACK

478. FACTS, DETAILS, EPISODES, CIRCUMSTANCES.

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

480. WHICH ENCODES RECALL MEMORY,

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

482. AND IT'S NOT FULLY DEVELOPED TILL MUCH LATER,

483. WHICH IS WHY HARDLY ANYBODY

484. HAS ANY RECALL MEMORY PRIOR TO 18 MONTHS.

485. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER KIND OF MEMORY,

486. WHICH IS CALLED "IMPLICIT MEMORY,"

487. WHICH IS, IN FACT, AN EMOTIONAL MEMORY,

488. WHERE THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT AND THE INTERPRETATION

489. THAT THE CHILD MAKES OF THOSE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

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

491. READY TO FIRE WITHOUT SPECIFIC RECALL.

492. SO, TO GIVE YOU A CLEAR EXAMPLE,

493. PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED HAVE A LIFELONG SENSE OF REJECTION,

494. VERY OFTEN.

495. THEY CAN'T RECALL THE ADOPTION.

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

497. BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THERE TO RECALL WITH.

498. BUT THE EMOTIONAL MEMORY OF SEPARATION AND REJECTION

499. IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN THEIR BRAINS.

500. HENCE, THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE

501. A SENSE OF REJECTION AND A GREAT EMOTIONAL UPSET,

502. WHEN THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AS BEING REJECTED,

503. THAN OTHER PEOPLE.

504. THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED,

505. BUT IT'S PARTICULARLY STRONG IN THEM

506. BECAUSE OF THIS FUNCTION OF IMPLICIT MEMORY.

507. PEOPLE WHO ARE ADDICTED, GIVEN THAT THEY —

508. ACCORDING TO ALL THE RESEARCH LITERATURE,

509. AND CERTAINLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE,

510. THE HARDCORE ADDICTS VIRTUALLY WERE ALL

511. SIGNIFICANTLY ABUSED AS CHILDREN

512. OR SUFFERED SEVERE EMOTIONAL LOSS.

513. THEIR EMOTIONAL, OR IMPLICIT, MEMORIES

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

515. CAREGIVERS WHO ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED,

516. AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE NOT SAFE ENOUGH

517. TO OPEN UP TO VULNERABLY,

518. AND, HENCE, THEIR RESPONSES TEND TO BE

519. TO KEEP THEMSELVES SEPARATE

520. FROM REALLY INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS —

521. NOT TO TRUST CAREGIVERS, DOCTORS,

522. AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM,

523. AND GENERALLY SEE THE WORLD AS AN UNSAFE PLACE,

524. AND THAT'S STRICTLY A FUNCTION OF IMPLICIT MEMORY,

525. WHICH SOMETIMES HAS TO DO

526. WITH INCIDENTS THEY DON'T EVEN RECALL.

527. INFANTS WHO ARE BORN PREMATURE, ARE OFTEN IN INCUBATORS

528. AND VARIOUS TYPES OF GADGETRY AND MACHINERY

529. FOR WEEKS AND, PERHAPS, MONTHS —

530. IT'S NOW KNOWN THAT IF THESE CHILDREN ARE TOUCHED

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

532. THAT PROMOTES THEIR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.

533. SO, HUMAN TOUCH IS ESSENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT,

534. AND, IN FACT,

535. INFANTS WHO ARE NEVER PICKED UP WILL ACTUALLY DIE.

536. THAT'S HOW MUCH OF A FUNDAMENTAL NEED

537. BEING HELD IS TO HUMAN BEINGS.

538. IN OUR SOCIETY,

539. THERE IS AN UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY TO TELL PARENTS

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

541. NOT TO PICK UP BABIES WHO ARE CRYING,

542. FOR FEAR OF SPOILING THEM,

543. OR, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT,

544. YOU DON'T PICK THEM UP,

545. WHICH IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE CHILD NEEDS,

546. AND THESE CHILDREN MIGHT GO BACK TO SLEEP

547. BECAUSE THEY GIVE UP AND THEIR BRAINS JUST SHUT DOWN

548. AS A WAY OF DEFENDING AGAINST

549. THE VULNERABILITY OF BEING ABANDONED, REALLY,

550. BY THEIR PARENTS,

551. BUT THEIR IMPLICIT MEMORIES

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

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

554. IN A WAY, THE, IF YOU LIKE,

555. THE PARENTAL EXPERIENCE OF ADVERSITY —

556. HOW TOUGH LIFE IS, OR HOW EASY IT IS —

557. IS PASSED ON TO CHILDREN,

558. WHETHER THROUGH MATERNAL DEPRESSION

559. OR PARENTS BEING BAD-TEMPERED WITH THEIR KIDS

560. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE HAD A HARD DAY,

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

562. AND THESE HAVE VERY POWERFUL EFFECTS,

563. PROGRAMMING CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT,

564. WHICH WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT NOW.

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

566. IT EXISTS AGAIN IN MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES.

567. EVEN SEEDLINGS —

568. THERE'S AN EARLY ADAPTIVE PROCESS

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

570. BUT FOR HUMANS, THE ADAPTATION IS

571. TO THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

572. AND, SO, EARLY LIFE —

573. HOW NURTURING OR HOW MUCH CONFLICT,

574. HOW MUCH ATTENTION YOU GET,

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

576. ARE YOU GROWING UP IN A WORLD

577. WHERE YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU CAN GET,

578. WATCH YOUR BACK, FEND FOR YOURSELF,

579. LEARN NOT TO TRUST OTHERS,

580. OR ARE YOU GROWING UP IN A SOCIETY

581. WHERE YOU DEPEND ON RECIPROCITY, MUTUALITY, COOPERATION,

582. WHERE EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT,

583. WHERE YOUR SECURITY DEPENDS

584. ON GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE?

585. AND THAT NEEDS A VERY DIFFERENT

586. EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,

587. AND THAT'S WHAT THE EARLY SENSITIVITY IS ABOUT.

588. AND PARENTING IS ALMOST, QUITE UNCONSCIOUSLY,

589. A SYSTEM FOR PASSING ON THAT EXPERIENCE TO CHILDREN

590. OF THE KIND OF WORLD THEY'RE IN.

591. - THE GREAT BRITISH CHILD PSYCHIATRIST

592. D.W. WINNICOTT SAID,

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

594. ONE IS WHEN THINGS HAPPEN THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN,

595. AND THEN THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BUT DON'T.

596. IN THE FIRST CATEGORY

597. IS THE TRAUMATIC AND ABUSIVE AND ABANDONMENT EXPERIENCES

598. OF MY DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE PATIENTS AND OF MANY ADDICTS.

599. THAT'S WHAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT DID.

600. BUT THEN THERE IS THE NON-STRESSED,

601. ATTUNED, NON-DISTRACTED ATTENTION OF THE PARENT

602. THAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS,

603. THAT, VERY OFTEN, CHILDREN DON'T GET.

604. THEY'RE NOT ABUSED, THEY'RE NOT NEGLECTED,

605. AND THEY'RE NOT TRAUMATIZED,

606. BUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN —

607. THE PRESENCE OF THE EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE, NURTURING PARENT —

608. JUST IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM

609. BECAUSE OF THE STRESSES IN OUR SOCIETY

610. AND THE PARENTING ENVIRONMENT.

611. AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST ALLAN SCHORE CALLS THAT

612. "PROXIMAL ABANDONMENT" —

613. WHEN THE PARENT IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT BUT EMOTIONALLY ABSENT.

614. - I HAVE SPENT, UH,

615. OH, ROUGHLY, THE LAST 40 YEARS OF MY LIFE

616. WORKING WITH THE MOST VIOLENT PEOPLE OUR SOCIETY PRODUCES —

617. MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND SO ON —

618. IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSES THIS VIOLENCE.

619. I DISCOVERED THAT

620. THE MOST VIOLENT OF THE CRIMINALS IN OUR PRISONS

621. HAD, THEMSELVES, BEEN VICTIMS

622. OF A DEGREE OF CHILD ABUSE

623. THAT WAS BEYOND THE SCALE OF WHAT I EVER THOUGHT

624. OF APPLYING THE TERM "CHILD ABUSE" TO.

625. I HAD NO IDEA OF THE DEPTH OF THE DEPRAVITY

626. WITH WHICH CHILDREN IN OUR SOCIETY

627. ARE ALL TOO OFTEN TREATED.

628. THE MOST VIOLENT PEOPLE I SAW WERE, THEMSELVES,

629. THE SURVIVORS OF THEIR OWN ATTEMPTED MURDER,

630. OFTEN AT THE HANDS OF THEIR PARENTS

631. OR OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT,

632. OR WERE THE SURVIVORS OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN KILLED —

633. THEIR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBERS —

634. BY OTHER PEOPLE.

635. - THE BUDDHA ARGUED

636. THAT EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON EVERYTHING ELSE.

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

638. THAT YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING

639. IN ISOLATION FROM ITS ENVIRONMENT.

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

641. OBVIOUSLY.

642. THIS HAS NOW BEEN SHOWN TO BE TRUE,

643. OF COURSE, ALL AROUND, AND, SPECIFICALLY,

644. WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.

645. THE MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERM FOR IT

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

647. WHICH SAYS THAT THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS

648. DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON THEIR INTERACTION

649. WITH THE SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT.

650. AND, SPECIFICALLY,

651. THE PSYCHIATRIST AND RESEARCHER DANIEL SIEGEL

652. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES — UCLA —

653. HAS COINED A PHRASE, "INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY,"

654. WHICH MEANS TO SAY THAT THE WAY

655. THAT OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

656. DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS —

657. IN THE FIRST PLACE, WITH THE PARENTING CAREGIVERS,

658. AND, IN THE SECOND PLACE,

659. WITH OTHER IMPORTANT ATTACHMENT FIGURES IN OUR LIVES,

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

661. SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEPARATE THE NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING

662. OF A HUMAN BEING FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

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

664. AND THIS IS TRUE THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE.

665. IT'S PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN YOU ARE DEPENDENT AND HELPLESS

666. AND YOUR BRAIN IS DEVELOPING,

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

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

669. FROM THE MOST EGALITARIAN —

670. HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES

671. SEEM TO HAVE BEEN VERY EGALITARIAN, FOR INSTANCE,

672. BASED ON FOOD SHARING, GIFT EXCHANGE.

673. - SMALL BANDS OF PEOPLE,

674. LIVING PREDOMINATELY OFF OF FORAGING,

675. BUT A LITTLE BIT OF HUNTING,

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

677. KNOWN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE,

678. IF NOT SURROUNDED BY THIRD COUSINS OR CLOSER,

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

680. BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS,

681. IN A WORLD IN WHICH THERE IS NOT

682. A WHOLE LOT IN TERMS OF MATERIAL CULTURE,

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

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

685. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU GET AS A RESULT OF THAT

686. IS FAR LESS VIOLENCE.

687. ORGANIZED GROUP VIOLENCE

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

689. AND THAT SEEMS QUITE CLEAR.

690. SO, WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?

691. - VIOLENCE IS NOT UNIVERSAL.

692. IT'S NOT SYMMETRICALLY DISTRIBUTED

693. THROUGHOUT THE HUMAN RACE.

694. THERE IS A HUGE VARIATION

695. IN THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE IN DIFFERENT SOCIETIES.

696. THERE ARE SOME SOCIETIES THAT HAVE VIRTUALLY NO VIOLENCE.

697. THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DESTROY THEMSELVES.

698. SOME OF THE ANABAPTIST RELIGIOUS GROUPS

699. THAT ARE COMPLETE, STRICT PACIFISTS,

700. LIKE THE AMISH, THE MENNONITES, THE HUTTERITES,

701. AMONG SOME OF THESE GROUPS — THE HUTTERITES —

702. THERE ARE NO RECORDED CASES OF HOMICIDE.

703. DURING OUR MAJOR WARS, LIKE WORLD WAR II,

704. WHERE PEOPLE WERE BEING DRAFTED,

705. THEY WOULD REFUSE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY.

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

707. IN THE KIBBUTZIM, IN ISRAEL,

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

709. WILL OFTEN SEND VIOLENT OFFENDERS —

710. PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES —

711. TO LIVE ON THE KIBBUTZIM

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

713. BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE THERE.

714. - SO, WE ARE AMPLY SHAPED BY SOCIETY.

715. OUR SOCIETIES — IN THE BROADER SENSE,

716. INCLUDING OUR THEOLOGICAL, OUR METAPHYSICAL,

717. OUR LINGUISTIC INFLUENCES, ET CETERA —

718. OUR SOCIETIES HELP SHAPE US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT

719. WE THINK LIFE IS BASICALLY ABOUT SIN OR ABOUT BEAUTY —

720. WHETHER THE AFTERLIFE WILL CARRY A PRICE

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

722. IN A BROAD SORT OF WAY, DIFFERENT LARGE SOCIETIES

723. COULD BE TERMED AS INDIVIDUALISTIC OR COLLECTIVIST,

724. AND YOU GET VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE,

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

726. COMING ALONG WITH THAT.

727. WE, IN AMERICA,

728. ARE IN ONE OF THE MOST INDIVIDUALISTIC OF SOCIETIES,

729. AND CAPITALISM, BEING A SYSTEM

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

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

732. BY DEFINITION, THE MORE STRATIFIED A SOCIETY IS,

733. THE FEWER PEOPLE YOU HAVE AS PEERS —

734. THE FEWER PEOPLE WITH WHOM

735. YOU HAVE SYMMETRICAL, RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS,

736. AND, INSTEAD,

737. ALL YOU HAVE ARE DIFFERING SPOTS AND ENDLESS HIERARCHIES,

738. AND A WORLD IN WHICH YOU HAVE FEW RECIPROCAL PARTNERS

739. IS A WORLD WITH A LOT LESS ALTRUISM.

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

741. WHICH IS TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE IN PERSPECTIVE SCIENCE

742. AS TO WHAT THE NATURE IS OF HUMAN NATURE.

743. YOU KNOW, ON A CERTAIN LEVEL,

744. THE NATURE OF OUR NATURE

745. IS NOT TO BE PARTICULARLY CONSTRAINED BY OUR NATURE.

746. WE COME UP WITH MORE SOCIAL VARIABILITY

747. THAN ANY SPECIES OUT THERE — MORE SYSTEMS OF BELIEF,

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

749. THE CAPACITY FOR VARIETY THAT WE HAVE IS EXTRAORDINARY.

750. - IN A SOCIETY WHICH IS PREDICATED ON COMPETITION

751. AND REALLY, VERY OFTEN,

752. THE RUTHLESS EXPLOITATION OF ONE HUMAN BEING BY ANOTHER,

753. THE PROFITEERING OFF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS,

754. AND, VERY OFTEN,

755. THE CREATION OF PROBLEMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROFITEERING,

756. THE RULING IDEOLOGY WILL VERY OFTEN JUSTIFY THAT BEHAVIOR

757. BY APPEALS TO SOME FUNDAMENTAL AND UNALTERABLE HUMAN NATURE.

758. SO, THE MYTH IN OUR SOCIETY

759. IS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMPETITIVE BY NATURE,

760. AND THAT THEY ARE INDIVIDUALISTIC,

761. AND THAT THEY'RE SELFISH.

762. THE REAL REALITY IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

763. WE HAVE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

764. THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HUMAN NATURE CONCRETELY

765. IS BY RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

766. WE HAVE A HUMAN NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP

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

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

769. IF THOSE NEEDS ARE MET,

770. WE DEVELOP INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPASSIONATE AND COOPERATIVE,

771. AND, UM...

772. AND WHO HAVE EMPATHY FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

773. SO...

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

775. A DISTORTION OF HUMAN NATURE,

776. PRECISELY BECAUSE SO FEW PEOPLE HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET.

777. SO, YES, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HUMAN NATURE,

778. BUT ONLY IN THE SENSE OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

779. THAT ARE INSTINCTIVELY EVOKED, OR, I SHOULD SAY,

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

781. AND A DIFFERENT SET OF TRAITS IF THEY ARE DENIED.

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

783. WHICH HAS A GREAT DEAL OF ADAPTIVE FLEXIBILITY,

784. ALLOWING US TO SURVIVE IN MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS,

785. IS ALSO RIGIDLY PROGRAMMED FOR

786. CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, OR HUMAN NEEDS,

787. A SOCIAL IMPERATIVE BEGINS TO EMERGE.

788. JUST AS OUR BODIES REQUIRE PHYSICAL NUTRIENTS,

789. THE HUMAN BRAIN DEMANDS POSITIVE FORMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

790. AT ALL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT,

791. WHILE ALSO NEEDING TO BE PROTECTED

792. FROM OTHER NEGATIVE FORMS OF STIMULUS.

793. AND IF THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN DO NOT,

794. OR IF THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN DO,

795. IT IS NOW APPARENT THAT THE DOOR CAN BE OPENED

796. FOR NOT ONLY A CASCADE OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISEASES,

797. BUT MANY DETRIMENTAL HUMAN BEHAVIORS AS WELL.

798. SO, AS WE TURN OUR PERSPECTIVE NOW OUTWARD

799. AND TAKE ACCOUNT FOR THE STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY,

800. WE MUST ASK THE QUESTION,

801. IS THE CONDITION WE HAVE CREATED IN THE MODERN WORLD

802. ACTUALLY SUPPORTING OUR HEALTH?

803. IS THE BEDROCK OF OUR SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM

804. ACTING AS A POSITIVE FORCE

805. FOR HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS?

806. OR, IS THE FOUNDATIONAL GRAVITATION OF OUR SOCIETY

807. ACTUALLY GOING AGAINST THE CORE EVOLUTIONARY REQUIREMENTS

808. NEEDED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN

809. OUR PERSONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING?

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

811. WHAT WE HAVE TODAY —

812. REALLY, A WORLD IN A STATE OF CUMULATIVE COLLAPSE.

813. - YOU GET IT STARTED WITH JOHN LOCKE,

814. AND JOHN LOCKE INTRODUCES PROPERTY,

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

816. AND THE THREE PROVISOS ARE

817. THAT THERE MUST BE ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS,

818. AND THAT YOU MUST NOT LET IT SPOIL,

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

820. IT SEEMS JUSTIFIED —

821. YOU MIX YOUR LABOR WITH THE WORLD,

822. THEN YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THE PRODUCT,

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

824. AND AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T SPOIL —

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

826. WELL, HE SPENDS A LONG TIME

827. OF HIS FAMOUS TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT,

828. AND IT'S SINCE BEEN THE CANONICAL TEXT

829. FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AND LEGAL UNDERSTANDING.

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

831. WELL, WHAT HE DID —

832. AFTER HE GIVES THE PROVISOS

833. AND YOU'RE ALMOST THINKING, AT THE TIME,

834. WHETHER YOU'RE FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OR NOT,

835. HE'S GIVEN A VERY —

836. A VERY GOOD AND PLAUSIBLE AND POWERFUL DEFENSE

837. OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, HERE.

838. WELL, HE DROPS THEM!

839. HE DROPS THEM LIKE THAT, RIGHT IN ONE SENTENCE.

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

841. BY MEN'S TACIT CONSENT, THEN IT BECAME" —

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

843. BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

844. SO, NOW WE HAVE NOT

845. PRODUCT AND YOUR PROPERTY EARNED BY YOUR OWN LABOR —

846. OH, NO — MONEY BUYS LABOR NOW.

847. THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION

848. OF WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS.

849. THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER IT SPOILS,

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

851. AND GOLD CAN'T SPOIL.

852. THEREFORE, MONIES CAN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE,"

853. WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.

854. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND SILVER.

855. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT ITS EFFECTS ARE.

856. IT'S ONE NON SEQUITUR AFTER ANOTHER —

857. JUST THE MOST STARTLING LOGICAL LEGERDEMAIN

858. THAT HE GETS AWAY WITH, HERE,

859. BUT IT FITS THE INTERESTS OF CAPITAL OWNERS.

860. THEN ADAM SMITH COMES ALONG,

861. AND WHAT HE ADDS IS THE RELIGION TO THIS.

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

863. THIS IS GOD'S RIGHT,"

864. AND NOW WE GET, ALSO, WITH SMITH, COMING ALONG —

865. HE SAYS, "IT'S NOT ONLY GOD'S" —

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

867. PHILOSOPHICALLY, BEING PRINCIPLE.

868. HE'S SAYING, "IT'S NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY" —

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

870. AND THAT MONEY INVESTORS THAT BUY LABOR — GIVEN.

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

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

873. HOW MUCH INEQUALITY — THAT'S ALL GIVEN, NOW.

874. AND SO HE COMES ALONG, AND WHAT HIS BIG IDEA IS —

875. AND, AGAIN, IT'S JUST INTRODUCED IN PARENTHESES, EN PASSANT —

876. YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE PUT OUT GOODS FOR SALE,

877. AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY,

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

879. HOW DO YOU — HOW DO WE HAVE SUPPLY EQUALING DEMAND,

880. OR DEMAND EQUALING SUPPLY?

881. HOW CAN THEY COME INTO EQUILIBRIUM?

882. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL NOTIONS OF ECONOMICS,

883. IS HOW DO THEY COME INTO EQUILIBRIUM?

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

885. THAT BRINGS THEM INTO EQUILIBRIUM.

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

887. HE JUST DIDN'T GIVE THE RIGHTS TO PROPERTY AND HOW —

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

889. OF DOING ALL THAT LOCKE SAID.

890. NOW WE HAVE THE SYSTEM ITSELF AS GOD.

891. IN FACT, SMITH SAYS, WHEN HE TALKS —

892. AND YOU'LL NEVER FIND THIS QUOTED —

893. YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE OF

894. "THE INQUIRY INTO THE WEALTH OF NATIONS" —

895. HE SAYS, "THE SCANTINESS OF SUBSISTENCE

896. SETS LIMITS TO THE REPRODUCTION OF THE POOR,

897. AND THAT NATURE CAN DEAL WITH THIS IN NO OTHER WAY

898. THAN ELIMINATION OF THEIR CHILDREN.

899. SO, HE ANTICIPATED EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

900. IN THE WORST SENSE.

901. THIS IS WELL BEFORE DARWIN.

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

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

904. THERE WAS AN INHERENT ACCEPTANCE — LIFE BLINDNESS —

905. TO KILL INNUMERABLE CHILDREN,

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

907. MAKING SUPPLY MEET DEMAND AND DEMAND MEET SUPPLY,

908. SO, SEE HOW WISE GOD IS?"

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

910. LIFE-DESTRUCTIVE, ECO-GENOCIDAL THINGS

911. THAT ARE GOING ON NOW HAVE, IN A WAY,

912. A "THOUGHT GENE" BACK IN SMITH, TOO.

913. - WHEN WE REFLECT ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT

914. OF THE SO-CALLED FREE-MARKET CAPITALIST SYSTEM,

915. AS INITIATED BY EARLY ECONOMIC PHILOSOPHERS SUCH AS ADAM SMITH,

916. WE SEE THAT THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF A MARKET

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

918. ADAM SMITH NEVER FATHOMED

919. THAT THE MOST PROFITABLE ECONOMIC SECTOR ON THE PLANET

920. WOULD EVENTUALLY BE IN THE ARENA OF FINANCIAL TRADING,

921. OR SO-CALLED "INVESTMENT,"

922. WHERE MONEY ITSELF IS SIMPLY GAINED

923. BY THE MOVEMENT OF OTHER MONEY IN AN ARBITRARY GAME

924. WHICH HOLDS ZERO PRODUCTIVE MERIT TO SOCIETY.

925. YET, REGARDLESS OF SMITH'S INTENT,

926. THE DOOR FOR SUCH SEEMINGLY ANOMALOUS ADVENTS

927. WAS LEFT WIDE OPEN

928. BY ONE FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF THIS THEORY —

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

930. TODAY, IN EVERY ECONOMY OF THE WORLD,

931. REGARDLESS OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM THEY CLAIM,

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

933. THE UNDERLYING IDEA,

934. WHICH WAS MYSTERIOUSLY QUALIFIED BY ADAM SMITH

935. WITH HIS RELIGIOUS DECLARATION OF THE INVISIBLE HAND,

936. IS THAT THE NARROW, SELF-INTERESTED PURSUIT OF THIS

937. FICTIONAL COMMODITY WILL SOMEHOW, MAGICALLY,

938. MANIFEST HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND PROGRESS.

939. THE REALITY IS THAT THE MONETARY INCENTIVE "INTEREST,"

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

941. HAS NOW COMPLETELY DECOUPLED

942. FROM THE FOUNDATIONAL LIFE INTEREST,

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

944. - WHAT HAS HAPPENED

945. IS THAT THERE'S A COMPLETE CONFUSION IN ECONOMIC DOCTRINE

946. BETWEEN THOSE TWO SEQUENCES.

947. THEY THINK THAT THE MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE

948. DELIVERS THE LIFE SEQUENCE OF VALUE,

949. AND THAT'S WHY THEY SAY IF MORE GOODS ARE SOLD —

950. IF GDPs RISE AND SO FORTH —

951. THEREFORE, THERE WOULD BE MORE WELL-BEING —

952. ENHANCED WELL-BEING.

953. WE COULD TAKE THE GDP TO BE,

954. BASICALLY, OUR INDICATOR OF SOCIAL HEALTH.

955. WELL, THERE YOU SEE THE CONFUSION.

956. IT'S TALKING ABOUT MONEY SEQUENCES OF VALUE —

957. THAT IS, ALL THE RECEIPTS, ALL THE REVENUES

958. THAT ARE DERIVED FROM SELLING GOODS —

959. AND THEY'RE CONFUSING THAT WITH LIFE REPRODUCTION,

960. SO THAT YOU HAVE,

961. BUILT RIGHT INTO THIS THING FROM THE BEGINNING,

962. IS A COMPLETE CONFLATION OF THE MONEY

963. AND LIFE SEQUENCES OF VALUE.

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

965. THAT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DEADLY

966. AS THE MONEY SEQUENCE DECOUPLES FROM PRODUCING ANYTHING AT ALL.

967. SO, IT'S A SYSTEM DISORDER,

968. AND THE SYSTEM DISORDER SEEMS TO BE FATAL.

969. - IN SOCIETY TODAY,

970. YOU SELDOM HEAR ANYONE SPEAK

971. OF THE PROGRESS OF THEIR COUNTRY OR SOCIETY

972. IN TERMS OF THEIR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING,

973. STATE OF HAPPINESS, TRUST, OR SOCIAL STABILITY.

974. RATHER, THE MEASURES ARE PRESENTED TO US

975. THROUGH ECONOMIC ABSTRACTIONS.

976. WE HAVE THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT,

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

978. RATES OF INFLATION, AND SO ON.

979. BUT DOES THIS TELL US ANYTHING OF REAL VALUE

980. AS TO THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES?

981. NO.

982. ALL THESE MEASURES HAVE TO DO WITH THE MONEY SEQUENCE ITSELF

983. AND NOTHING MORE.

984. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF A COUNTRY

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

986. THIS MEASURE IS CLAIMED TO CORRELATE

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

988. IN THE UNITED STATES,

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

990. AMOUNTING TO OVER $2.5 TRILLION SPENT,

991. HENCE, CREATING A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THIS ECONOMIC MEASURE.

992. AND, BASED ON THIS LOGIC,

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

994. IF HEALTH-CARE SERVICES INCREASED MORE SO —

995. PERHAPS TO $3 TRILLION, OR $5 TRILLION,

996. SINCE THAT WOULD CREATE MORE GROWTH, MORE JOBS,

997. AND, HENCE, BOASTED BY ECONOMISTS

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

999. BUT... WAIT A MINUTE.

1000. WHAT DO HEALTH-CARE SERVICES ACTUALLY REPRESENT?

1001. WELL, SICK AND DYING PEOPLE.

1002. THAT'S RIGHT.

1003. THE MORE UNHEALTHY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN AMERICA,

1004. THE BETTER THE ECONOMY.

1005. NOW, THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION OR A CYNICAL PERSPECTIVE.

1006. IN FACT, IF WE STEP BACK FAR ENOUGH,

1007. YOU WILL REALIZE THAT THE GDP

1008. NOT ONLY DOESN'T REFLECT REAL PUBLIC OR SOCIAL HEALTH

1009. ON ANY TANGIBLE LEVEL,

1010. IT IS, IN FACT, MOSTLY A MEASURE

1011. OF INDUSTRIAL INEFFICIENCY AND SOCIAL DEGRADATION,

1012. AND THE MORE YOU SEE IT RISE, THE WORSE THINGS ARE BECOMING

1013. WITH RESPECT TO PERSONAL, SOCIAL,

1014. AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.

1015. - YOU HAVE TO CREATE PROBLEMS TO CREATE PROFIT.

1016. THERE IS NO PROFIT UNDER THE CURRENT PARADIGM

1017. IN SAVING LIVES, PUTTING BALANCE ON THIS PLANET,

1018. HAVING JUSTICE AND PEACE, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

1019. THERE'S JUST NO PROFIT THERE.

1020. THERE'S AN OLD SAYING — "PASS A LAW, CREATE A BUSINESS,"

1021. WHETHER YOU'RE CREATING A BUSINESS

1022. FOR A LAWYER OR WHATEVER.

1023. SO, YOU KNOW, CRIME DOES CREATE BUSINESS,

1024. JUST LIKE DESTRUCTION CREATES BUSINESS IN HAITI.

1025. WE HAVE NOW ROUGHLY 2 MILLION PEOPLE INCARCERATED

1026. IN THIS COUNTRY,

1027. AND OF THOSE,

1028. MANY OF THEM ARE IN PRISONS RUN BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS —

1029. CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA, WACKENHUT,

1030. WHO TRADE THEIR STOCK ON WALL STREET

1031. BASED UPON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL.

1032. NOW, THAT'S SICKNESS.

1033. BUT THAT IS A REFLECTION

1034. OF WHAT THIS ECONOMIC PARADIGM CALLS FOR.

1035. - SO, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS ECONOMIC PARADIGM CALL FOR?

1036. WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM GOING?

1037. CONSUMPTION.

1038. OR, MORE ACCURATELY, CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION.

1039. WHEN WE BREAK DOWN

1040. THE FOUNDATION OF CLASSIC MARKET ECONOMICS,

1041. WE ARE LEFT WITH A PATTERN OF MONETARY EXCHANGE

1042. THAT SIMPLY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STOP

1043. OR EVEN SUBSTANTIALLY SLOWED

1044. IF THE SOCIETY AS WE KNOW IT IS TO REMAIN OPERATIONAL.

1045. THERE ARE THREE MAIN ACTORS ON THE ECONOMIC STAGE —

1046. THE EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYER, AND THE CONSUMER.

1047. THE EMPLOYEE SELLS LABOR TO THE EMPLOYER FOR INCOME.

1048. THE EMPLOYER SELLS ITS PRODUCTION SERVICES,

1049. AND, HENCE, GOODS, TO THE CONSUMER FOR INCOME,

1050. AND THE CONSUMER, OF COURSE,

1051. IS SIMPLY ANOTHER ROLE OF THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE,

1052. SPENDING BACK INTO THE SYSTEM

1053. TO ENABLE THE CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION TO CONTINUE.

1054. IN OTHER WORDS,

1055. THE GLOBAL MARKET SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION

1056. THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ENOUGH PRODUCT DEMAND

1057. IN SOCIETY TO MOVE ENOUGH MONEY AROUND

1058. AT A RATE WHICH CAN KEEP THE CONSUMPTION PROCESS GOING.

1059. AND THE FASTER THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION,

1060. THE MORE SO-CALLED ECONOMIC GROWTH IS ASSUMED,

1061. AND SO THE MACHINE GOES.

1062. BUT HOLD ON.

1063. I THOUGHT AN ECONOMY WAS MEANT TO, I DON'T KNOW, ECONOMIZE?

1064. DOESN'T THE VERY TERM HAVE TO DO WITH PRESERVATION AND EFFICIENCY

1065. AND A REDUCTION OF WASTE?

1066. SO, HOW DOES OUR SYSTEM, WHICH DEMANDS CONSUMPTION,

1067. AND THE MORE, THE BETTER,

1068. EFFICIENTLY PRESERVE, OR ECONOMIZE, AT ALL?

1069. WELL, IT DOESN'T.

1070. THE INTENT OF THE MARKET SYSTEM IS, IN FACT,

1071. THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT A REAL ECONOMY IS SUPPOSED TO DO,

1072. WHICH IS EFFICIENTLY

1073. AND CONSERVATIVELY ORIENT THE MATERIALS

1074. FOR PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE-SUPPORTING GOODS.

1075. WE LIVE ON A FINITE PLANET, WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

1076. WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE,

1077. THE OIL WE UTILIZE TOOK MILLIONS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP —

1078. WHERE THE MINERALS WE USE TOOK BILLIONS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP.

1079. SO, HAVING A SYSTEM

1080. THAT DELIBERATELY PROMOTES THE ACCELERATION OF CONSUMPTION

1081. FOR THE SAKE OF SO-CALLED "ECONOMIC GROWTH"

1082. IS PURE ECOCIDAL INSANITY.

1083. - ABSENCE OF WASTE, THAT'S WHAT EFFICIENCY IS.

1084. ABSENCE OF WASTE?

1085. THIS SYSTEM IS MORE WASTEFUL

1086. THAN ALL THE OTHER EXISTING SYSTEMS

1087. IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET.

1088. EVERY LEVEL OF LIFE ORGANIZATION AND LIFE SYSTEM

1089. IS IN A STATE OF CRISIS AND CHALLENGE AND DECAY OR COLLAPSE.

1090. NO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL IN THE LAST 30 YEARS

1091. WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING DIFFERENT —

1092. THAT IS, THAT EVERY LIFE SYSTEM IS IN DECLINE,

1093. AS WELL AS SOCIAL PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OUR WATER ACCESS.

1094. TRY TO NAME ANY MEANS OF LIFE

1095. THAT ISN'T THREATENED AND ENDANGERED.

1096. YOU CAN'T.

1097. THERE ISN'T —

1098. THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY DESPAIRING.

1099. BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN FIGURED OUT THE CAUSAL MECHANISM.

1100. WE DON'T WANT TO FACE THE CAUSAL MECHANISM.

1101. WE JUST WANT TO GO ON.

1102. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT INSANITY IS —

1103. WHERE YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME THING, OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

1104. EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY DOESN'T WORK.

1105. SO, YOU'RE REALLY DEALING WITH NOT AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM,

1106. BUT, I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY, AN ANTI-ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

1107. - THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT THE COMPETITIVE MARKET MODEL

1108. SEEKS TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE GOODS

1109. AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES.

1110. THIS STATEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY THE INCENTIVE CONCEPT,

1111. WHICH JUSTIFIES MARKET COMPETITION

1112. BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE RESULT

1113. IS THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHER-QUALITY GOODS.

1114. IF I WAS GOING TO BUILD MYSELF A TABLE FROM SCRATCH,

1115. I WOULD NATURALLY BUILD IT

1116. OUT OF THE BEST, MOST-DURABLE MATERIALS POSSIBLE, RIGHT?

1117. WITH THE INTENT FOR IT TO LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

1118. WHY WOULD I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING POOR,

1119. KNOWING I WOULD HAVE TO EVENTUALLY DO IT AGAIN

1120. AND EXPEND MORE MATERIALS AND MORE ENERGY?

1121. WELL, AS RATIONAL AS THAT MAY SEEM IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD,

1122. WHEN IT COMES TO THE MARKET WORLD,

1123. IT IS NOT ONLY EXPLICITLY IRRATIONAL —

1124. IT IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION.

1125. IT IS TECHNICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PRODUCE THE BEST OF ANYTHING

1126. IF A COMPANY IS TO MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE,

1127. AND, HENCE, REMAIN AFFORDABLE TO THE CONSUMER.

1128. LITERALLY EVERYTHING CREATED AND SET FOR SALE

1129. IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

1130. IS IMMEDIATELY INFERIOR THE MOMENT IT IS PRODUCED,

1131. FOR IT IS A MATHEMATICAL IMPOSSIBILITY

1132. TO MAKE THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY ADVANCED,

1133. EFFICIENT, AND STRATEGICALLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS.

1134. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MARKET SYSTEM

1135. REQUIRES THAT "COST EFFICIENCY," OR THE NEED TO REDUCE EXPENSES,

1136. EXISTS T EVERY STAGE OF PRODUCTION,

1137. FROM THE COST OF LABOR TO THE COST OF MATERIALS AND PACKAGING,

1138. AND SO ON.

1139. THIS COMPETITIVE STRATEGY, OF COURSE,

1140. IS TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC BUYS THEIR GOODS

1141. RATHER THAN FROM A COMPETING PRODUCER,

1142. WHICH IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING

1143. TO ALSO MAKE THEIR GOODS BOTH COMPETITIVE AND AFFORDABLE.

1144. THIS IMMUTABLY WASTEFUL CONSEQUENCE OF THE SYSTEM

1145. COULD BE TERMED "INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE."

1146. HOWEVER, THIS IS ONLY ONE PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM.

1147. A FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNING PRINCIPLE OF MARKET ECONOMICS —

1148. ONE THAT YOU WILL NOT FIND IN ANY TEXTBOOK, BY THE WAY —

1149. IS THE FOLLOWING —

1150. "NOTHING PRODUCED CAN BE ALLOWED TO MAINTAIN A LIFE-SPAN

1151. LONGER THAN WHAT CAN BE ENDURED

1152. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION."

1153. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS CRITICAL THAT STUFF BREAK DOWN, FAIL,

1154. AND EXPIRE WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.

1155. THIS IS TERMED "PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE."

1156. PLANNED OBSOLESCE

1157. IS THE BACKBONE OF THE UNDERLYING MARKET STRATEGY

1158. OF EVERY GOODS-PRODUCING CORPORATION IN EXISTENCE.

1159. WHILE VERY FEW, OF COURSE,

1160. WOULD ADMIT TO SUCH A STRATEGY OUTRIGHT,

1161. WHAT THEY DO IS MASK IT WITHIN

1162. THE INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE PHENOMENON JUST DISCUSSED,

1163. WHILE OFTEN IGNORING OR EVEN SUPPRESSING

1164. NEW ADVENTS IN TECHNOLOGY

1165. WHICH MIGHT CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE, DURABLE GOOD.

1166. SO, IF IT WASN'T WASTEFUL ENOUGH

1167. THAT THE SYSTEM INHERENTLY CANNOT ALLOW

1168. THE MOST DURABLE AND EFFICIENT GOODS TO BE PRODUCED,

1169. PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE DELIBERATELY RECOGNIZES

1170. THAT THE LONGER ANY GOOD IS IN OPERATION,

1171. THE WORSE IT IS FOR SUSTAINING CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION,

1172. AND, HENCE, THE MARKET SYSTEM ITSELF.

1173. IN OTHER WORDS,

1174. PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY IS ACTUALLY INVERSE

1175. TO ECONOMIC GROWTH,

1176. AND, HENCE, THERE IS A DIRECT, REINFORCED INCENTIVE

1177. TO MAKE SURE LIFE-SPANS ARE SHORT

1178. OF ANY GIVEN GOOD PRODUCED.

1179. AND, IN FACT, THE SYSTEM CANNOT OPERATE ANY OTHER WAY.

1180. ONE GLANCE AT THE SEA OF LANDFILLS

1181. NOW SPREADING ACROSS THE WORLD SHOW THE OBSOLESCENCE REALITY.

1182. THERE ARE NOW BILLIONS OF CHEAPLY MADE CELL PHONES,

1183. COMPUTERS, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY,

1184. EACH FULL OF PRECIOUS, DIFFICULT-TO-MINE MATERIALS,

1185. SUCH AS GOLD, COLTAN, COPPER, NOW ROTTING IN VAST PILES,

1186. USUALLY DUE TO THE MERE MALFUNCTION

1187. OR OBSOLESCENCE OF SMALL PARTS,

1188. WHICH, IN A CONSERVATIVE SOCIETY,

1189. COULD LIKELY BE FIXED OR UPDATED,

1190. AND THE LIFE OF THE GOOD EXTENDED.

1191. UNFORTUNATELY,

1192. AS EFFICIENT AS THAT MAY SEEM IN OUR PHYSICAL REALITY,

1193. LIVING ON A FINITE PLANET WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

1194. IT IS EXPLICITLY INEFFICIENT WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET.

1195. TO PUT IT INTO A PHRASE,

1196. EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND PRESERVATION

1197. ARE THE ENEMIES OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

1198. LIKEWISE, JUST AS PHYSICAL GOODS

1199. NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY PRODUCED AND REPRODUCED,

1200. REGARDLESS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT,

1201. THE SERVICE INDUSTRY OPERATES WITH AN EQUAL RATIONALE.

1202. THE FACT IS, THERE IS NO MONETARY BENEFIT

1203. TO RESOLVING ANY PROBLEMS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED.

1204. AT THE END OF THE DAY,

1205. THE LAST THING THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT REALLY WANTS

1206. IS THE CURING OF DISEASES, SUCH AS CANCER,

1207. WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE COUNTLESS JOBS AND TRILLIONS IN REVENUE.

1208. AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT,

1209. CRIME AND TERRORISM IN THIS SYSTEM ARE GOOD!

1210. WELL, AT LEAST ECONOMICALLY,

1211. FOR IT IS EMPLOYING POLICE,

1212. GENERATING HIGH-VALUE COMMODITIES FOR SECURITY,

1213. NOT TO MENTION THE VALUE OF PRISONS

1214. THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED — FOR PROFIT.

1215. AND HOW ABOUT WAR?

1216. THE WAR INDUSTRY IN AMERICA IS A HUGE DRIVER OF GDP —

1217. ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES —

1218. PRODUCING WEAPONS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.

1219. THE FAVORITE GAME OF THIS INDUSTRY IS TO BLOW THINGS UP

1220. AND THEN CAN GO AND REBUILD THEM — FOR PROFIT.

1221. WE SAW THIS WITH THE WINDFALL BILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACTS

1222. MADE FROM THE IRAQ WAR.

1223. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SOCIALLY NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF SOCIETY

1224. HAVE BECOME POSITIVELY REWARDED VENTURES FOR INDUSTRY,

1225. AND ANY INTEREST IN PROBLEM-RESOLUTION

1226. OR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSERVATION

1227. IS INTRINSICALLY COUNTER TO ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY.

1228. AND THIS IS WHY EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE GDP RISE IN ANY COUNTRY,

1229. YOU ARE WITNESSING AN INCREASE IN NECESSITY,

1230. WHETHER REAL OR CONTRIVED,

1231. AND, BY DEFINITION,

1232. A NECESSITY IS ROOTED IN INEFFICIENCY,

1233. HENCE, INCREASED NECESSITY MEANS INCREASED INEFFICIENCY.

1234. - THE AMERICAN DREAM IS BASED ON RAMPANT CONSUMERISM.

1235. IT IS BASED UPON THE FACT THAT MAINSTREAM MEDIA

1236. AND ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING —

1237. ALL CORPORATIONS WHO NEED THIS INFINITE GROWTH —

1238. HAVE CONVINCED US,

1239. OR BRAINWASHED MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA,

1240. AND, HENCE, THE WORLD,

1241. THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE "X" NUMBER OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS,

1242. AND THE POSSIBILITY

1243. OF GAINING INFINITELY MORE MATERIAL POSSESSIONS,

1244. IN ORDER TO BE HAPPY.

1245. THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

1246. SO WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BUY IN THIS WAY,

1247. WHICH IS ULTIMATELY ECO-GENOCIDAL

1248. IN ITS SYSTEMIC EFFECTS, CUMULATIVELY?

1249. AND IT JUST IS CLASSICAL OPERANT CONDITIONING.

1250. YOU SIMPLY PUT INPUTS OF CONDITIONING INTO THE ORGANISM,

1251. AND YOU HAVE OUTPUTS OF DESIRED BEHAVIORS

1252. OR GOALS OR OBJECTIVES.

1253. AND IT HAS ALL THE RESOURCES OF TECHNOLOGY,

1254. AND THEY BOAST ABOUT HOW THEY GET INTO THE MINDS OF INFANTS —

1255. WHAT THEY HEAR IS ALREADY MAKING THEM CONDITIONED TO THE BRAND.

1256. THEN, YOU SEE, WELL, THAT'S HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUCH FOOLS.

1257. IN A WAY, THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO BE FOOLS.

1258. IT'S A VALUE-SYSTEM DISORDER.

1259. - YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS ANY TESTAMENT

1260. TO THE PLASTICITY OF THE HUMAN MIND,

1261. IF THERE IS ANY PROOF TO HOW MALLEABLE HUMAN THOUGHT IS

1262. AND HOW EASILY CONDITIONED AND GUIDED PEOPLE CAN BECOME

1263. BASED ON THE NATURE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

1264. AND WHAT IT REINFORCES,

1265. THE WORLD OF COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING IS THE PROOF.

1266. YOU HAVE TO STAND IN AWE AT THE LEVEL OF BRAINWASHING

1267. WHERE THESE PROGRAMMED ROBOTS KNOWN AS "CONSUMERS"

1268. WANDER THE LANDSCAPE, ONLY TO WALK INTO A STORE

1269. AND SPEND, SAY, $4,000 ON A HANDBAG

1270. THAT LIKELY COST $10 TO MAKE IN A SWEATSHOP OVERSEAS,

1271. ONLY FOR THE BRAND STATUS

1272. IT SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTS IN THE CULTURE.

1273. OR PERHAPS THE ANCIENT COMMUNAL TRADITIONS

1274. WHICH INCREASE TRUST AND COHESIVENESS IN SOCIETY,

1275. WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN HIJACKED BY ACQUISITIVE MATERIALISTIC VALUES

1276. WHERE NOW ANNUALLY WE EXCHANGE USELESS CRAP A FEW TIMES A YEAR.

1277. AND WE MIGHT WONDER WHY SO MANY TODAY

1278. HAVE A COMPULSION TO SHOPPING AND ACQUISITION

1279. WHEN IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED FROM CHILDHOOD

1280. TO EXPECT MATERIAL GOODS

1281. AS A SIGN OF THEIR STATUS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

1282. THE FACT IS, THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SOCIETY

1283. ARE THE VALUES THAT SUPPORT ITS OPERATION,

1284. AND OUR SOCIETY, AS IT EXISTS, CAN ONLY OPERATE IF OUR VALUES

1285. SUPPORT THE CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION IT REQUIRES

1286. TO CONTINUE THE MARKET SYSTEM.

1287. 75 YEARS AGO,

1288. CONSUMPTION IN AMERICA AND MUCH OF THE FIRST WORLD

1289. WAS HALF OF WHAT WE SEE TODAY, PER PERSON.

1290. TODAY'S NEW CONSUMER CULTURE HAS BEEN MANUFACTURED AND IMPOSED

1291. DUE TO THE VERY REAL NEED

1292. FOR HIGHER AND HIGHER LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION.

1293. AND THIS IS WHY MOST CORPORATIONS

1294. NOW SPEND MORE MONEY ON ADVERTISING

1295. THAN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF PRODUCT CREATION ITSELF.

1296. THEY WORK DILIGENTLY TO CREATE A FALSE NEED FOR YOU TO FILL,

1297. AND IT HAPPENS TO WORK.

1298. - YOU KNOW, ECONOMISTS ARE, IN FACT, NOT ECONOMISTS AT ALL.

1299. THEY'RE PROPAGANDISTS OF MONEY VALUE,

1300. AND YOU WILL FIND THAT ALL THEIR MODELS

1301. BASICALLY GET DOWN TO TOKEN EXCHANGES

1302. THAT ARE TO THE PROFIT OF ONE SIDE, OR BOTH SIDES,

1303. OR WHATEVER — BUT THEY'RE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED

1304. FROM THE ACTUALLY EXISTING WORLD OF REPRODUCTION.

1305. - UM, IN OHIO,

1306. AN OLD MAN FAILED TO PAY HIS ELECTRIC BILL.

1307. YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE.

1308. AND THE ELECTRIC COMPANY TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICITY AND HE DIED.

1309. THE REASON THEY TURNED IT OFF WAS BECAUSE

1310. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PROFITABLE FOR THEM TO KEEP IT ON,

1311. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PAY HIS BILL.

1312. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WAS RIGHT?

1313. - THE RESPONSIBILITY REALLY LIES

1314. NOT ON THE ELECTRIC COMPANY FOR TURNING IT OFF,

1315. BUT ON THOSE OF THIS MAN'S NEIGHBORS

1316. AND FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES WHO WERE NOT CHARITABLE ENOUGH

1317. TO ENABLE HIM, AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO MEET THE ELECTRIC BILL.

1318. - HMM.

1319. DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?

1320. DID HE JUST SAY THE DEATH OF A MAN CAUSED BY NOT HAVING MONEY

1321. WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER PEOPLE, OR, IN EFFECT, CHARITY?

1322. WELL, THEN,

1323. I GUESS WE'RE GONNA NEED A WHOLE LOT OF INFOMERCIALS,

1324. LITTLE MISERABLE COIN-SLOT DONATIONS FOR BODEGA COUNTERS,

1325. AND A BUNCH OF PICKLE JARS

1326. FOR THE BILLION PEOPLE NOW STARVING TO DEATH ON THIS PLANET

1327. BECAUSE OF THE VERY SYSTEM MILTON FRIEDMAN PROMOTES.

1328. WHETHER YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MILTON FRIEDMAN,

1329. F.A. HAYEK, JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES, LUDWIG VON MISES,

1330. OR ANY OTHER MAJOR MARKET ECONOMIST,

1331. THE BASIS OF RATIONALE RARELY LEAVES THE MONEY SEQUENCE.

1332. IT IS LIKE A RELIGION.

1333. CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS, STABILIZATION POLICIES,

1334. DEFICIT SPENDING, AGGREGATE DEMAND —

1335. IT EXISTS AS A NEVER-ENDING, SELF-REFERRING,

1336. SELF-RATIONALIZING CIRCLE OF DISCOURSE

1337. WHERE UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEED, NATURAL RESOURCES,

1338. OR ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL, LIFE-SUPPORTING EFFICIENCY

1339. IS RULED OUT BY DEFAULT AND REPLACED BY THE SINGULAR NOTION

1340. THAT HUMANS SEEKING ADVANTAGE OVER EACH OTHER FOR MONEY ALONE,

1341. MOTIVATED BY THEIR OWN NARROW SELF-INTEREST,

1342. WILL MAGICALLY CREATE

1343. DA SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY, BALANCED SOCIETY.

1344. - THERE IS NO LIFE COORDINATE IN THIS WHOLE THEORY —

1345. THIS WHOLE DOCTRINE.

1346. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

1347. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

1348. WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TRACKING MONEY SEQUENCES.

1349. THAT'S ALL IT IS, IS TRACKING MONEY SEQUENCES,

1350. PRESUPPOSING EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS.

1351. ONE, THAT THERE'S NO LIFE COORDINATES —

1352. WHAH, NO LIFE COORDINATES!

1353. TWO, THAT ALL THE AGENTS

1354. ARE SELF-MAXIMIZING PREFERENCE SEEKERS.

1355. THAT IS, THEY THINK OF NOTHING OTHER THAN THEMSELVES

1356. AND WHAT THEY CAN GET MOST FOR THEMSELVES.

1357. THAT'S THE NOTION —

1358. THE THE RULING NOTION OF RATIONALITY —

1359. SELF-MAXIMIZING CHOICE.

1360. AND THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN SELF-MAXIMIZING

1361. IS MONEY OR COMMODITIES.

1362. WELL, WHERE DOES SOCIAL RELATIONS COME IN?

1363. IT DOESN'T, EXCEPT IN THE EXCHANGE TO SELF-MAXIMIZE.

1364. WHERE DO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES COME IN?

1365. THEY DON'T, EXCEPT TO EXPLOIT.

1366. WHERE...

1367. DOES THE FAMILY COME IN AS BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE?

1368. IT DOESN'T.

1369. THEY HAVE TO HAVE MONEY IN ORDER TO PURCHASE ANY GOOD.

1370. WELL, SHOULDN'T AN ECONOMY DEAL SOMEWHERE WITH HUMAN NEED?

1371. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS —

1372. TO SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS?

1373. OH, "NEED" ISN'T EVEN IN YOUR LEXICON.

1374. YOU DISSOLVE IT INTO "WANTS." AND WHAT IS A WANT?

1375. THAT MEANS MONEY-DEMAND THAT WANTS TO BUY.

1376. WELL, IF IT'S MONEY-DEMAND THAT WANTS TO BUY,

1377. IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH NEED,

1378. BECAUSE MAYBE THE PERSON HAS NO MONEY-DEMAND

1379. AND DESPERATELY NEEDS, SAY, WATER SUPPLY.

1380. OR IT MAY BE MONEY-DEMAND WANTS A GOLD TOILET SEAT.

1381. WELL, WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

1382. TO THE GOLD TOILET SEAT.

1383. AND YOU CALL THIS ECONOMICS?

1384. LIKE, IT'S REALLY, WHEN ONE THINKS OF IT,

1385. IT'S GOT TO BE THE MOST BIZARRE, UH, DELUSION

1386. IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN THOUGHT.

1387. - NOW, SO FAR, WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE MARKET SYSTEM,

1388. BUT THIS SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY ONLY ONE HALF

1389. OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC PARADIGM.

1390. THE OTHER HALF IS THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

1391. WHILE THE MARKET SYSTEM DEALS WITH THE INTERACTION OF PEOPLE,

1392. GAMING FOR PROFIT

1393. ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF LABOR, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION,

1394. THE MONETARY SYSTEM IS AN UNDERLYING SET OF POLICIES,

1395. SET BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,

1396. WHICH CREATE CONDITIONS FOR THE MARKET SYSTEM,

1397. AMONG OTHER THINGS.

1398. IT INCLUDES TERMS WE OFTEN HEAR, SUCH AS "INTEREST RATES,"

1399. "LOANS,"DEBT," "THE MONEY SUPPLY,"

1400. "INFLATION," ET CETERA.

1401. AND WHILE YOU MIGHT WANT TO PULL YOUR HAIR OUT,

1402. LISTENING TO THE GIBBERISH

1403. COMING FROM THE MONETARY ECONOMISTS...

1404. - MODEST PREEMPTIVE ACTIONS CAN OBVIATE THE NEED

1405. OF MORE DRASTIC ACTIONS AT A LATER DATE.

1406. - ... THE NATURE AND EFFECT OF THIS SYSTEM

1407. IS ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.

1408. - OUR ECONOMY HAS —

1409. OR, THE GLOBAL ECONOMY HAS THREE BASIC THINGS THAT GOVERN IT.

1410. ONE IS FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING —

1411. BANKS PRINTING MONEY OUT OF NOTHING.

1412. IT'S ALSO BASED UPON COMPOUND INTEREST —

1413. WHEN YOU BORROW MONEY,

1414. YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK MORE THAN YOU BORROWED,

1415. WHICH MEANS THAT YOU,

1416. IN EFFECT, CREATE MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR, AGAIN,

1417. WHICH HAS TO BE SERVICED BY CREATING STILL MORE MONEY.

1418. WE LIVE IN AN INFINITE-GROWTH PARADIGM.

1419. THE ECONOMIC PARADIGM WE LIVE IN NOW IS A PONZI SCHEME.

1420. NOTHING GROWS FOREVER.

1421. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

1422. AS A GREAT PSYCHOLOGIST, JAMES HILLMAN, WROTE,

1423. "THE ONLY THING THAT GROWS

1424. IN A HUMAN BODY AFTER A CERTAIN AGE IS CANCER."

1425. IT'S NOT JUST THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HAS TO KEEP GROWING,

1426. IT'S THE AMOUNT OF CONSUMERS —

1427. CONSUMERS TO BORROW MONEY AT INTEREST TO GENERATE MORE MONEY.

1428. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE ON A FINITE PLANET.

1429. PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY VEHICLES TO JUST CREATE MONEY,

1430. WHICH MUST CREATE MORE MONEY

1431. TO KEEP THE WHOLE THING FROM FALLING APART,

1432. WHICH IS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

1433. - THERE ARE REALLY ONLY TWO THINGS ANYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

1434. ABOUT THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

1435. ONE, ALL MONEY IS CREATED OUT OF DEBT.

1436. MONEY IS MONETIZED DEBT,

1437. WHETHER IT MATERIALIZED FROM TREASURY BONDS,

1438. HOME-LOAN CONTRACTS, OR CREDIT CARDS.

1439. IN OTHER WORDS,

1440. IF ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS TO BE REPAID RIGHT NOW,

1441. THERE WOULD NOT BE ONE DOLLAR IN CIRCULATION.

1442. AND, TWO, INTEREST IS CHARGED ON VIRTUALLY ALL LOANS MADE,

1443. AND THE MONEY NEEDED TO PAY BACK THIS INTEREST

1444. DOES NOT EXIST IN THE MONEY SUPPLY OUTRIGHT.

1445. ONLY THE PRINCIPAL IS CREATED BY THE LOANS,

1446. AND THE PRINCIPAL IS THE MONEY SUPPLY.

1447. SO IF ALL THIS DEBT WAS TO BE REPAID RIGHT NOW,

1448. NOT ONLY WOULD THERE NOT BE ONE DOLLAR LEFT IN CIRCULATION —

1449. THERE WOULD ALSO BE A GIGANTIC AMOUNT OF MONEY OWED

1450. THAT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY BACK,

1451. FOR IT DOES NOT EXIST.

1452. THE CONSEQUENCE OF ALL OF THIS

1453. IS THAT TWO THINGS ARE INEVITABLE —

1454. INFLATION AND BANKRUPTCY.

1455. AS FAR AS INFLATION,

1456. THIS CAN BE SEEN AS A HISTORICAL TREND

1457. IN VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTRY TODAY,

1458. AND EASILY TIED TO ITS CAUSE,

1459. WHICH IS THE PERPETUAL INCREASE OF THE MONEY SUPPLY,

1460. WHICH IS REQUIRED TO COVER THE INTEREST CHARGES

1461. AND KEEP THE SYSTEM GOING.

1462. AS FAR AS BANKRUPTCY,

1463. IT COMES IN THE FORM OF DEBT COLLAPSE.

1464. THIS COLLAPSE WILL INEVITABLY OCCUR WITH A PERSON, A BUSINESS,

1465. OR A COUNTRY,

1466. AND TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE INTEREST PAYMENTS

1467. ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO MAKE.

1468. BUT THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE TO ALL OF THIS —

1469. WELL, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE MARKET SYSTEM,

1470. BECAUSE DEBT CREATES PRESSURE.

1471. DEBT CREATES WAGE SLAVES.

1472. A PERSON IN DEBT IS MUCH MORE LIKELY

1473. TO TAKE A LOW WAGE THAN A PERSON WHO ISN'T,

1474. HENCE BECOMING A CHEAP COMMODITY,

1475. SO IT'S GREAT FOR THE CORPORATIONS

1476. TO HAVE A POOL OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO FINANCIAL MOBILITY.

1477. BUT, HEY, THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT

1478. ALSO GOES FOR ENTIRE COUNTRIES.

1479. THE WORLD BANK AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND,

1480. WHICH MOSTLY SERVE AS PROXIES

1481. FOR TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATE INTERESTS,

1482. GIVE GIGANTIC LOANS TO TROUBLED COUNTRIES

1483. AT VERY HIGH INTEREST RATES,

1484. AND THEN,

1485. ONCE THE COUNTRIES ARE DEEPLY IN THE HOLE AND CAN'T PAY,

1486. AUSTERITY MEASURES ARE APPLIED,

1487. THE CORPORATIONS SWOOP IN, SET UP SWEATSHOPS,

1488. AND TAKE THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES.

1489. NOW, THAT'S MARKET EFFICIENCY.

1490. BUT WAIT — THERE'S MORE.

1491. YOU SEE, THERE'S THIS UNIQUE HYBRID

1492. OF THE MONETARY AND MARKET SYSTEM

1493. CALLED "THE STOCK MARKET,"

1494. WHICH, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY PRODUCE ANYTHING REAL,

1495. THEY JUST BUY AND SELL MONEY ITSELF.

1496. AND WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO?

1497. THAT'S RIGHT. THEY TRADE IT.

1498. THEY ACTUALLY BUY AND SELL DEBT FOR PROFIT.

1499. FROM CREDIT-DEFAULT SWAPS

1500. AND COLLATERALIZED-DEBT OBLIGATIONS FOR CONSUMER DEBT

1501. TO COMPLEX DERIVATIVE SCHEMES

1502. USED TO MASK THE DEBT OF ENTIRE COUNTRIES,

1503. SUCH AS THE COLLUSION

1504. OF INVESTMENT BANK GOLDMAN SACHS AND GREECE,

1505. WHICH NEARLY COLLAPSED THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN ECONOMY.

1506. SO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE STOCK MARKET AND WALL STREET,

1507. WE HAVE AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL OF INSANITY

1508. BORN OUT OF THE MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE.

1509. - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARKETS

1510. WAS WRITTEN IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

1511. A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

1512. IT WAS CALLED "LESSONS OF THE BRAIN-DAMAGED INVESTOR."

1513. AND IN THIS EDITORIAL,

1514. THEY EXPLAINED WHY PEOPLE WITH SLIGHT BRAIN DAMAGE

1515. DO BETTER AS INVESTORS

1516. THAN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONALITY.

1517. WHY? BECAUSE THE SLIGHTLY BRAIN-DAMAGED PERSON

1518. HAS NO EMPATHY, AND THAT'S THE KEY.

1519. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EMPATHY, YOU DO WELL AS AN INVESTOR,

1520. AND SO WALL STREET BREEDS PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO EMPATHY

1521. TO GO IN THERE AND TO MAKE DECISIONS

1522. AND MAKE TRADES THAT THEY HAVE NO COMPUNCTION ABOUT

1523. AND NO THOUGHT WHATSOEVER AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING

1524. MIGHT AFFECT THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEING.

1525. SO, THEY BREED THESE ROBOTS,

1526. THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SOULS,

1527. AND SINCE THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO PAY THESE PEOPLE ANYMORE,

1528. THEY'RE NOW BREEDING ROBOTS — REAL ROBOTS —

1529. REAL ALGORITHMIC TRADERS.

1530. GOLDMAN SACHS, IN THE HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING SCANDAL,

1531. THEY PUT A COMPUTER NEXT TO THE EXCHANGE —

1532. THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

1533. THIS COMPUTER, THIS "CO-LOCATED COMPUTER,"

1534. AS THEY CALL IT,

1535. IT FRONT-RUNS ALL THE TRADES ON THE EXCHANGE

1536. AND HITS THE EXCHANGE WITH VOLUMES OF ORDERS

1537. IN WAYS THAT SCALP PENNIES AND NICKELS AWAY FROM THE EXCHANGE.

1538. IT JUST — IT'S LIKE THEY'RE SIPHONING MONEY ALL DAY LONG.

1539. THEY WENT ONE QUARTER LAST YEAR,

1540. 30 OR 60 STRAIGHT DAYS WITHOUT A SINGLE DOWN DAY

1541. AND MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

1542. IS THAT BECAUSE — WELL, THAT'S STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

1543. WHEN I WORKED ON WALL STREET,

1544. THE WAY IT WORKS IS EVERYONE KICKS UPSTAIRS TO BRIBES.

1545. THE BROKERS BRIBE TO THE OFFICE MANAGER.

1546. THE OFFICE MANAGER BRIBES TO THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

1547. THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER

1548. BRIBES TO THE NATIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

1549. IT'S A COMMON UNDERSTANDING.

1550. AT CHRISTMAS,

1551. WHO GETS THE BIGGEST BONUS AT CHRISTMAS

1552. IN AN AVERAGE BROKER JOB?

1553. IT'S THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER.

1554. THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER SITS THERE ALL DAY LONG.

1555. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING SURE

1556. YOU DON'T VIOLATE ANY OF THE MARGIN RULES

1557. AND YOU'RE "COMPLYING" WITH THE LAW.

1558. OF COURSE, YEAH,

1559. TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN BRIBE THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER,

1560. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. YOU ARE COMPLYING WITH THE LAW.

1561. SO, HOW HAS FRAUD BECOME THE SYSTEM?

1562. IT'S NO LONGER A BYPRODUCT.

1563. IT I THE SYSTEM.

1564. IT'S LIKE THAT OLD WOODY ALLEN JOKE.

1565. HE SAYS, "DOCTOR, MY BROTHER THINKS HE'S A CHICKEN."

1566. AND THE DOCTOR SAYS,

1567. "TAKE A PILL AND THAT SHOULD CURE THE PROBLEM."

1568. AND HE SAYS, "NO DOCTOR. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

1569. WE NEED THE EGGS." OKAY?

1570. SO, THE TRADING OF FRAUDULENT CLAIMS BACK AND FORTH

1571. BETWEEN BANKS TO GENERATE FEES, TO GENERATE BONUSES,

1572. HAS BECOME THE GDP-PRODUCING GROWTH ENGINE

1573. OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY,

1574. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY TRADING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS

1575. THAT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE OF EVER PAYING BACK.

1576. THEY'RE PROCESSING AND GENERATING

1577. AND RE-SECURITIZING NOTHING.

1578. IF I WRITE "$20 BILLION" ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

1579. AND I SELL IT TO JPMorgan

1580. WHILE JPMorgan WRITES $20 BILLION ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

1581. AND WE SWAP THOSE TWO COCKTAIL NAPKINS AT A BAR

1582. AND WE EACH PAY OURSELVES A QUARTER OF 1% IN A FEE,

1583. WE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR OUR CHRISTMAS BONUS.

1584. WE EACH HAVE ON OUR BOOKS A $20-BILLION COCKTAIL NAPKIN,

1585. WHICH HAS NO REAL VALUE UNTIL SUCH TIME

1586. AS THE SYSTEM IS NO LONGER ABLE TO ABSORB

1587. BOGUS COCKTAIL NAPKINS,

1588. IN WHICH CASE WE GO TO THE GOVERNMENT TO GET BAILED OUT.

1589. - AND BECAUSE OF WALL STREET AND THE GLOBAL STOCK MARKET,

1590. THERE ARE NOW CONSERVATIVELY ABOUT $700 TRILLION

1591. OF OUTSTANDING, FRAUDULENT CLAIMS,

1592. KNOWN AS DERIVATIVES, STILL WAITING TO COLLAPSE —

1593. A VALUE AMOUNTING TO OVER 10 TIMES THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

1594. OF THE ENTIRE PLANET.

1595. AND WHILE WE HAVE SEEN

1596. THE BAILOUTS OF CORPORATIONS AND BANKS BY GOVERNMENTS,

1597. WHICH, OF COURSE,

1598. COMEDICALLY BORROW THEIR MONEY FROM BANKS TO BEGIN WITH,

1599. WE ARE NOW SEEING ATTEMPTS TO BAIL OUT WHOLE COUNTRIES

1600. BY CONGLOMERATES OF OTHER COUNTRIES

1601. THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL BANKS.

1602. BUT HOW DO YOU BAIL OUT A PLANET?

1603. THERE IS NO COUNTRY OUT THERE

1604. THAT ISN'T NOW SATURATED IN DEBT.

1605. THE CASCADE OF SOVEREIGN DEBT DEFAULTS WE HAVE SEEN

1606. CAN ONLY BE THE BEGINNING,

1607. WHEN THE MATH IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

1608. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE

1609. THAT INCOME TAX WOULD NEED TO BE RAISED TO 65% PER PERSON

1610. JUST TO COVER THE INTEREST IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

1611. ECONOMISTS ARE NOW FORESHADOWING THAT WITHIN A FEW DECADES,

1612. 60% OF THE COUNTRIES ON THE PLANET WILL BE BANKRUPT.

1613. BUT... HOLD ON. LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.

1614. THE WORLD IS GOING BANKRUPT, WHATEVER THE HELL THAT MEANS,

1615. BECAUSE OF THIS IDEA CALLED "DEBT,"

1616. WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST IN THE PHYSICAL REALITY.

1617. IT'S ONLY PART OF A GAME THAT WE'VE INVENTED.

1618. AND, YET, THE WELL-BEING OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE

1619. IS NOW BEING COMPROMISED.

1620. EXTREME LAYOFFS, TENT CITIES, ACCELERATING POVERTY,

1621. AUSTERITY MEASURES IMPOSED, SCHOOLS SHUTTING DOWN,

1622. CHILD HUNGER,

1623. AND OTHER LEVELS OF FAMILIAL DEPRIVATION,

1624. ALL BECAUSE OF THIS ELABORATE FICTION.

1625. WHAT ARE WE, FUCKING STUPID?

1626. - HEY, HEY. MARS, MY MAN.

1627. HELP A BROTHER OUT, HUH?

1628. - GROW UP, KID.

1629. SATURN! WHAT'S UP, MAN?

1630. YOU REMEMBER THAT SMOKIN' NEBULA

1631. I HOOKED YOU UP WITH A WHILE BACK?

1632. - UH, LISTEN, EARTH.

1633. WE'RE GETTING REALLY TIRED OF YOU.

1634. YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN EVERYTHING, AND YET YOU WASTE IT ALL.

1635. - YEAH. - YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF RESOURCES,

1636. AND YOU KNOW IT.

1637. WHY DON'T YOU GROW UP AND LEARN SOME RESPONSIBILITY,

1638. FOR CHRIST'S SAKE?

1639. - YOU'RE MAKIN' YOUR MOTHER MISERABLE.

1640. YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, PAL.

1641. - YEAH, WHATEVER.

1642. - NOW, ALL OF THIS CONSIDERED,

1643. FROM THE WASTE MACHINE KNOWN AS THE MARKET SYSTEM

1644. TO THE DEBT MACHINE KNOWN AS THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

1645. HENCE CREATING THE MONETARY-MARKET PARADIGM,

1646. WHICH DEFINES THE GLOBAL ECONOMY TODAY,

1647. THERE IS ONE CONSEQUENCE

1648. THAT RUNS THROUGH THE ENTIRE MACHINE —

1649. INEQUALITY.

1650. WHETHER IT IS THE MARKET SYSTEM,

1651. WHICH CREATES A NATURAL GRAVITATION

1652. TOWARDS MONOPOLY AND POWER CONSOLIDATION

1653. WHILE ALSO GENERATING POCKETS OF WEALTHY INDUSTRIES

1654. THAT TOWER OVER OTHERS REGARDLESS OF UTILITY,

1655. SUCH AS THE FACT THAT TOP HEDGE-FUND MANAGERS

1656. ON WALL STREET NOW TAKE HOME OVER $300 MILLION A YEAR

1657. FOR CONTRIBUTING LITERALLY NOTHING,

1658. WHILE A SCIENTIST LOOKING FOR A CURE FOR A DISEASE,

1659. TRYING TO HELP HUMANITY,

1660. MIGHT MAKE $60,000 A YEAR, IF THEY'RE LUCKY,

1661. OR WHETHER IT IS THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

1662. WHICH HAS CLASS DIVISION BUILT RIGHT INTO ITS STRUCTURE.

1663. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE $1 MILLION TO SPARE

1664. AND I PUT IT INTO A C.D. AT 4% INTEREST,

1665. I WILL MAKE $40,000 A YEAR —

1666. NO SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION, NO NOTHING.

1667. HOWEVER, IF I'M A LOWER-CLASS PERSON

1668. AND HAVE TO TAKE LOANS TO BUY MY CAR OR HOME,

1669. I AM PAYING IN INTEREST, WHICH, IN ABSTRACTION,

1670. IS GOING TO PAY THAT MILLIONAIRE WITH THE 4% C.D.

1671. THIS STEALING FROM THE POOR TO PAY THE RICH

1672. IS A FOUNDATIONAL, BUILT-IN ASPECT OF THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

1673. AND IT COULD BE LABELED "STRUCTURAL CLASSISM".

1674. OF COURSE, HISTORICALLY,

1675. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEEMED UNFAIR,

1676. BUT OBVIOUSLY ACCEPTED OVERALL,

1677. AS, NOW, 1% OF THE POPULATION OWNS 40% OF THE PLANET'S WEALTH.

1678. BUT, MATERIAL FAIRNESS ASIDE,

1679. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON

1680. UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE OF INEQUALITY,

1681. CAUSING AN INCREDIBLE DETERIORATION

1682. IN PUBLIC HEALTH AS A WHOLE.

1683. - WELL, I THINK PEOPLE ARE OFTEN PUZZLED BY THE CONTRAST BETWEEN

1684. THE MATERIAL SUCCESS OF OUR SOCIETY'S

1685. UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF WEALTH AND THE MANY SOCIAL FAILINGS.

1686. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RATES OF DRUG ABUSE

1687. OR VIOLENCE OR SELF-HARM AMONGST KIDS, OR MENTAL ILLNESS,

1688. THERE'S CLEARLY SOMETHING GOING DEEPLY WRONG WITH OUR SOCIETIES.

1689. WHAT THE DATA THAT I'VE BEEN DESCRIBING DOES

1690. IS SIMPLY SHOWS THAT INTUITION

1691. THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,

1692. THAT INEQUALITY IS DIVISIVE AND SOCIALLY CORROSIVE.

1693. BUT THAT INTUITION IS TRUER THAN I THINK WE EVER IMAGINED.

1694. THERE ARE VERY POWERFUL

1695. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS OF INEQUALITY —

1696. MORE TO DO, I SUPPOSE,

1697. WITH FEELINGS OF SUPERIORITY AND INFERIORITY,

1698. THAT KIND OF DIVISION,

1699. AND MAYBE GOING WITH THE, SORT OF, RESPECT, DISRESPECT,

1700. PEOPLE FEELING LOOKED-DOWN-ON AT THE BOTTOM,

1701. WHICH, BY THE WAY,

1702. IS WHY VIOLENCE IS MORE COMMON IN MORE UNEQUAL SOCIETIES.

1703. IT'S — THE TRIGGER TO VIOLENCE

1704. IS SO OFTEN PEOPLE FEELING LOOKED-DOWN-ON AND DISRESPECTED.

1705. - IF THERE IS ONE PRINCIPLE I COULD EMPHASIZE

1706. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE UNDERLYING

1707. THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE, IT WOULD BE EQUALITY.

1708. THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR

1709. THAT AFFECTS THE RATE OF VIOLENCE

1710. IS THE DEGREE OF EQUALITY

1711. VERSUS THE DEGREE OF INEQUALITY IN THAT SOCIETY.

1712. - SO, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

1713. IS A SORT OF GENERAL SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION.

1714. IT'S NOT JUST ONE OR TWO THINGS

1715. THAT GO WRONG AS INEQUALITY INCREASES.

1716. IT SEEMS TO BE EVERYTHING,

1717. WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRIME OR HEALTH

1718. OR MENTAL ILLNESS OR WHATEVER.

1719. - ONE OF THE REALLY DISTURBING FINDINGS OUT

1720. IN PUBLIC HEALTH THERE IS —

1721. NEVER EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BEING POOR

1722. OR BEING BORN POOR.

1723. YOUR HEALTH PAYS FOR IT IN ENDLESS SORTS OF WAYS —

1724. SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE "HEALTH SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENT."

1725. AS YOU MOVE DOWN FROM THE HIGHEST STRATA IN SOCIETY,

1726. IN TERMS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

1727. EVERY STEP DOWN,

1728. HEALTH GETS WORSE FOR UMPTEEN DIFFERENT DISEASES.

1729. LIFE EXPECTANCY GETS WORSE. INFANT MORTALITY RATE.

1730. EVERYTHING YOU COULD LOOK AT.

1731. SO, A HUGE ISSUE HAS BEEN

1732. WHY IS IT THAT THIS GRADIENT EXISTS?

1733. TOTALLY SIMPLE, OBVIOUS ANSWER,

1734. WHICH IS IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY SICK,

1735. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE VERY PRODUCTIVE,

1736. SO HEALTH CAUSES DRIVE SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES.

1737. NOT THAT IN THE SLIGHTEST, ON THE VERY SIMPLE LEVEL

1738. THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

1739. OF A 10-YEAR-OLD

1740. AND THAT'S GONNA TO PREDICT SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR HEALTH

1741. DECADES LATER.

1742. SO, THAT'S THE DIRECTION OF CAUSALITY.

1743. NEXT ONE.

1744. WHAT'S IT ABOUT — "OH, IT'S PERFECTLY OBVIOUS —

1745. POOR PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR."

1746. IT'S HEALTHCARE ACCESS.

1747. IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT,

1748. 'CAUSE YOU SEE THESE SAME GRADIENTS

1749. IN COUNTRIES WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE,

1750. SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

1751. OKAY, NEXT SIMPLE EXPLANATION —

1752. "OH, ON THE AVERAGE,

1753. THE POORER YOU ARE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO SMOKE,

1754. TO DRINK, TO — ALL SORTS OF LIFESTYLE-RISK-FACTOR STUFF."

1755. YEAH, THOSE CONTRIBUTE,

1756. BUT CAREFUL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN

1757. THAT EXPLAINS MAYBE ABOUT 1/3 OF THE VARIABILITY.

1758. SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

1759. AND WHAT'S LEFT IS HAVING A TON TO DO

1760. WITH THE STRESS OF POVERTY.

1761. SO, THE POORER YOU ARE, STARTING OFF BEING, YOU KNOW,

1762. THE PERSON WHO'S ONE DOLLAR INCOME BEHIND BILL GATES,

1763. THE POORER YOU ARE IN THIS COUNTRY, ON THE AVERAGE,

1764. THE WORSE YOUR HEALTH IS.

1765. THIS TELLS US SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT —

1766. THE HEALTH CONNECTION WITH POVERTY —

1767. IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING POOR. IT'S ABOUT FEELING POOR.

1768. - INCREASINGLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM...

1769. CHRONIC STRESS IS AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON HEALTH,

1770. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES OF STRESS

1771. ARE THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

1772. - AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING

1773. THAT LOWERS THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS,

1774. IT IS THE SOCIOECONOMIC STRATIFICATION OF SOCIETY.

1775. WHAT SCIENCE HAS NOW SHOWN

1776. IS THAT REGARDLESS OF MATERIAL WEALTH,

1777. THE STRESS OF SIMPLY LIVING IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY

1778. LEADS TO A VAST SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC-HEALTH PROBLEMS.

1779. AND THE GREATER THE INEQUALITY, THE WORSE THEY BECOME.

1780. LIFE EXPECTANCY — LONGER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1781. DRUG ABUSE — LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1782. MENTAL ILLNESS — LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1783. SOCIAL CAPITAL,

1784. MEANING THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO TRUST EACH OTHER —

1785. NATURALLY, GREATER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1786. EDUCATIONAL SCORES — HIGHER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1787. HOMICIDE RATES — LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1788. CRIME AND RATES OF IMPRISONMENT — LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1789. IT GOES ON AND ON.

1790. INFANT MORTALITY, OBESITY, TEEN-BIRTH RATE —

1791. LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

1792. AND, PERHAPS MOST INTERESTING,

1793. INNOVATION — GREATER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES,

1794. WHICH CHALLENGES THE AGE-OLD NOTION

1795. THAT A COMPETITIVE, STRATIFIED SOCIETY

1796. IS SOMEHOW MORE CREATIVE AND INVENTIVE.

1797. MOREOVER, A STUDY DONE IN THE U.K.,

1798. CALLED "THE WHITEHALL STUDY,"

1799. CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A SOCIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASE

1800. AS YOU GO FROM THE TOP OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC LADDER

1801. TO THE BOTTOM.

1802. FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT

1803. THE LOWEST RUNGS OF THE HIERARCHY

1804. HAD A FOUR-FOLD INCREASE

1805. OF HEART-DISEASE-BASED MORTALITY COMPARED TO THE HIGHEST RUNGS.

1806. AND THIS PATTERN EXISTS,

1807. IRRESPECTIVE OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

1808. HENCE, THE WORSE A PERSON'S RELATIVE FINANCIAL STATUS,

1809. THE WORSE THEIR HEALTH IS GOING TO BE, ON AVERAGE.

1810. THIS PHENOMENON IS ROOTED IN WHAT COULD BE TERMED

1811. "PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS,"

1812. AND IT IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE GREATEST SOCIAL DISTORTIONS

1813. PLAGUING OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

1814. ITS CAUSE?

1815. THE MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM.

1816. MAKE NO MISTAKE —

1817. THE GREATEST DESTROYER OF ECOLOGY,

1818. THE GREATEST SOURCE OF WASTE AND DEPLETION AND POLLUTION,

1819. THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF VIOLENCE, WAR, CRIME, POVERTY,

1820. ANIMAL ABUSE, AND INHUMANITY,

1821. THE GREATEST GENERATOR OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL NEUROSIS,

1822. MENTAL DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY,

1823. NOT TO MENTION THE GREATEST SOURCE OF SOCIAL PARALYSIS

1824. STOPPING US FROM MOVING INTO NEW METHODOLOGIES

1825. FOR PERSONAL HEALTH, GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY,

1826. AND PROGRESS ON THIS PLANET,

1827. IS NOT SOME CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OR LEGISLATION,

1828. NOT SOME ROGUE CORPORATION OR BANKING CARTEL,

1829. NOT SOME FLAW OF HUMAN NATURE,

1830. AND NOT SOME SECRET HIDDEN CABAL THAT CONTROLS THE WORLD.

1831. IT IS, IN FACT, THE SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM ITSELF,

1832. AT ITS VERY FOUNDATION.

1833. LET'S IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT WE HAD THE OPTION

1834. TO REDESIGN HUMAN CIVILIZATION FROM THE GROUND UP.

1835. WHAT IF, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING,

1836. WE DISCOVERED AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE PLANET EARTH,

1837. AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE

1838. BETWEEN THIS NEW PLANET AND OUR CURRENT ONE

1839. IS THAT HUMAN EVOLUTION HAD NOT OCCURRED —

1840. IT WAS AN OPEN PALETTE —

1841. NO COUNTRIES, NO CITIES, NO POLLUTION, NO REPUBLICANS,

1842. JUST A PRISTINE, OPEN ENVIRONMENT.

1843. SO, WHAT WOULD WE DO?

1844. WELL, FIRST WE NEED A GOAL, RIGHT?

1845. AND IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT GOAL WOULD BE TO SURVIVE.

1846. AND NOT TO JUST SURVIVE,

1847. BUT TO DO SO IN AN OPTIMIZED, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS WAY.

1848. MOST PEOPLE, INDEED, DESIRE TO LIVE,

1849. AND THEY WOULD PREFER TO DO SO WITHOUT SUFFERING.

1850. THEREFORE, THE BASIS OF THIS CIVILIZATION

1851. NEEDS TO BE AS SUPPORTIVE AND, HENCE,

1852. SUSTAINABLE FOR HUMAN LIFE AS POSSIBLE,

1853. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MATERIAL NEEDS OF ALL THE WORLD'S PEOPLE,

1854. WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE ANYTHING

1855. THAT COULD HURT US IN THE LONG RUN.

1856. THAT GOAL OF, SAY, "MAXIMUM SUSTAINABILITY" UNDERSTOOD,

1857. THE NEXT QUESTION REGARDS OUR METHOD.

1858. WHAT KIND OF APPROACH DO WE TAKE?

1859. WELL, LET'S SEE.

1860. LAST I CHECKED,

1861. POLITICS WAS THE METHOD OF SOCIAL OPERATION ON EARTH,

1862. SO WHAT DO THE DOCTRINES OF THE REPUBLICANS, LIBERALS,

1863. CONSERVATIVES, OR SOCIALISTS

1864. HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SOCIETAL DESIGN?

1865. HMMM...

1866. NOT A DAMN THING.

1867. OKAY, THEN, WHAT ABOUT RELIGION?

1868. SURELY THE GREAT CREATOR

1869. HAD TO HAVE LEFT SOME BLUEPRINTS SOMEWHERE.

1870. NOPE, NOTHING I CAN FIND.

1871. OKAY, THEN. SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

1872. IT APPEARS SOMETHING CALLED "SCIENCE."

1873. SCIENCE IS UNIQUE IN THAT ITS METHODS DEMAND

1874. NOT ONLY THAT THE IDEAS PROPOSED BE TESTED AND REPLICATED,

1875. BUT BUT EVERYTHING SCIENCE

1876. COMES UP WITH IS ALSO INHERENTLY FALSIFIABLE.

1877. IN OTHER WORDS, UNLIKE RELIGION AND POLITICS,

1878. SCIENCE HAS NO EGO, AND EVERYTHING IT SUGGESTS

1879. ACCEPTS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING PROVEN WRONG EVENTUALLY.

1880. IT HOLDS ON TO NOTHING AND EVOLVES CONSTANTLY.

1881. WELL, THAT SOUNDS NATURAL ENOUGH TO ME.

1882. SO, THEN, BASED ON THE CURRENT STATE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

1883. IN THE EARLY 21st CENTURY,

1884. ALONG WITH OUR GOAL OF MAXIMUM SUSTAINABILITY

1885. FOR THE HUMAN POPULATION,

1886. HOW DO WE BEGIN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION?

1887. WELL, THE FIRST QUESTION TO ASK —

1888. WHAT DO WE NEED TO SURVIVE?

1889. THE ANSWER, OF COURSE, ARE PLANETARY RESOURCES.

1890. WHETHER IT IS THE WATER WE DRINK,

1891. THE ENERGY WE USE,

1892. THE RAW MATERIALS WE UTILIZE TO CREATE TOOLS AND SHELTER,

1893. THE PLANET HOSTS AN INVENTORY OF RESOURCES,

1894. MANY OF WHICH ARE DEMANDED FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

1895. SO, GIVEN THAT REALITY,

1896. IT THEN BECOMES CRITICAL TO FIGURE OUT

1897. WHAT WE HAVE AND WHERE IT IS.

1898. THIS MEANS WE NEED TO CONDUCT A SURVEY.

1899. WE SIMPLY LOCATE AND IDENTIFY

1900. EVERY PHYSICAL RESOURCE ON THE PLANET WE CAN,

1901. ALONG WITH THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE AT EACH LOCATION,

1902. FROM THE DEPOSITS OF COPPER,

1903. TO THE MOST POTENT LOCATIONS FOR WIND FARMS TO PRODUCE ENERGY,

1904. TO THE NATURAL FRESHWATER SPRINGS,

1905. TO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF FISH IN THE OCEAN,

1906. TO THE MOST PRIME ARABLE LAND FOR FOOD CULTIVATION, ET CETERA.

1907. BUT, SINCE WE HUMANS

1908. ARE GOING TO BE CONSUMING THESE RESOURCES OVER TIME,

1909. WE THEN REALIZE THAT NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO LOCATE AND IDENTIFY,

1910. WE ALSO NEED TO TRACK.

1911. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T RUN OUT OF ANY OF THIS STUFF.

1912. THAT WOULD BE BAD.

1913. AND THIS MEANS NOT ONLY TRACKING OUR RATES OF USE,

1914. BUT THE RATES OF EARTHLY REGENERATION, AS WELL,

1915. SUCH AS HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR, SAY, A TREE TO GROW

1916. OR A SPRING TO REPLENISH.

1917. THIS IS CALLED "DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM."

1918. IN OTHER WORDS,

1919. IF WE USE UP TREES FASTER THAN THEY CAN BE GROWN BACK,

1920. WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, FOR IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

1921. SO, THEN, HOW DO WE TRACK THIS INVENTORY,

1922. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE RECOGNIZE

1923. THAT ALL OF THIS STUFF IS SCATTERED EVERYWHERE?

1924. WE HAVE LARGE MINERAL MINES IN WHAT WE CALL AFRICA,

1925. ENERGY CONCENTRATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

1926. HUGE TIDAL-POWER POSSIBILITIES

1927. ON THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA,

1928. THE LARGEST SUPPLY OF FRESHWATER IN BRAZIL, ET CETERA.

1929. WELL, ONCE AGAIN, GOOD OLD SCIENCE HAS A SUGGESTION.

1930. IT'S CALLED "SYSTEMS THEORY."

1931. SYSTEMS THEORY RECOGNIZES THAT THE FABRIC OF THE NATURAL WORLD,

1932. FROM HUMAN BIOLOGY TO THE EARTHLY BIOSPHERE

1933. TO THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ITSELF,

1934. IS ONE HUGE, SYNERGISTICALLY CONNECTED SYSTEM,

1935. FULLY INTERLINKED,

1936. JUST AS HUMAN CELLS CONNECT TO FORM OUR ORGANS,

1937. AND THE ORGANS CONNECT TO FORM OUR BODIES,

1938. AND SINCE OUR BODIES CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THE EARTHLY RESOURCES

1939. OF FOOD, AIR, AND WATER,

1940. WE ARE INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO THE EARTH, AND SO ON.

1941. SO, AS NATURE SUGGESTS,

1942. WE TAKE ALL OF THIS INVENTORY AND TRACKING DATA

1943. AND CREATE A SYSTEM TO MANAGE IT —

1944. A GLOBAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IN FACT,

1945. TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY RELEVANT RESOURCE ON THE PLANET.

1946. THERE IS SIMPLY NO LOGICAL ALTERNATIVE

1947. IF OUR GOAL AS A SPECIES IS SURVIVAL IN THE LONG RUN.

1948. WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK, AS A WHOLE.

1949. THAT UNDERSTOOD, WE CAN NOW CONSIDER PRODUCTION.

1950. HOW DO WE USE ALL THIS STUFF?

1951. WHAT WILL OUR PROCESS OF PRODUCTION BE,

1952. AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER TO MAKE SURE

1953. IT IS AS OPTIMIZED AS POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE OUR SUSTAINABILITY?

1954. WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPS RIGHT OUT AT US

1955. IS THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY TRY AND PRESERVE.

1956. THE PLANET'S RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIALLY FINITE,

1957. SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE BE STRATEGIC.

1958. STRATEGIC PRESERVATION IS KEY.

1959. THE SECOND THING WE RECOGNIZE

1960. IS THAT SOME RESOURCES ARE REALLY NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS

1961. IN THEIR PERFORMANCE.

1962. IN FACT, SOME OF THIS STUFF, WHEN PUT INTO USE,

1963. HAS A TERRIBLE EFFECT OF THE ENVIRONMENT,

1964. WHICH INVARIABLY HINDERS OUR OWN HEALTH.

1965. FOR EXAMPLE, OIL AND FOSSIL FUELS, NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT IT,

1966. RELEASE SOME PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE AGENTS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

1967. THEREFORE, IT IS CRITICAL

1968. WE DO OUR BEST TO USE SUCH THINGS

1969. ONLY WHEN WE REALLY HAVE TO, IF AT ALL.

1970. FORTUNATELY FOR US,

1971. WE SEE A TON OF SOLAR, WIND, TIDAL, WAVE, HEAT-DIFFERENTIAL,

1972. AND GEOTHERMAL POSSIBILITIES FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION,

1973. SO WE CAN STRATEGIZE OBJECTIVELY ABOUT WHAT WE USE AND WHERE,

1974. TO AVOID WHAT COULD BE CALLED "NEGATIVE RETROACTIONS,"

1975. OR ANYTHING THAT RESULTS FROM PRODUCTION OR USE

1976. THAT DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT AND, HENCE, OURSELVES.

1977. WE WILL CALL THIS "STRATEGIC SAFETY"

1978. TO COUPLE IN WITH OUR STRATEGIC PRESERVATION.

1979. BUT PRODUCTION STRATEGIES DO NOT STOP THERE.

1980. WE ARE GOING TO NEED AN EFFICIENCY STRATEGY

1981. FOR THE ACTUAL MECHANICS OF PRODUCTION ITSELF.

1982. AND WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THERE ARE ROUGHLY THREE

1983. SPECIFIC PROTOCOLS WE MUST ADHERE TO.

1984. ONE, EVERY GOOD WE PRODUCE MUST BE DESIGNED TO LAST

1985. AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

1986. NATURALLY, THE MORE THINGS BREAK DOWN,

1987. THE MORE RESOURCES WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO REPLACE THEM

1988. AND THE MORE WASTE PRODUCED.

1989. TWO, WHEN THINGS DO BREAK DOWN OR ARE NO LONGER USABLE,

1990. FOR WHATEVER REASON,

1991. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE HARVEST,

1992. OR RECYCLE AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

1993. SO, THE PRODUCTION DESIGN MUST TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT DIRECTLY

1994. AT THE VERY EARLIEST STAGES.

1995. THREE, QUICKLY EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES,

1996. SUCH AS ELECTRONICS, WHICH ARE SUBJECT

1997. TO THE FASTEST RATES OF TECHNOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE,

1998. WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNED

1999. TO FORESHADOW AND ACCOMMODATE PHYSICAL UPDATES.

2000. THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO

2001. IS THROW AWAY AN ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM

2002. JUST BECAUSE IT HAS ONLY ONE BROKEN PART OR IS OUTDATED.

2003. SO, WE SIMPLY DESIGN THE COMPONENTS TO BE EASILY UPDATED,

2004. PART BY PART, STANDARDIZED, AND UNIVERSALLY INTERCHANGEABLE,

2005. FORESHADOWED BY THE CURRENT TREND OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.

2006. AND WHEN WE REALIZE

2007. THAT THE MECHANISMS OF STRATEGIC PRESERVATION, STRATEGIC SAFETY,

2008. AND STRATEGIC EFFICIENCY ARE PURELY TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS,

2009. DEVOID OF ANY HUMAN OPINION OR BIAS,

2010. WE SIMPLY PROGRAM THESE STRATEGIES INTO A COMPUTER

2011. WHICH CAN WEIGH AND CALCULATE ALL THE RELEVANT VARIABLES,

2012. ALLOWING US TO ALWAYS ARRIVE AT THE ABSOLUTE BEST METHOD

2013. FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION BASED ON CURRENT UNDERSTANDINGS.

2014. AND WHILE THAT MIGHT SOUND COMPLEX,

2015. ALL IT IS IS A GLORIFIED CALCULATOR —

2016. NOT TO MENTION SUCH MULTI-VARIED

2017. DECISION-MAKING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY USED

2018. ACROSS THE WORLD TODAY FOR ISOLATED PURPOSES.

2019. IT IS SIMPLY A PROCESS OF SCALING IT OUT.

2020. SO, NOW, WE NOT ONLY HAVE OUR RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

2021. BUT ALSO A PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

2022. BOTH OF WHICH ARE EASILY COMPUTER-AUTOMATED TO MAXIMIZE

2023. EFFICIENCY, PRESERVATION, AND SAFETY.

2024. THE INFORMATIONAL REALITY IS THAT THE HUMAN MIND,

2025. OR EVEN A GROUP OF HUMANS,

2026. CANNOT TRACK WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRACKED.

2027. IT MUST BE DONE BY COMPUTERS,

2028. AND IT CAN BE.

2029. AND THIS BRINGS US TO THE NEXT LEVEL — DISTRIBUTION.

2030. WHAT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES MAKE SENSE HERE?

2031. WELL, SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN

2032. TWO POINTS IS A STRAIGHT LINE,

2033. AND SINCE ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO POWER TRANSPORT MACHINES,

2034. THE LESS TRANSPORT DISTANCE, THE MORE EFFICIENT.

2035. PRODUCING GOODS IN ONE CONTINENT

2036. AND SHIPPING THEM OVER TO ANOTHER

2037. ONLY MAKES SENSE IF THE GOODS IN QUESTION

2038. SIMPLY CANNOT BE PRODUCED IN THE TARGET AREA.

2039. OTHERWISE, IT IS NOTHING BUT WASTEFUL.

2040. WE MUST LOCALIZE PRODUCTION, SO DISTRIBUTION IS SIMPLE, FAST,

2041. AND REQUIRES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

2042. WE'LL CALL THIS THE "PROXIMITY STRATEGY,"

2043. WHICH SIMPLY MEANS WE REDUCE THE TRAVEL OF GOODS

2044. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,

2045. WHETHER RAW MATERIALS OR FINISHED CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

2046. OF COURSE, IT MIGHT ALSO BE IMPORTANT

2047. TO KNOW WHAT GOODS WE ARE WE TRANSPORTING AND WHY,

2048. AND THIS FALLS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF DEMAND,

2049. AND DEMAND IS SIMPLY WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEALTHY

2050. AND TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE.

2051. THE SPECTRUM OF MATERIAL HUMAN NEEDS

2052. RANGE FROM CORE LIFE-SUPPORTING NECESSITIES

2053. SUCH AS FOOD, CLEAN WATER, SHELTER,

2054. TO SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL GOODS

2055. WHICH ALLOW FOR RELAXATION AND PERSONAL, SOCIAL ENJOYMENT —

2056. BOTH IMPORTANT FACTORS IN HUMAN AND SOCIAL HEALTH OVERALL.

2057. SO, VERY SIMPLY, WE TAKE ANOTHER SURVEY.

2058. PEOPLE DESCRIBE THEIR NEEDS, DEMAND IS ASSESSED,

2059. AND PRODUCTION BEGINS BASED ON THAT DEMAND.

2060. AND SINCE THE LEVEL OF DEMAND OF DIFFERENT GOODS

2061. WILL NATURALLY FLUCTUATE AND CHANGE AROUND DIFFERENT REGIONS,

2062. WE NEED TO CREATE

2063. A "DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION TRACKING SYSTEM,"

2064. SO TO AVOID OVERRUNS AND SHORTAGES.

2065. OF COURSE, THIS IDEA IS OLD NEWS.

2066. IT IS USED IN EVERY MAJOR STORE CHAIN TODAY

2067. TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP UP WITH THEIR INVENTORY.

2068. ONLY THIS TIME, WE ARE TRACKING ON A GLOBAL SCALE.

2069. BUT, WAIT A MINUTE.

2070. WE REALLY CAN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND DEMAND

2071. IF WE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR THE ACTUAL USAGE OF THE GOOD ITSELF.

2072. IS IT LOGICAL AND SUSTAINABLE FOR EVERY SINGLE HUMAN TO, SAY,

2073. HAVE ONE OF EVERYTHING MADE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR USAGE?

2074. NO. THAT WOULD BE SIMPLY WASTEFUL AND INEFFICIENT.

2075. IF A PERSON HAS A NEED FOR A GOOD,

2076. BUT THAT NEED IS ONLY FOR, SAY, 45 MINUTES A DAY, ON AVERAGE,

2077. IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IF THAT GOOD WAS MADE AVAILABLE

2078. TO THEM AND TO OTHERS WHEN NEEDED.

2079. MANY FORGET THAT IT ISN'T THE GOOD THAT THEY WANT —

2080. IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT GOOD.

2081. WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THE GOOD ITSELF

2082. IS ONLY AS IMPORTANT AS ITS UTILITY,

2083. WE SEE THAT "EXTERNAL RESTRICTION,"

2084. OR WHAT WE MIGHT CALL, TODAY, "OWNERSHIP,"

2085. IS EXTREMELY WASTEFUL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ILLOGICAL

2086. IN A FUNDAMENTAL, ECONOMIC SENSE.

2087. SO WE NEED DEVISE A STRATEGY CALLED "STRATEGIC ACCESS."

2088. THIS WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION

2089. OF OUR DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION TRACKING SYSTEM,

2090. WHICH MAKES SURE WE CAN MEET THE DEMAND

2091. OF THE POPULATION'S NEEDS FOR ACCESS

2092. OF WHATEVER THEY NEED, WHEN THEY NEED IT.

2093. AND AS FAR AS PHYSICALLY OBTAINING THE GOODS,

2094. CENTRALIZED AND REGIONAL ACCESS CENTERS ALL MAKE SENSE FOR,

2095. THE MOST PART —

2096. PLACED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE POPULATION,

2097. AND A PERSON WOULD SIMPLY COME IN,

2098. TAKE THE ITEM, USE IT, AND, WHEN FINISHED,

2099. RETURN IT WHEN IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED —

2100. SORT OF HOW A LIBRARY WORKS TODAY.

2101. IN FACT, THESE CENTERS COULD NOT ONLY EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY

2102. IN THE WAY WE SEE LOCAL STORES TODAY,

2103. BUT SPECIALIZED ACCESS CENTERS WOULD EXIST IN SPECIFIC AREAS

2104. WHERE OFTEN CERTAIN GOODS ARE UTILIZED,

2105. SAVING MORE ENERGY WITH LESS REPEAT TRANSPORT.

2106. AND ONCE THIS DEMAND-TRACKING SYSTEM IS IN ORDER,

2107. IT IS TIED INTO OUR PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

2108. AND, OF COURSE, INTO OUR RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

2109. HENCE CREATING A UNIFIED, DYNAMICALLY UPDATING GLOBAL

2110. ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT MACHINE

2111. THAT SIMPLY MAKES SURE WE REMAIN SUSTAINABLE,

2112. STARTING WITH SECURING THE INTEGRITY

2113. OF OUR FINITE RESOURCES,

2114. MOVING TO MAKE SURE WE ONLY CREATE

2115. THE BEST, MOST STRATEGIC GOODS POSSIBLE

2116. WHILE DISTRIBUTING EVERYTHING

2117. IN THE MOST INTELLIGENT AND EFFICIENT WAY.

2118. AND THE UNIQUE RESULT OF THIS PRESERVATION-BASED APPROACH,

2119. WHICH IS INTUITIVELY COUNTER TO MANY,

2120. IS THAT THIS LOGICAL, GROUND-UP,

2121. EMPIRICAL PROCESS OF PRESERVATION AND EFFICIENCY,

2122. WHICH CAN ONLY DEFINE TRUE HUMAN SUSTAINABILITY ON THE PLANET,

2123. WOULD LIKELY ENABLE SOMETHING

2124. NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN HUMAN HISTORY —

2125. ACCESS ABUNDANCE —

2126. NOT JUST FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION,

2127. BUT THE ENTIRE CIVILIZATION.

2128. THIS ECONOMIC MODEL, AS WAS JUST GENERALIZED —

2129. THIS RESPONSIBLE, SYSTEMS APPROACH

2130. TO TOTAL EARTH-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSES,

2131. DESIGNED AGAIN TO DO NOTHING LESS

2132. THAN TAKE CARE OF HUMANITY AS WHOLE

2133. IN THE MOST EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE WAY,

2134. COULD BE TERMED A "RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY."

2135. THE IDEA WAS DEFINED IN THE 1970s

2136. BY STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JACQUE FRESCO.

2137. HE UNDERSTOOD BACK THEN

2138. THAT SOCIETY WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH NATURE AND ITSELF,

2139. UNSUSTAINABLE ON EVERY LEVEL,

2140. AND IF THINGS DIDN'T CHANGE, WE WOULD DESTROY OURSELVES,

2141. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

2142. - ARE ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING, JACQUE,

2143. COULD THEY BE BUILT WITH WHAT WE KNOW TODAY,

2144. OR ARE SOME OF THESE THINGS, ARE YOU GUESSING,

2145. BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY?

2146. - NO, ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN BE BUILT WITH WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.

2147. IT WOULD TAKE 10 YEARS TO CHANGE THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH —

2148. TO REBUILD THE WORLD INTO A SECOND GARDEN OF EDEN.

2149. THE CHOICE LIES WITH YOU.

2150. THE STUPIDITY OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE,

2151. THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS,

2152. TRYING TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS POLITICALLY

2153. BY ELECTING THIS POLITICAL PARTY OR THAT POLITICAL PARTY,

2154. THAT ALL POLITICS IS IMMERSED IN CORRUPTION.

2155. LET ME SAY IT AGAIN — COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, FASCISM,

2156. THE DEMOCRATS, THE LIBERALS, WE WANT TO ABSORB HUMAN BEINGS.

2157. ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT BELIEVE IN A BETTER LIFE FOR MAN —

2158. THERE ARE NO NEGRO PROBLEMS OR POLISH PROBLEMS

2159. OR JEWISH PROBLEMS OR GREEK PROBLEMS

2160. OR WOMEN'S PROBLEMS.

2161. THERE ARE HUMAN PROBLEMS.

2162. I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYBODY.

2163. I DON'T WORK FOR ANYONE.

2164. NO ONE CAN DISCHARGE ME.

2165. I HAVE NO BOSS.

2166. I AM AFRAID TO LIVE IN THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN TODAY.

2167. OUR SOCIETY CANNOT BE MAINTAINED BY THIS TYPE OF INCOMPETENCY.

2168. IT WAS GREAT — THE FREE-ENTERPRISE SYSTEM —

2169. ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO.

2170. THAT WAS THE LAST OF ITS USEFULNESS.

2171. NOW WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE OUR WAY OF THINKING OR PERISH.

2172. - THE HORROR MOVIES OF THE FUTURE WILL BE OUR SOCIETY —

2173. THE WAY IT DIDN'T WORK —

2174. AND POLITICS WOULD BE PART OF A HORROR MOVIE.

2175. WELL, LOTS OF PEOPLE TODAY USE THE TERM "COLD SCIENCE,"

2176. BECAUSE THEY'RE ANALYTICAL,

2177. AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT "ANALYTICAL" MEANS.

2178. SCIENCE MEANS CLOSER APPROXIMATIONS

2179. AT THE WAY THE WORLD REALLY WORKS.

2180. SO, IT'S TELLING THE TRUTH, IS WHAT IT IS.

2181. A SCIENTIST DOESN'T TRY TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE.

2182. THEY TELL THEM WHAT THEIR FINDINGS ARE.

2183. THEY HAVE TO QUESTION ALL THINGS,

2184. AND IF SOME SCIENTIST COMES UP WITH AN EXPERIMENT

2185. THAT SHOWS CERTAIN MATERIALS HAVE CERTAIN STRENGTHS,

2186. OTHER SCIENTISTS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THAT EXPERIMENT

2187. AND COME UP WITH THE SAME RESULTS.

2188. EVEN IF A SCIENTIST FEELS THAT AN AIRPLANE WING,

2189. DUE TO MATHEMATICS OR CALCULATIONS,

2190. CAN HOLD UP A GIVEN AMOUNT OF WEIGHT,

2191. THEY STILL PILE SANDBAGS ON IT TO SEE WHEN IT BREAKS,

2192. AND THEY SAY, "YOU KNOW, MY CALCULATIONS ARE RIGHT,"

2193. OR "THEY'RE NOT CORRECT."

2194. I LOVE THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S FREE OF BIAS

2195. AND FREE OF THINKING THAT MATH CAN SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS.

2196. YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR MATH TO TEST ALSO.

2197. I THINK THAT EVERY SYSTEM

2198. THAT CAN BE PUT TO TEST SHOULD BE PUT TO TEST,

2199. AND THAT ALL DECISIONS SHOULD BE BASED UPON RESEARCH.

2200. - A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY IS SIMPLY

2201. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD APPLIED TO SOCIAL CONCERN —

2202. AN APPROACH UTTERLY ABSENT IN THE WORLD TODAY.

2203. SOCIETY IS A TECHNICAL INVENTION,

2204. AND THE MOST EFFICIENT METHODS OF OPTIMIZED HUMAN HEALTH,

2205. PHYSICAL PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION,

2206. CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE LIKE

2207. RESIDE IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,

2208. NOT POLITICS OR MONETARY ECONOMICS.

2209. IT OPERATES IN THE SAME SYSTEMATIC WAY AS,

2210. SAY, AN AIRPLANE,

2211. AND THERE IS NO REPUBLICAN OR LIBERAL WAY

2212. TO BUILD AN AIRPLANE.

2213. LIKEWISE, NATURE ITSELF IS THE PHYSICAL REFERENT

2214. WE USE TO PROVE OUR SCIENCE,

2215. AND IT IS A SET SYSTEM,

2216. EMERGING ONLY FROM OUR INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

2217. IN FACT, IT HAS NO REGARD FOR WHAT YOU SUBJECTIVELY THINK

2218. OR BELIEVE TO BE TRUE.

2219. RATHER, IT GIVES YOU AN OPTION.

2220. YOU CAN LEARN AND FALL IN LINE WITH ITS NATURAL LAWS

2221. AND CONDUCT YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY,

2222. INVARIABLY CREATING GOOD HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY,

2223. OR YOU CAN GO AGAINST THE CURRENT, TO NO AVAIL.

2224. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BELIEVE

2225. YOU CAN JUST STAND UP RIGHT NOW

2226. AND WALK ON THE WALL NEXT TO YOU.

2227. THE LAW OF GRAVITY WILL NOT ALLOW IT.

2228. IF YOU DO NOT EAT, YOU WILL DIE.

2229. IF YOU ARE NOT TOUCHED AS AN INFANT, YOU WILL DIE.

2230. AS HARSH AS IT MAY SOUND, NATURE IS A DICTATORSHIP,

2231. AND WE CAN EITHER LISTEN TO IT AND COME IN HARMONY WITH IT

2232. OR SUFFER THE INEVITABLE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.

2233. SO, A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY IS NOTHING MORE

2234. THAN A SET OF PROVEN, LIFE-SUPPORTING UNDERSTANDINGS

2235. WHERE ALL DECISIONS ARE BASED UPON OPTIMIZED HUMAN

2236. AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

2237. IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE EMPIRICAL "LIFE GROUND"

2238. WHICH EVERY HUMAN BEING SHARES AS A NEED, REGARDLESS, AGAIN,

2239. OF THEIR POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY.

2240. THERE IS NO CULTURAL RELATIVISM TO THIS APPROACH.

2241. IT ISN'T A MATTER OF OPINION.

2242. HUMAN NEEDS ARE HUMAN NEEDS,

2243. AND HAVING ACCESS TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE,

2244. SUCH AS CLEAN AIR, NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND CLEAN WATER,

2245. ALONG WITH A POSITIVELY REINFORCING, STABLE, NURTURING,

2246. AND NONVIOLENT ENVIRONMENT

2247. IS DEMANDED FOR OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH,

2248. OUR EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS,

2249. AND, HENCE, THE SPECIES' SURVIVAL ITSELF.

2250. - A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

2251. WOULD BE BASED UPON AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

2252. YOU CAN'T JUST BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO AN ISLAND

2253. OR BUILD A CITY OF 50,000 PEOPLE

2254. WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE.

2255. SO, WHEN I USE THE TERM "A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS APPROACH,"

2256. I'M TALKING ABOUT DOING AN INVENTORY OF THE AREA FIRST

2257. AND DETERMINING WHAT THAT AREA CAN SUPPLY.

2258. NOT JUST ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH, NOT JUST DESIGN APPROACH —

2259. BUT DESIGN MUST BE BASED ON ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS

2260. TO ENHANCE HUMAN LIFE,

2261. AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY "AN INTEGRATED WAY OF THINKING."

2262. FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, WARMTH, LOVE —

2263. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE NECESSARY.

2264. IF YOU DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF ANY OF THEM,

2265. YOU HAVE A LESSER HUMAN BEING, LESS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING.

2266. - AS PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED,

2267. A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY'S GROUND-UP, GLOBAL,

2268. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO EXTRACTION, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION

2269. IS BASED UPON ON A SET OF TRUE ECONOMIC MECHANISMS,

2270. OR STRATEGIES,

2271. WHICH GUARANTEE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

2272. IN EVERY AREA OF THE ECONOMY.

2273. SO, CONTINUING THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT

2274. REGARDING LOGICAL DESIGN,

2275. WHAT IS NEXT IN OUR EQUATION?

2276. WHERE DOES ALL THIS MATERIALIZE?

2277. CITIES.

2278. THE ADVENT OF THE CITY IS A DEFINING FEATURE

2279. OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.

2280. ITS ROLE IS TO ENABLE EFFICIENT ACCESS

2281. TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE ALONG WITH

2282. INCREASED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY INTERACTION.

2283. SO HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT DESIGNING AN IDEAL CITY?

2284. WHAT SHAPE SHOULD WE MAKE IT?

2285. SQUARE? TRAPEZOID?

2286. WELL, GIVEN WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING AROUND THE THING,

2287. WE MIGHT AS WELL

2288. MAKE IT AS EQUIDISTANT AS POSSIBLE, FOR EASE,

2289. HENCE THE CIRCLE.

2290. WHAT SHOULD THE CITY CONTAIN?

2291. WELL, NATURALLY, WE NEED A RESIDENTIAL AREA,

2292. A GOODS-PRODUCTION AREA,

2293. A POWER-GENERATION AREA,

2294. AN AGRICULTURAL AREA.

2295. BUT WE ALSO NEED NURTURING AS HUMAN BEINGS,

2296. HENCE CULTURE, NATURE, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION.

2297. SO, LETS INCLUDE A NICE, OPEN PARK,

2298. AN ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS AREA

2299. FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES AND SOCIALIZING,

2300. AND EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH FACILITIES.

2301. AND SINCE WE ARE WORKING WITH A CIRCLE,

2302. IT SEEMS RATIONAL TO PLACE THESE FUNCTIONS IN BELTS

2303. BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF LAND REQUIRED FOR EACH GOAL.

2304. ALONG WITH EASE OF ACCESS.

2305. VERY GOOD.

2306. NOW, LET'S GET DOWN TO SPECIFICS.

2307. FIRST, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE CORE INFRASTRUCTURE,

2308. OR INTESTINES OF THE CITY ORGANISM.

2309. THESE WOULD BE THE WATER,

2310. GOOD, WASTE, AND ENERGY TRANSPORT CHANNELS.

2311. JUST AS WE HAVE WATER AND SEWAGE SYSTEMS UNDER OUR CITIES TODAY,

2312. WE WOULD EXTEND THIS CHANNELING CONCEPT TO INTEGRATE

2313. WASTE RECYCLING AND DELIVERY ITSELF.

2314. NO MORE MAILMEN OR GARBAGE MEN.

2315. IT IS BUILT RIGHT IN.

2316. WE COULD EVEN USE AUTOMATED PNEUMATIC TUBES

2317. AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES.

2318. SAME GOES FOR TRANSPORT.

2319. IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED AND STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED

2320. TO REDUCE OR EVEN REMOVE THE NEED FOR WASTEFUL,

2321. INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILES.

2322. ELECTRIC TRAMS, CONVEYORS, TRANSVEYORS, AND MAGLEVS,

2323. WHICH CAN TAKE YOU VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE IN THE CITY,

2324. EVEN UP AND DOWN,

2325. ALONG WITH CONNECTING YOU TO OTHER CITIES, AS WELL.

2326. AND, OF COURSE, IN THE EVENT AN AUTOMOBILE IS REQUIRED,

2327. IT IS AUTOMATED BY SATELLITE FOR SAFETY AND INTEGRITY.

2328. IN FACT, THIS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

2329. IS IN WORKING ORDER RIGHT NOW.

2330. AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS KILL

2331. ABOUT 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE YEAR,

2332. INJURING ABOUT 50 MILLION.

2333. THIS IS ABSURD AND DOESN'T HAVE TO OCCUR.

2334. BETWEEN EFFICIENT CITY DESIGN AND AUTOMATED, DRIVERLESS CARS,

2335. THIS DEATH TOLL CAN BE VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED.

2336. AGRICULTURE.

2337. TODAY, THROUGH OUR HAPHAZARD, COST-CUTTING INDUSTRIAL METHODS,

2338. USING PESTICIDES, EXCESSIVE FERTILIZERS, AND OTHER MEANS,

2339. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED

2340. MUCH OF THE ARABLE LAND ON THIS PLANET,

2341. NOT TO MENTION ALSO EXTENSIVELY POISONING OUR BODIES.

2342. IN FACT, INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL TOXINS

2343. NOW SHOW UP IN VIRTUALLY EVERY HUMAN BEING TESTED,

2344. INCLUDING INFANTS.

2345. FORTUNATELY, THERE IS A GLARING ALTERNATIVE —

2346. THE SOILLESS MEDIUMS OF HYDROPONICS AND AEROPONICS,

2347. WHICH ALSO REDUCE NUTRIENT AND WATER REQUIREMENTS

2348. BY UP TO 75% OF OUR CURRENT USAGE.

2349. FOOD CAN NOW BE ORGANICALLY GROWN

2350. ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE IN ENCLOSED VERTICAL FARMS,

2351. SUCH AS IN 50-STORY, 1-ACRE PLOTS,

2352. VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING THE NEED

2353. FOR PESTICIDES AND HYDROCARBONS IN GENERAL.

2354. THIS IS THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL FOOD CULTIVATION —

2355. EFFICIENT, CLEAN, AND ABUNDANT.

2356. SO, SUCH ADVANCED SYSTEMS WOULD BE, IN PART,

2357. WHAT COMPRISE OUR AGRICULTURAL BELT,

2358. PRODUCING ALL THE FOOD REQUIRED

2359. FOR THE ENTIRE CITY'S POPULATION,

2360. WITH NO NEED TO IMPORT ANYTHING FROM THE OUTSIDE,

2361. SAVING TIME, WASTE, AND ENERGY.

2362. AND, SPEAKING OF ENERGY,

2363. THE ENERGY BELT WOULD WORK IN A SYSTEMS APPROACH

2364. TO EXTRACT ELECTRICITY FROM OUR ABUNDANT RENEWABLE MEDIUMS —

2365. SPECIFICALLY, WIND, SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL,

2366. AND HEAT DIFFERENTIALS,

2367. AND, IF NEAR WATER POTENTIALS, TIDAL AND WAVE POWER.

2368. TO AVOID INTERMITTENCY

2369. AND MAKE SURE A POSITIVE NET ENERGY RETURN OCCURS,

2370. THESE MEDIUMS WOULD OPERATE IN AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM,

2371. POWERING EACH OTHER WHEN NEEDED,

2372. WHILE STORING EXCESSIVE ENERGY TO LARGE SUPER-CAPACITORS

2373. UNDER THE GROUND,

2374. SO NOTHING CAN GO TO WASTE.

2375. AND NOT ONLY DOES THE CITY POWER ITSELF —

2376. PARTICULAR STRUCTURES WILL ALSO POWER INDEPENDENTLY

2377. AND GENERATE ELECTRICITY THROUGH PHOTOVOLTAIC PAINTS,

2378. STRUCTURAL PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS,

2379. THE THERMOCOUPLE EFFECT,

2380. AND OTHER CURRENT BUT UNDERUTILIZED TECHNOLOGIES.

2381. BUT, OF COURSE, THIS BEGS THE QUESTION —

2382. HOW DOES THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND GOODS IN GENERAL,

2383. GET CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

2384. THIS BRING US TO PRODUCTION.

2385. THE INDUSTRIAL BELT, APART FROM HAVING HOSPITALS AND THE LIKE,

2386. WOULD BE THE HUB OF FACTORY PRODUCTION.

2387. COMPLETELY LOCALIZED OVERALL,

2388. IT WOULD, OF COURSE, OBTAIN RAW MATERIALS BY WAY OF

2389. THE GLOBAL RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM JUST DISCUSSED,

2390. WITH DEMAND BEING GENERATED

2391. BY THE POPULATION OF THE CITY ITSELF.

2392. AS FAR AS THE MECHANICS OF PRODUCTION,

2393. WE NEED TO DISCUSS A NEW, POWERFUL PHENOMENON

2394. WHICH WAS SPARKED VERY RECENTLY IN HUMAN HISTORY

2395. AND IS ON PACE TO CHANGING EVERYTHING.

2396. IT'S CALLED MECHANIZATION, OR THE AUTOMATION OF LABOR.

2397. - WELL, IF YOU LOOK AROUND YOU,

2398. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT WE USE TODAY

2399. IS BUILT AUTOMATICALLY —

2400. YOUR SHOES, YOUR CLOTHES,

2401. YOUR HOME APPLIANCES, YOUR CAR, AND SO ON.

2402. THEY'RE ALL BUILT BY MACHINES IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY.

2403. CAN WE SAY THAT THE SOCIETY HAS NOT BEEN INFLUENCED

2404. BY THESE MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS?

2405. OF COURSE NOT.

2406. THESE SYSTEMS REALLY DICTATE NEW STRUCTURES AND NEW NEEDS,

2407. AND THEY MAKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS OBSOLETE.

2408. SO, WE'VE BEEN GOING UP

2409. IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY

2410. IN AN EXPONENTIAL WAY.

2411. SO, DEFINITELY, AUTOMATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

2412. YOU CANNOT STOP TECHNOLOGIES THAT JUST MAKE SENSE.

2413. - LABOR AUTOMATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

2414. IS AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY MAJOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

2415. IN HUMAN HISTORY,

2416. FROM THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND THE INVENTION OF THE PLOW

2417. TO THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

2418. AND THE INVENTION OF THE POWERED MACHINE

2419. TO THE INFORMATION AGE WE LIVE IN NOW,

2420. THROUGH, ESSENTIALLY,

2421. THE INVENTION OF ADVANCED ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTERS.

2422. AND WITH REGARD TO ADVANCED PRODUCTION METHODS TODAY,

2423. MECHANIZATION IS NOW EVOLVING ON ITS OWN,

2424. MOVING AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL METHOD

2425. OF ASSEMBLING COMPONENT PARTS INTO A CONFIGURATION,

2426. INTO AN ADVANCED METHOD OF CREATING ENTIRE PRODUCTS

2427. IN ONE SINGLE PROCESS.

2428. - LIKE MOST ENGINEERS, I'M FASCINATED BY BIOLOGY,

2429. BECAUSE IT'S SO FULL OF EXAMPLES

2430. OF EXTRAORDINARY PIECES OF ENGINEERING.

2431. AND WHAT BIOLOGY IS,

2432. IS THE STUDY OF THINGS THAT COPY THEMSELVES.

2433. OF COURSE, THAT'S... AS GOOD A DEFINITION OF LIFE AS WE'VE GOT.

2434. AGAIN, AS AN ENGINEER, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED

2435. BY THE IDEA OF MACHINES THAT CAN COPY THEMSELVES.

2436. RepRap IS A THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTER —

2437. THAT'S TO SAY

2438. IT'S A PRINTER THAT YOU PLUG INTO YOUR COMPUTER,

2439. AND INSTEAD OF MAKING

2440. TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHEETS OF PAPER WITH PATTERNS ON,

2441. IT MAKES REAL, PHYSICAL, THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS.

2442. NOW, THERE'S NOTHING NEW ABOUT THAT.

2443. 3-D PRINTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.

2444. THE BIG THING ABOUT RepRap IS THAT IT PRINTS

2445. MOST OF ITS OWN PARTS.

2446. SO, IF YOU'VE GOT ONE,

2447. YOU COULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE AND GIVE IT TO A FRIEND,

2448. AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO PRINT LOTS OF USEFUL THINGS.

2449. - FROM THE SIMPLE PRINTING

2450. OF BASIC HOUSEHOLD GOODS IN YOUR HOME

2451. TO THE PRINTING OF AN ENTIRE AUTOMOBILE BODY IN ONE SWOOP,

2452. ADVANCED, AUTOMATED 3-D PRINTING

2453. NOW HAS THE POTENTIAL

2454. TO TRANSFORM VIRTUALLY EVERY FIELD OF PRODUCTION,

2455. INCLUDING HOME CONSTRUCTION.

2456. - CONTOUR CRAFTING IS ACTUALLY A FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY.

2457. THE SO-CALLED 3-D PRINTING,

2458. WHEN YOU DIRECTLY BUILD 3-D OBJECTS FROM A COMPUTER MODEL.

2459. USING CONTOUR CRAFTING,

2460. IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO BUILD A 2,000 SQUARE-FOOT HOME

2461. ENTIRELY BY THE MACHINE IN ONE DAY.

2462. THE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED

2463. IN AUTOMATING CONSTRUCTION

2464. IS THAT IT REALLY BRINGS A LOT OF BENEFITS.

2465. FOR EXAMPLE, CONSTRUCTION IS PRETTY LABOR-INTENSIVE,

2466. AND ALTHOUGH IT PROVIDES JOBS FOR A SECTOR OF THE SOCIETY,

2467. IT ALSO HAS ISSUES AND COMPLICATIONS.

2468. FOR EXAMPLE,

2469. CONSTRUCTION IS THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB THAT THERE IS.

2470. IT IS WORSE THAN MINING AND AGRICULTURE.

2471. THAT HAS GOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FATALITY

2472. IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY.

2473. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE WASTE.

2474. AN AVERAGE HOME IN THE UNITED STATES

2475. HAS THREE TO SEVEN TONS OF WASTE.

2476. SO, THIS IS HUGE,

2477. IF WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION

2478. AND KNOWING THAT ABOUT 40%

2479. OF ALL MATERIALS IN THE WORLD ARE USED IN CONSTRUCTION,

2480. SO, A BIG WASTE OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES,

2481. AND BIG DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.

2482. - MAKING HOMES USING HAMMERS AND NAILS AND WOOD,

2483. WITH THE STATE OF OUR TECHNOLOGY TODAY, IS REALLY ABSURD,

2484. AND WILL GO THE WAY OF OUR LABOR CLASS

2485. IN REGARDS TO MANUFACTURING IN THE UNITED STATES.

2486. RECENTLY, THERE WAS A STUDY BY ECONOMIST DAVID AUTOR OF M.I.T.

2487. THAT STATES THAT OUR MIDDLE CLASS IS OBSOLETE

2488. AND BEING REPLACED BY AUTOMATION.

2489. - QUITE SIMPLY,

2490. MECHANIZATION IS MORE PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT,

2491. AND SUSTAINABLE THAN HUMAN LABOR

2492. IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY TODAY.

2493. MACHINES DO NOT NEED VACATIONS, BREAKS, INSURANCE, PENSIONS,

2494. AND THEY CAN 24 WORK HOURS A DAY, EVERY DAY.

2495. THE OUTPUT POTENTIAL AND ACCURACY,

2496. COMPARED TO HUMAN LABOR, IS UNMATCHED.

2497. THE BOTTOM LINE —

2498. REPETITIVE HUMAN LABOR

2499. IS BECOMING OBSOLETE AND IMPRACTICAL ACROSS THE WORLD,

2500. AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT YOU SEE AROUND YOU TODAY

2501. IS FUNDAMENTALLY THE RESULT

2502. OF THIS EVOLUTION OF EFFICIENCY IN TECHNOLOGY.

2503. FOR YEARS, MARKET ECONOMISTS HAVE DISMISSED

2504. THIS GROWING PATTERN,

2505. WHICH COULD BE CALLED "TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT,"

2506. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT NEW SECTORS ALWAYS SEEMED TO EMERGE

2507. TO REABSORB THE DISPLACED WORKERS.

2508. TODAY, THE SERVICE SECTOR IS THE ONLY REAL HUB LEFT,

2509. AND CURRENTLY EMPLOYS OVER 80% OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE,

2510. WITH MOST INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

2511. MAINTAINING A SIMILAR PROPORTION.

2512. HOWEVER, THIS SECTOR IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED INCREASINGLY

2513. BY AUTOMATED KIOSKS, AUTOMATED RESTAURANTS,

2514. AND EVEN AUTOMATED STORES.

2515. ECONOMISTS TODAY ARE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGING

2516. WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DENYING FOR YEARS —

2517. NOT ONLY IS TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT

2518. EXASPERATING THE CURRENT LABOR CRISIS WE SEE ACROSS THE WORLD

2519. DUE TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,

2520. BUT THE MORE THE RECESSION DEEPENS,

2521. THE FASTER THE INDUSTRIES ARE MECHANIZING.

2522. THE CATCH, WHICH IS NOT REALIZED,

2523. IS THAT THE FASTER THEY MECHANIZE TO SAVE MONEY,

2524. THE MORE THEY DISPLACE PEOPLE,

2525. THE MORE THEY REDUCE PUBLIC PURCHASING POWER.

2526. THIS MEANS THAT WHILE THE CORPORATION

2527. CAN PRODUCE EVERYTHING MORE CHEAPLY,

2528. FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE

2529. WILL ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY TO BUY ANYTHING,

2530. REGARDLESS OF HOW CHEAP THEY BECOME.

2531. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE "LABOR FOR INCOME" GAME

2532. IS SLOWLY COMING TO AN END.

2533. IN FACT, IF YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT

2534. ON THE JOBS WHICH ARE IN EXISTENCE TODAY

2535. WHICH AUTOMATION COULD TAKE OVER RIGHT NOW, IF APPLIED,

2536. 75% OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE

2537. COULD BE REPLACED BY MECHANIZATION TOMORROW.

2538. AND THIS IS WHY, IN A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

2539. THERE IS NO MONETARY MARKET SYSTEM —

2540. NO MONEY AT ALL,

2541. FOR THERE IS NO NEED.

2542. A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

2543. RECOGNIZES THE EFFICIENCY OF MECHANIZATION

2544. AND ACCEPTS IT FOR WHAT IT OFFERS.

2545. IT DOESN'T FIGHT IT, LIKE WE DO TODAY.

2546. WHY? BECAUSE IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE NOT TO,

2547. GIVEN ANY INTEREST IN EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

2548. AND THIS BRINGS US BACK TO OUR CITY SYSTEM.

2549. IN THE CENTER IS THE CENTRAL DOME,

2550. WHICH NOT ONLY HOUSES

2551. THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION HUB —

2552. IT ALSO HOSTS THE MAINFRAME

2553. THAT RUNS THE CITY'S TECHNICAL OPERATIONS.

2554. THE CITY IS, IN FACT, ONE BIG AUTOMATED MACHINE.

2555. IT HAS SENSORS IN ALL TECHNICAL BELTS

2556. TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE,

2557. ENERGY GATHERING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND THE LIKE.

2558. NOW, WOULD PEOPLE BE NEEDED TO OVERSEE THESE OPERATIONS

2559. IN THE EVENT OF A MALFUNCTION OR THE LIKE?

2560. MOST, PROBABLY, YES,

2561. BUT THAT NUMBER WOULD DECREASE OVER TIME

2562. AS IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE.

2563. HOWEVER, AS OF TODAY,

2564. MAYBE 3% OF THE CITY POPULATION WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THIS JOB,

2565. WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN,

2566. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

2567. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

2568. WHILE OFTEN STRUGGLING WITH DEBT THAT DOESN'T EXIST

2569. JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET,

2570. I GUARANTEE YOU, PEOPLE WILL VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME

2571. LEFT AND RIGHT TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE A SYSTEM

2572. THAT ACTUALLY TAKES CARE OF THEM.

2573. AND COUPLED WITH THIS ISSUE OF INCENTIVE

2574. COMES THE COMMON ASSUMPTION

2575. THAT IF THERE ISN'T SOME EXTERNAL PRESSURE

2576. FOR ONE TO WORK FOR A LIVING,

2577. PEOPLE WILL JUST SIT AROUND, DO NOTHING,

2578. AND TURN INTO FAT, LAZY BLOBS.

2579. THIS IS NONSENSE.

2580. THE LABOR SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY

2581. IS, IN FACT, THE GENERATOR OF LAZINESS,

2582. NOT A RESOLVER OF IT.

2583. IF YOU THINK BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, FULL OF LIFE,

2584. INTERESTED IN NEW THINGS TO UNDERSTAND,

2585. LIKELY CREATING AND EXPLORING...

2586. BUT, AS TIME WENT ON,

2587. THE SYSTEM PUSHED YOU INTO THE FOCUS

2588. OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE MONEY,

2589. AND FROM EARLY EDUCATION TO STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY,

2590. YOU ARE NARROWED,

2591. ONLY TO EMERGE AS A CREATURE WHICH SERVES AS A COG IN A WHEEL

2592. IN A MODEL THAT SENDS ALL THE FRUITS TO THE UPPER 1%.

2593. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE NOW SHOWN THAT PEOPLE ARE, IN FACT,

2594. NOT MOTIVATED BY MONETARY REWARD

2595. WHEN IT COMES TO INGENUITY AND CREATION.

2596. THE CREATION ITSELF IS THE REWARD.

2597. MONEY, IN FACT, APPEARS ONLY TO SERVE AS AN INCENTIVE

2598. FOR REPETITIVE, MUNDANE ACTIONS —

2599. A ROLE WE HAVE JUST NOW SHOWN CAN BE REPLACED BY MACHINE.

2600. SO, WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION,

2601. THE ACTUAL USE OF THE HUMAN MIND,

2602. THE MONETARY INCENTIVE HAS PROVEN TO BE A HINDRANCE,

2603. INTERFERING AND DETRACTING FROM CREATIVE THOUGHT.

2604. AND THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY NIKOLA TESLA,

2605. THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, AND OTHER INVENTORS

2606. WHO CONTRIBUTED MASSIVELY TO OUR CURRENT WORLD

2607. NEVER SHOWED A MONETARY INCENTIVE TO DO SO.

2608. MONEY IS, IN FACT, A FALSE INCENTIVE,

2609. AND CAUSES 100 TIMES MORE DISTORTION

2610. THAN IT DOES CONTRIBUTION.

2611. - GOOD MORNING, CLASS. PLEASE SETTLE DOWN.

2612. THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS GO AROUND THE ROOM

2613. AND ASK WHAT EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP.

2614. WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST?

2615. OKAY, HOW ABOUT YOU, SARAH?

2616. - WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO WORK AT McDONALD'S, LIKE MY MOM!

2617. - OH, FAMILY TRADITION, EH?

2618. HOW ABOUT YOU, LINDA?

2619. - WHEN I GROW UP,

2620. I'M GONNA BE A PROSTITUTE ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY!

2621. - OH, GLAMOUR GIRL, HUH?

2622. VERY AMBITIOUS.

2623. HOW ABOUT YOU, TOMMY?

2624. - WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GONNA BE A RICH, ELITIST BUSINESSMAN

2625. WHO WORKS ON WALL STREET

2626. AND PROFITS OFF OF THE COLLAPSE OF FOREIGN ECONOMIES.

2627. - ENTERPRISING.

2628. AND GREAT TO SEE SOME MULTICULTURAL INTEREST.

2629. - AS STATED BEFORE,

2630. A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

2631. APPLIES THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO SOCIAL CONCERN,

2632. AND THIS ISN'T LIMITED TO SIMPLY TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY.

2633. IT ALSO HAS THE CONSIDERATION

2634. OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING DIRECTLY

2635. AND WHAT COMPRISES IT.

2636. WHAT GOOD IS A SOCIAL SYSTEM IF, IN THE END,

2637. IT DOESN'T PRODUCE HAPPINESS AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE?

2638. SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT

2639. THAT WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE MONEY SYSTEM

2640. AND THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE PROVIDED,

2641. WE WOULD SEE A GLOBAL REDUCTION IN CRIME BY ABOUT 95%

2642. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,

2643. FOR THERE IS NOTHING TO STEAL, EMBEZZLE, SCAM, OR THE LIKE.

2644. 95% OF ALL PEOPLE IN PRISONS TODAY ARE THERE

2645. DUE TO SOME MONETARY-RELATED CRIME OR DRUG ABUSE,

2646. AND DRUG ABUSE IS A DISORDER, NOT A CRIME.

2647. SO, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 5% —

2648. THE TRULY VIOLENT,

2649. OFTEN SEEMING TO SOME AS BEING VIOLENT

2650. FOR THE SAKE OF BEING VIOLENT?

2651. ARE THEY JUST EVIL PEOPLE?

2652. - THE REASON THAT I FRANKLY THINK IT'S A WASTE OF TIME

2653. TO ENGAGE IN MORAL VALUE JUDGMENTS

2654. ABOUT PEOPLE'S VIOLENCE

2655. IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADVANCE BY ONE IOTA

2656. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EITHER THE CAUSES

2657. OR THE PREVENTION OF THE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

2658. PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK

2659. IF I BELIEVE IN FORGIVING CRIMINALS.

2660. MY ANSWER TO THAT IS,

2661. NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IN FORGIVENESS

2662. ANY MORE THAN I BELIEVE IN CONDEMNATION.

2663. IT'S ONLY IF WE, AS A SOCIETY,

2664. CAN TAKE THE SAME ATTITUDE OF TREATING VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM

2665. IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE,

2666. RATHER THAN AS A MORAL EVIL.

2667. IT'S ONLY WHEN WE MAKE THAT CHANGE IN OUR OWN ATTITUDES

2668. AND ASSUMPTIONS AND VALUES

2669. THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY SUCCEED

2670. IN REDUCING THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE

2671. RATHER THAN STIMULATING IT,

2672. WHICH IS WHAT WE DO NOW.

2673. - THE MORE JUSTICE YOU SEEK, THE MORE HURT YOU BECOME,

2674. 'CAUSE THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS JUSTICE.

2675. THERE IS WHATEVER THERE IS OUT THERE.

2676. THAT'S IT.

2677. IN OTHER WORDS,

2678. IF PEOPLE ARE CONDITIONED TO BE RACIST BIGOTS —

2679. IF THEY'RE BROUGHT UP IN AN ENVIRONMENT

2680. THAT ADVOCATES THAT —

2681. WHY DO YOU BLAME THE PERSON FOR IT?

2682. THEY'RE A VICTIM OF A SUBCULTURE.

2683. THEREFORE, THEY HAVE TO BE HELPED.

2684. THE POINT IS WE HAVE TO REDESIGN THE ENVIRONMENT

2685. THAT PRODUCES ABERRANT BEHAVIOR.

2686. THAT'S THE PROBLEM, NOT PUTTING A PERSON IN JAIL.

2687. THAT'S WHY JUDGES, LAWYERS, FREEDOM OF CHOICE —

2688. SUCH CONCEPTS ARE DANGEROUS,

2689. BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU MISINFORMATION

2690. THAT THE PERSON IS BAD

2691. OR THAT PERSON IS A SERIAL KILLER.

2692. SERIAL KILLERS ARE MADE,

2693. JUST LIKE SOLDIERS BECOME SERIAL KILLERS WITH A MACHINE GUN.

2694. THEY BECOME KILLING MACHINES,

2695. BUT NOBODY LOOKS AT THEM AS MURDERERS OR ASSASSINS

2696. BECAUSE THAT'S NATURAL.

2697. SO, WE BLAME PEOPLE.

2698. WE SAY, "WELL, THIS GUY WAS A NAZI. HE TORTURED JEWS."

2699. NO, HE WAS BROUGHT UP TO TORTURE JEWS.

2700. ONCE YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE INDIVIDUAL CHOICES

2701. AND THEY'RE FREE TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES —

2702. "FREE TO MAKE CHOICES" MEANS WITHOUT BEING INFLUENCED,

2703. AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL.

2704. ALL OF US ARE INFLUENCED IN ALL OUR CHOICES

2705. BY THE CULTURE WE LIVE IN, BY OUR PARENTS,

2706. AND BY THE VALUES THAT DOMINATE.

2707. SO, WE'RE INFLUENCED, SO THERE CAN'T BE FREE CHOICES.

2708. WHAT'S THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?

2709. THE TRUE ANSWER —

2710. I HAVEN'T BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD,

2711. AND I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES

2712. TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

2713. I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT SPEAKS THAT WAY.

2714. THEY SAY, "IT'S THE GOOD OLD U.S.A.,

2715. THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!"

2716. THERE IS NO SURVEY.

2717. "HAVE YOU BEEN TO INDIA?" "NO."

2718. "HAVE YOU BEEN TO ENGLAND?" "NO."

2719. "HAVE YOU BEEN TO FRANCE?" "NO."

2720. WHAT DO YOU MAKE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ON?

2721. THEY CAN'T ANSWER. THEY GET MAD AT YOU.

2722. THEY SAY, "WELL, GOD DAMN IT!

2723. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TO THINK?"

2724. YOU KNOW.

2725. DON'T FORGET, YOU'RE DEALING WITH ABERRATED PEOPLE.

2726. THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ANSWERS.

2727. THEY'RE VICTIMS OF CULTURE.

2728. THAT MEANS THEY'VE BEEN INFLUENCED BY THEIR CULTURE.

2729. - WHEN WE CONSIDER A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

2730. THERE ARE OFTEN A NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS

2731. THAT TEND TO COME UP WITH REGARD —

2732. - HEY! HEY! HEY! - UH...

2733. - NOW, HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE.

2734. - YES?

2735. - I KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

2736. THIS IS CALLED MARXISM, BUDDY.

2737. STALIN KILLED 800 BILLION PEOPLE 'CAUSE OF IDEAS LIKE THIS.

2738. - MY FATHER DIED IN THE GULAG!

2739. - YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE. THIS IS JUST NONSENSE.

2740. - ALL RIGHT. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. - COMMUNIST!

2741. - FASCIST! - YOU DON'T LIKE AMERICA,

2742. YOU SHOULD JUST LEAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

2743. - ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, JUST CALM DOWN.

2744. - DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

2745. DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

2746. - AND AS THE IRRATIONALITY OF THE AUDIENCE GREW,

2747. SHOCKED AND CONFUSED,

2748. SUDDENLY, THE NARRATOR SUFFERED A FATAL HEART ATTACK.

2749. - AND THE SEEMINGLY COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA FILM WAS NO MORE.

2750. - ... YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THAT SORT OF THING TO PEOPLE

2751. IN THINK-TANK-TYPE OF SITUATIONS,

2752. AND, YOU KNOW, THESE "CLUB OF ROME" TYPES, AND SO FORTH.

2753. "MARXIST!"

2754. "WHAT? MARXIST? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?"

2755. YOU KNOW?

2756. THEY JUST — THEY GOT THIS ICON THEY HOLD ON TO.

2757. IT'S THEIR HOLY GRAIL.

2758. AND IT'S SUCH AN EASY ONE, YOU KNOW?

2759. - PEOPLE ASK IF I'M A SOCIALIST OR A COMMUNIST OR CAPITALIST,

2760. AND I SAY, "I'M NONE OF THE ABOVE, AND WHY DO YOU THINK —

2761. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS?"

2762. ALL OF THOSE POLITICAL CONSTRUCTS

2763. WERE CREATED BY WRITERS

2764. WHO ASSUMED THAT WE LIVED ON A PLANET OF INFINITE RESOURCES.

2765. NOT A ONE OF THOSE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES

2766. EVEN CONTEMPLATES

2767. THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SHORTAGE OF ANYTHING.

2768. - I BELIEVE THAT COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE,

2769. FASCISM ARE PART OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION —

2770. THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE A GIANT STEP FROM ONE CULTURE TO ANOTHER,

2771. BUT THERE ARE IN-BETWEEN SYSTEMS.

2772. - BEFORE THERE'S ANY "ISM", WE'VE GOT LIFE GROUND,

2773. AND THE LIFE GROUND IS, AS I'VE JUST DESCRIBED MOST EASILY,

2774. IS ALL THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO TAKE YOUR NEXT BREATH,

2775. AND THAT INVOLVES THE AIR YOU BREATHE,

2776. THE WATER YOU GET, THE SAFETY YOU HAVE,

2777. THE EDUCATION YOU CAN ACCESS —

2778. ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE SHARE AND USE,

2779. AND THAT NO LIFE, IN ANY CULTURE, CAN DO WITHOUT.

2780. SO, WE'VE GOT TO RESET DOWN TO THE LIFE GROUND,

2781. AND THE LIFE GROUND IS NO LONGER ANY "ISM."

2782. IT'S LIFE VALUE ANALYSIS.

2783. - IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF HISTORICAL FACT

2784. THAT THE DOMINANT INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

2785. OF ANY PARTICULAR SOCIETY

2786. REFLECTS THE INTERESTS

2787. OF THE DOMINANT GROUP IN THAT SOCIETY.

2788. IN A SLAVE-OWNING SOCIETY,

2789. THE BELIEFS ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND SO ON

2790. WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE SLAVE OWNERS.

2791. IN A SOCIETY WHICH, AGAIN,

2792. IS BASED ON THE POWER OF CERTAIN PEOPLE

2793. TO CONTROL AND PROFIT FROM

2794. THE LIVES AND WORK OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS,

2795. THE DOMINANT INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

2796. WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE DOMINANT GROUP.

2797. AND, SO, THAT, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD,

2798. THE IDEAS THAT PERVADE PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

2799. AND HISTORY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

2800. FUNDAMENTALLY REFLECT CERTAIN ELITE INTERESTS,

2801. AND THE ACADEMICS WHO QUESTION THAT TOO MUCH

2802. TEND TO GET SHUNTED TO THE SIDE

2803. OR TO BE SEEN AS, SORT OF, RADICALS.

2804. - THE DOMINANT VALUES OF A CULTURE

2805. TEND TO SUPPORT AND PERPETUATE

2806. WHAT IS REWARDED BY THAT CULTURE,

2807. AND IN A SOCIETY WHERE SUCCESS AND STATUS

2808. IS MEASURED BY MATERIAL WEALTH, NOT SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION,

2809. IT IS EASY TO SEE

2810. WHY THE STATE OF THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS TODAY.

2811. WE ARE DEALING WITH A VALUE SYSTEM DISORDER,

2812. COMPLETELY DENATURED,

2813. WHERE THE PRIORITY OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL HEALTH

2814. HAVE BECOME SECONDARY

2815. TO THE DETRIMENTAL NOTIONS

2816. OF ARTIFICIAL WEALTH AND LIMITLESS GROWTH.

2817. AND, LIKE A VIRUS,

2818. THIS DISORDER NOW PERMEATES EVERY FACET OF GOVERNMENT,

2819. NEWS MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT,

2820. AND EVEN ACADEMIA.

2821. AND BUILT INTO ITS STRUCTURE

2822. ARE MECHANISMS OF PROTECTION

2823. FROM ANYTHING THAT MIGHT INTERFERE.

2824. DISCIPLES OF THE MONETARY-MARKET RELIGION,

2825. THE SELF-APPOINTED GUARDIANS OF THE STATUS QUO,

2826. CONSTANTLY SEEK OUT WAYS TO AVOID ANY FORM OF THOUGHT

2827. WHICH MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THEIR BELIEFS —

2828. THE MOST COMMON OF WHICH ARE PROJECTED DUALITIES.

2829. IF YOU ARE NOT A REPUBLICAN, YOU MUST BE A DEMOCRAT,

2830. IF YOU ARE NOT CHRISTIAN, YOU MIGHT BE A SATANIST,

2831. AND IF YOU FEEL SOCIETY CAN BE GREATLY IMPROVED

2832. TO CONSIDER, PERHAPS, I DON'T KNOW, TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE,

2833. YOU'RE JUST A UTOPIANIST.

2834. AND THE MOST INSIDIOUS OF THEM ALL —

2835. IF YOU ARE NOT FOR THE FREE MARKET,

2836. YOU MUST BE AGAINST FREEDOM ITSELF.

2837. - I'M A BELIEVER IN FREEDOM!

2838. - EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE WORD "FREEDOM" BEING SAID ANYWHERE,

2839. OR "GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE" SAID ANYWHERE,

2840. IT MEANS, DECODED,

2841. BLOCKING MAXIMIZATION OF TURNING MONEY INTO MORE MONEY

2842. FOR PRIVATE MONEY POSSESSORS.

2843. THAT'S IT.

2844. EVERY OTHER THING THEY'LL SAY —

2845. "OH, WE NEED MORE COMMODITIES FOR PEOPLE,"

2846. "OH, THIS IS FREEDOM AGAINST TYRANNY,"

2847. AND SO FORTH —

2848. EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN DECODE IT DOWN TO THAT,

2849. AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND A ONE-TO-ONE CORRELATION

2850. WITH EVERY TIME THEY USE IT.

2851. AND THIS IS A SENSE IN WHICH WE MIGHT CALL —

2852. IT'S A SYNTAX,

2853. A GOVERNING SYNTAX OF UNDERSTANDING AND OF VALUE,

2854. SO THAT IT GOVERNS BENEATH THEIR OWN RECOGNITION OF IT,

2855. SO THEY MAY NOT SAY,

2856. "OH, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT AT ALL,"

2857. BUT, IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO,

2858. JUST LIKE YOU MAY SPEAK A GRAMMAR

2859. AND YOU HAVE RULES OF GRAMMAR YOU FOLLOW

2860. WITHOUT RECOGNIZING WHAT THE RULES ARE.

2861. AND, SO, WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT I CALL

2862. THE "RULING VALUE SYNTAX" THAT UNDERLIES THIS.

2863. SO, EVERY TIME THEY USE THESE WORDS —

2864. "GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE," "LACK OF FREEDOM" OR "FREEDOM,"

2865. OR "PROGRESS" OR "DEVELOPMENT,"

2866. YOU CAN DECODE THEM ALL TO COME BACK TO MEAN THAT.

2867. - OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "FREEDOM,"

2868. IT TENDS TO BE IN SAME SENTENCE

2869. WITH SOMETHING CALLED "DEMOCRACY."

2870. IT'S FASCINATING HOW PEOPLE TODAY SEEM TO BELIEVE

2871. THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A RELEVANT INFLUENCE

2872. ON WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT DOES,

2873. FORGETTING THAT THE VERY NATURE OF OUR SYSTEM

2874. OFFERS EVERYTHING FOR SALE.

2875. THE ONLY VOTE THAT COUNTS IS THE MONETARY VOTE,

2876. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH ANY ACTIVIST YELLS

2877. ABOUT ETHICS OR ACCOUNTABILITY.

2878. IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

2879. EVERY POLITICIAN, EVERY LEGISLATION,

2880. AND, HENCE, EVERY GOVERNMENT IS FOR SALE.

2881. AND EVEN WITH THE 20-TRILLION-DOLLAR BANK BAILOUTS

2882. STARTING IN 2007,

2883. AN AMOUNT OF MONEY WHICH COULD HAVE CHANGED,

2884. SAY, THE GLOBAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

2885. TO FULLY RENEWABLE METHODS,

2886. INSTEAD GOING TO A SERIES OF INSTITUTIONS

2887. THAT LITERALLY DO NOTHING TO HELP SOCIETY —

2888. INSTITUTIONS THAT COULD BE REMOVED TOMORROW

2889. WITH NO RECOURSE.

2890. THE BLIND CONDITIONING

2891. THAT POLITICS AND POLITICIANS EXIST FOR THE PUBLIC WELL-BEING

2892. STILL CONTINUES.

2893. THE FACT IS POLITICS IS A BUSINESS,

2894. NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

2895. AND THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR SELF-INTEREST

2896. BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

2897. - I DON'T REALLY, HONESTLY, DEEP DOWN,

2898. BELIEVE IN POLITICAL ACTION.

2899. I THINK THE SYSTEM CONTRACTS AND EXPANDS AS IT WANTS TO.

2900. IT ACCOMMODATES THESE CHANGES.

2901. I THINK THE CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENT WAS AN ACCOMMODATION

2902. ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO OWN THE COUNTRY.

2903. I THINK THEY SEE WHERE THEIR SELF-INTEREST LIES.

2904. THEY SEE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FREEDOM SEEMS GOOD —

2905. AN ILLUSION OF LIBERTY —

2906. "GIVE THESE PEOPLE A VOTING DAY EVERY YEAR

2907. SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE ILLUSION OF MEANINGLESS CHOICE."

2908. MEANINGLESS CHOICE,

2909. THAT WE GO LIKE SLAVES AND SAY "OH, I VOTED."

2910. THE LIMITS OF DEBATE IN THIS COUNTRY ARE ESTABLISHED

2911. BEFORE THE DEBATE EVEN BEGINS,

2912. AND EVERYONE ELSE IS MARGINALIZED

2913. AND MADE TO SEEM EITHER TO BE COMMUNIST

2914. OR SOME SORT OF DISLOYAL PERSON —

2915. A "KOOK," THERE'S A WORD —

2916. AND NOW IT'S "CONSPIRACY."

2917. SEE, THEY MADE THAT SOMETHING

2918. THAT SHOULD NOT BE EVEN ENTERTAINED FOR A MINUTE,

2919. THAT POWERFUL PEOPLE MIGHT GET TOGETHER AND HAVE A PLAN!

2920. "DOESN'T HAPPEN!" "YOU'RE A KOOK!"

2921. "YOU'RE A CONSPIRACY BUFF!"

2922. - AND OF ALL THE MECHANISMS OF DEFENSE OF THIS SYSTEM,

2923. THERE ARE TWO THAT REPEATEDLY COME UP.

2924. THE FIRST IS THIS IDEA

2925. THAT THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE CAUSE

2926. OF THE MATERIAL PROGRESS WE HAVE SEEN ON THIS PLANET.

2927. WELL, NO.

2928. THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO ROOT CAUSES

2929. WHICH HAVE CREATED THE INCREASED SO-CALLED "WEALTH"

2930. AND POPULATION GROWTH WE SEE TODAY.

2931. ONE, THE EXPONENTIAL ADVANCEMENT OF PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY —

2932. HENCE, SCIENTIFIC INGENUITY.

2933. AND, TWO, THE INITIAL DISCOVERY OF ABUNDANT HYDROCARBON ENERGY,

2934. WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE FOUNDATION

2935. OF THE ENTIRE SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM.

2936. THE FREE-MARKET, CAPITALIST, MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM,

2937. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT,

2938. HAS DONE NOTHING BUT RIDE THE WAVE OF THESE ADVENTS

2939. WITH A DISTORTED INCENTIVE SYSTEM

2940. AND A HAPHAZARD, GROSSLY UNEQUAL METHOD

2941. OF UTILIZING AND DISTRIBUTING THOSE FRUITS.

2942. THE SECOND DEFENSE IS A BELLIGERENT SOCIAL BIAS,

2943. GENERATED FROM YEARS OF PROPAGANDA,

2944. WHICH SEES ANY OTHER SOCIAL SYSTEM

2945. AS A ROUTE TO SO-CALLED "TYRANNY,"

2946. WITH VARIOUS NAME-DROPPINGS OF STALIN, MAO, HITLER,

2947. AND THE DEATH TOLLS THEY GENERATED.

2948. WELL, AS DESPOTIC AS THESE MEN MIGHT HAVE BEEN,

2949. ALONG WITH THE SOCIETAL APPROACHES THEY PERPETUATED,

2950. WHEN IT COMES TO THE GAME OF DEATH,

2951. WHEN IT COMES TO THE SYSTEMATIC,

2952. DAILY MASS MURDER OF HUMAN BEINGS,

2953. NOTHING IN HISTORY COMPARES TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

2954. - FAMINES,

2955. THROUGHOUT AT LEAST THE LAST CENTURY OF OUR HISTORY,

2956. HAVE NOT BEEN CAUSED BY A LACK OF FOOD.

2957. THEY'VE BEEN CAUSED BY RELATIVE POVERTY.

2958. THE ECONOMIC RESOURCES WERE SO INEQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED

2959. THAT THE POOR SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

2960. WITH WHICH TO BUY THE FOOD THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AVAILABLE

2961. IF THEY COULD HAVE AFFORDED TO PAY FOR IT.

2962. THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE.

2963. ANOTHER EXAMPLE —

2964. IN AFRICA AND SOME OTHER AREAS —

2965. WELL, I'LL PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON AFRICA —

2966. TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE DYING OF AIDS.

2967. WHY ARE THEY DYING?

2968. IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT AIDS.

2969. WE HAVE — YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WEALTHY COUNTRIES

2970. ARE GETTING ALONG REMARKABLY WELL

2971. BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MEDICINES THAT WILL TREAT IT.

2972. THE PEOPLE IN AFRICA WHO ARE DYING OF AIDS

2973. ARE NOT DYING BECAUSE OF THE HIV VIRUS.

2974. THEY'RE DYING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY

2975. WITH WHICH TO PAY FOR THE DRUGS THAT WOULD KEEP THEM ALIVE.

2976. GANDHI SAW THIS.

2977. HE SAID, "THE DEADLIEST FORM OF VIOLENCE IS POVERTY."

2978. AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

2979. POVERTY KILLS FAR MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE WARS IN HISTORY,

2980. MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE MURDERERS IN HISTORY,

2981. MORE THAN ALL THE SUICIDES IN HISTORY.

2982. NOT ONLY DOES STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE KILL MORE PEOPLE

2983. THAN ALL THE BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE PUT TOGETHER,

2984. STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE

2985. IS ALSO THE MAIN CAUSE OF BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE.

2986. - OIL IS THE FOUNDATION OF

2987. AND IT IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT

2988. THE EDIFICE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION.

2989. THERE ARE 10 CALORIES OF HYDROCARBON ENERGY —

2990. OIL AND NATURAL GAS —

2991. IN EVERY CALORIE OF FOOD YOU AND I EAT

2992. IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD.

2993. FERTILIZERS ARE MADE FROM NATURAL GAS.

2994. PESTICIDES ARE MADE FROM OIL.

2995. YOU DRIVE OIL-POWERED MACHINES

2996. TO PLANT, PLOW, IRRIGATE, HARVEST, TRANSPORT, PACKAGE.

2997. YOU WRAP THE FOOD IN PLASTIC — THAT'S OIL.

2998. ALL PLASTIC IS OIL.

2999. THERE ARE SEVEN GALLONS OF OIL IN EVERY TIRE.

3000. OIL IS EVERYWHERE. IT'S UBIQUITOUS.

3001. AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF OIL

3002. THAT THERE ARE 7 BILLION PEOPLE —

3003. OR ALMOST 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET RIGHT NOW.

3004. - THE ARRIVAL OF THIS CHEAP, EASY ENERGY —

3005. WHICH IS EQUIVALENT, BY THE WAY,

3006. TO BILLIONS OF SLAVES WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK —

3007. CHANGED THE WORLD IN SUCH A RADICAL WAY

3008. OVER THE LAST CENTURY,

3009. AND THE POPULATION HAS GONE UP 10 TIMES,

3010. BUT BY 2050,

3011. OIL SUPPLY IS ABLE TO SUPPORT

3012. LESS THAN HALF THE PRESENT WORLD'S POPULATION

3013. IN THEIR PRESENT WAY OF LIFE.

3014. SO, THE SCALE OF ADJUSTMENT TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY

3015. IS JUST ENORMOUS.

3016. - THE WORLD IS NOW USING SIX BARRELS OF OIL

3017. FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

3018. FIVE YEARS AGO,

3019. IT WAS USING FOUR BARRELS OF OIL FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

3020. A YEAR FROM NOW, IT'S GONNA BE USING EIGHT BARRELS OF OIL

3021. FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

3022. - WHAT'S DISTURBING TO ME IS THE LACK OF ANY REAL EFFORT

3023. FROM GOVERNMENTS WORLDWIDE OR INDUSTRY LEADERS WORLDWIDE

3024. TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

3025. I MEAN, WE HAVE THESE

3026. SORT OF ATTEMPTS TO BUILD MORE WIND POWER

3027. AND TO MAYBE DO SOMETHING WITH TIDE,

3028. WE'VE GOT ATTEMPTS

3029. TO MAKE OUR CARS A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT,

3030. BUT THERE'S NOTHING

3031. WHICH REALLY LOOKS LIKE A REVOLUTION COMING ALONG.

3032. THESE ARE ALL PRETTY MINOR,

3033. AND THAT, I THINK, IS PRETTY FRIGHTENING.

3034. - AND THE GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE DRIVEN BY THESE ECONOMISTS

3035. WHO DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

3036. ARE TRYING TO STIMULATE CONSUMERISM

3037. TO RESTORE PAST PROSPERITY

3038. IN THE HOPE THAT THEY CAN RESTORE THE PAST.

3039. THEY'RE PRINTING YET MORE MONEY, LACKING ANY COLLATERAL AT ALL.

3040. SO, IF THE ECONOMY IMPROVES AND RECOVERS AND GROWTH —

3041. THE FAMOUS GROWTH COMES BACK,

3042. IT'LL ONLY BE SHORT-LIVED,

3043. BECAUSE WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

3044. COUNTED IN MONTHS, RATHER THAN YEARS,

3045. IT'LL HIT THE SUPPLY BARRIER AGAIN.

3046. THERE'LL BE ANOTHER PRICE SHOCK AND A DEEPER RECESSION.

3047. SO I THINK WE GO INTO A SERIES OF VICIOUS CIRCLES.

3048. - SO, YOU HAVE THE ECONOMIC GROWTH GOING UP.

3049. PRICE SPIKE — EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN.

3050. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

3051. THEN IT STARTS TO COME UP AGAIN.

3052. BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW

3053. IS THIS AREA WHERE THERE'S NO MORE ABILITY

3054. TO PRODUCE CHEAP ENERGY.

3055. WE'RE AT THE PEAK.

3056. WE'RE ON THE DOWNSLOPE OF OIL PRODUCTION.

3057. NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY MORE OUT OF THE GROUND ANY FASTER,

3058. WHICH MEANS THAT THINGS SHUT DOWN,

3059. THE PRICE OF OIL DROPS,

3060. WHICH IT DID IN EARLY 2009,

3061. BUT THEN, AS YOU HAVE AN ERSATZ, SO-CALLED RECOVERY,

3062. THE PRICE OF OIL STARTS TO COME BACK.

3063. IT'S RECENTLY BEEN HOVERING AROUND $80 A BARREL,

3064. AND WHAT WE SEE IS AT $80 A BARREL, NOW,

3065. WITH THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COLLAPSE,

3066. PEOPLE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME AFFORDING THAT.

3067. - WORLD OIL PRODUCTION, RIGHT NOW,

3068. IS ABOUT 86 MILLION BARRELS A DAY.

3069. OVER 10 YEARS,

3070. YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY 40 MILLION BARRELS A DAY

3071. HAVING TO BE REPLACED.

3072. THERE'S NOTHING AROUND WHICH CAN COME EVEN WITHIN 1%

3073. OF MEETING THAT SORT OF DEMAND.

3074. IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING PRETTY QUICKLY,

3075. THERE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE ENERGY DEFICIENCY.

3076. I THINK THE BIG MISTAKE IS IN NOT RECOGNIZING,

3077. A DECADE OR SO AGO,

3078. THAT AN EFFORT — A CONCERTED EFFORT —

3079. NEEDED TO BE MADE

3080. TO DEVELOP THESE SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF ENERGY.

3081. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING OUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOOK BACK ON

3082. WITH TOTAL DISBELIEF.

3083. "YOU PEOPLE KNEW THAT YOU WERE DEALING WITH A FINITE COMMODITY.

3084. "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BUILT YOUR ECONOMY

3085. AROUND SOMETHING WHICH WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR?"

3086. - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY,

3087. THE SPECIES IS NOW FACED

3088. WITH THE DEPLETION OF A CORE RESOURCE

3089. CENTRAL TO OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OF SURVIVAL,

3090. AND THE PUNCH LINE OF THE WHOLE THING

3091. IS THAT EVEN WITH OIL BECOMING MORE AND MORE SCARCE,

3092. THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM WILL STILL BLINDLY PUSH

3093. ITS CANCEROUS GROWTH MODEL

3094. SO PEOPLE CAN GO OUT AND BUY MORE OIL-POWERED CARS

3095. TO GENERATE GDP AND JOBS, EXASPERATING THE DECLINE.

3096. ARE THERE SOLUTIONS

3097. TO REPLACE THE EDIFICE OF THE HYDROCARBON ECONOMY?

3098. OF COURSE.

3099. BUT THE PATH NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THESE CHANGES

3100. WILL NOT MANIFEST

3101. THROUGH THE MARKET SYSTEM PROTOCOLS REQUIRED,

3102. SINCE NEW SOLUTIONS CAN ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED

3103. THROUGH THE PROFIT MECHANISM.

3104. PEOPLE ARE NOT INVESTING IN RENEWABLE ENERGIES

3105. BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY IN IT

3106. IN BOTH THE LONG AND SHORT TERM,

3107. AND THE COMMITMENT NEEDED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

3108. CAN ONLY OCCUR AT A SEVERE FINANCIAL LOSS.

3109. HENCE, THERE IS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

3110. AND IN THIS SYSTEM,

3111. IF THERE'S NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

3112. THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN.

3113. AND, ON TOP OF IT ALL,

3114. PEAK OIL IS JUST ONE OF MANY SURFACING CONSEQUENCES

3115. OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIAL TRAIN WRECK GAINING SPEED TODAY.

3116. OTHER DECLINES INCLUDE FRESHWATER —

3117. THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR EXISTENCE —

3118. WHICH IS CURRENTLY SHOWING SHORTAGES

3119. FOR 2.8 BILLION PEOPLE,

3120. AND THOSE SHORTAGES ARE ON PACE TO REACH 4 BILLION BY 2030.

3121. FOOD PRODUCTION —

3122. THE DESTRUCTION OF ARABLE CROPLAND,

3123. FROM WHICH 99.7% OF ALL HUMAN FOOD COMES FROM TODAY —

3124. IS OCCURRING UP TO 40 TIMES FASTER

3125. THAN IT IS BEING REPLENISHED.

3126. AND OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS,

3127. 30% OF THE ARABLE LAND HAS BECOME UNPRODUCTIVE —

3128. NOT TO MENTION THAT HYDROCARBONS

3129. ARE THE BACKBONE OF AGRICULTURE TODAY,

3130. AND AS IT DECLINES, SO WILL THE FOOD SUPPLY.

3131. AS FAR AS RESOURCES IN GENERAL,

3132. AT OUR CURRENT PATTERNS OF CONSUMPTION,

3133. BY 2030, WE WILL NEED TWO PLANETS TO CONTINUE OUR RATES —

3134. NOT TO MENTION THE CONTINUAL DESTRUCTION

3135. OF LIFE-SUPPORTING BIODIVERSITY,

3136. CAUSING EXTINCTION SPASMS

3137. AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESTABILIZATION

3138. ACROSS THE GLOBE.

3139. AND WITH ALL OF THESE DECLINES,

3140. WE HAVE THE NEAR-EXPONENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH,

3141. WHERE, BY 2030,

3142. THERE MIGHT BE OVER 8 BILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET.

3143. ENERGY PRODUCTION ALONE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE 44% BY 2030

3144. TO MEET SUCH DEMAND.

3145. AND, AGAIN, SINCE MONEY IS THE ONLY INITIATOR OF ACTION,

3146. ARE WE TO EXPECT THAT ANY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET

3147. IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD

3148. THE MASSIVE CHANGES NEEDED TO REVOLUTIONIZE AGRICULTURE,

3149. WATER PROCESSING, ENERGY PRODUCTION, AND THE LIKE,

3150. WHEN THE GLOBAL DEBT PYRAMID SCHEME

3151. IS SLOWLY SHUTTING THE ENTIRE WORLD DOWN?

3152. NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT YOU CURRENTLY SEE

3153. IS GOING TO BECOME NORMALITY

3154. DUE TO THE NATURE OF TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT.

3155. THE JOBS ARE NOT COMING BACK.

3156. AND, FINALLY, A BROAD SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE.

3157. FROM 1970 TO 2010,

3158. POVERTY ON THIS PLANET DOUBLED DUE TO THIS SYSTEM,

3159. AND GIVEN OUR CURRENT STATE,

3160. DO YOU HONESTLY THINK WE WILL SEE ANYTHING LESS

3161. THAN MORE DOUBLING, MORE SUFFERING,

3162. AND MORE MASS STARVATION?

3163. - THERE IS NOT GONNA BE ANY RECOVERY.

3164. THIS IS NOT SOME LONG DEPRESSION

3165. THAT WE'RE SOMEDAY GONNA PULL OUT OF.

3166. I THINK THE NEXT PHASE WE'RE GOING TO SEE

3167. AFTER THE NEXT ROUND OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

3168. IS MASSIVE CIVIL UNREST

3169. WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS STOP BEING PAID

3170. BECAUSE THE STATES HAVE NO MONEY LEFT.

3171. - AND WHEN THINGS GET SO BAD

3172. THAT PEOPLE LOSE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ELECTED LEADERS,

3173. THEY WILL DEMAND CHANGE —

3174. IF WE DON'T KILL EACH OTHER IN THE PROCESS

3175. OR DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT.

3176. I'M JUST AFRAID THAT WE MIGHT GET TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN,

3177. AND THAT BOTHERS ME NO END.

3178. WE DO ALL WE CAN TO AVOID THAT CONDITION.

3179. - IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE

3180. OF A GREAT TRANSITION IN HUMAN LIFE.

3181. - THAT WHAT WE FACE NOW IS THIS FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE

3182. OF THE LIFE WE'VE KNOWN OVER THE LAST CENTURY.

3183. - THERE HAS TO BE A LINK

3184. BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND THE RESOURCES OF THIS PLANET —

3185. THE RESOURCES BEING, OF COURSE, ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE,

3186. THE HEALTH OF THE OCEANS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

3187. THIS IS A MONETARY PARADIGM THAT WILL NOT LET GO

3188. UNTIL IT'S KILLED THE LAST HUMAN BEING.

3189. - THE "IN" GROUP WILL DO ALL IT CAN TO STAY IN POWER,

3190. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND.

3191. THEY'LL USE THE ARMY AND NAVY AND LIES,

3192. OR WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO USE TO KEEP IN POWER.

3193. THEY'RE NOT ABOUT TO GIVE IT UP,

3194. 'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER SYSTEM

3195. THAT WILL PERPETUATE THEIR KIND.