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EPCOT

I deleted a "See also" link to EPCOT (concept) as I don't think they are particularity similar, one is a political utopia, the other was a project to create a city where different ideas could be tested in practice. As such, the only similarity is a positive view of the future, and in the rest they are rather opposites. --OpenFuture (talk) 10:49, 14 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

EXCESSIVE GROOMING

This article reads like an advertisement, with no critical views, very POV. There are plenty of criticisms of TVP, especially its absurd "resource based economy" theories.75.69.183.33 (talk) 04:07, 20 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

In order for the criticisms to be there they have to be valid forms of criticisms. In other words, the critics must actually address the ideas presented other than plain projections. Your notion of a resource based economy being absurd is your own projection with no real objective reasoning for it. Also, if it reads like an advertisement, please point out what in the article is reading like one. Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself.Reason and Logic shall always prevail (talk) 07:09, 20 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I'd love to see some reliable sources for criticism of resource based economy. --OpenFuture (talk) 07:28, 20 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]
There are some acceptable criticisms out there. I will add them in a few weeks if no one else does. The whole article is lacking.--Biophily (talk) 06:32, 23 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]
It does read like an advertisment, i think the biggest problem with the VP is the total lack of planning about how to get from where we are now to a global resource based economy, i don't think you need a reource to put that in there. Archwindows (talk) 18:25, 31 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This article should be deleted and simply redirected to the article on Communism. 216.150.131.207 (talk) 20:01, 13 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Resource-based economy - Additions that were reverted (30/05/11 04:08,30)

Why were the additions (below) I made, removed by OpenFuture at 04:08, 30 May 2011?

My motive in the addition was to rid it of rhetoric and insert some plain logical structure and more precise descriptive articulation. The voice used before the additions was like one of its activists preaching, while my voice in this was more detached yet observant; if you find I failed, where did I slip? --Adeikov (talk) 13:09, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

The reverted additions

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Venus_Project&diff=next&oldid=431569424

The Concept

In a resource-based economy, resources are allocated into the goods and services in consumer demand, based on factors of availability, sustainability and technological advancement. The role of money would be phased out, instead central computers serve a lineup of goods and services (see Star network), which citizens may order upon demand; central computers serve the lineup of goods based on sustainability and the latest in technological advancement; obsolete, unwanted, or unused goods would be recycled, reduced and/or reused, resource waste is a burden the system must eliminate to function efficiently. [1]

The motivation for adopting a resource-based economy

An economy that is resource-driven serves consumers more effectively than one driven by money. In the monetary system, the access to goods and services is inhibited by the simulation of scarce resources, perpetuated and controlled, to regulate demand, justifying high-prices, so consumers lose money in the market economy. In truth (as Fresco argues), the world is rich in natural resources and energy and that, with modern technology and judicious efficiency, the needs of the global population can be met with abundance, while at the same time removing the current limits of what is deemed possible because of notions of economic viability. Economic viability is the capability of developing and surviving as a relatively independent social, economic or political unit [2] .


Inserted After Fresco's quote on WW2 US aircraft deployment
Type of airplane Total 1940¹ 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945²
Grand total 295,959 3,611 18,466 46,907 84,853 96,270 45,852
Combat airplanes 200,443 1,771 8,395 24,669 53,183 74,564 37,861
Very heavy bombers 3,740 - - 4 91 1,147 2,498
Heavy bombers 31,685 46 282 2,513 9,574 15,057 4,213
Medium bombers 21,461 52 762 4,040 7,256 6,732 2,619
Light bombers 39,986 453 2,617 5,954 11,848 12,376 6,738
Fighters 99,465 1,157 4,036 10,721 23,621 38,848 21,082

(see United States aircraft production during World War II

Many controls were put on the economy. The most important were price controls, imposed on most products and monitored by the Office of Price Administration. Wages were also controlled.[3] Corporations dealt with numerous agencies, especially the War production Board (WPB), and the War and Navy departments, which had the purchasing power and priorities that largely reshaped and expanded industrial production.[4] (see United States home front during World War II)

I reverted it because:

  • The table is completely irrelevant to this article, and the formatting was confused as well with a part indented for no obvious reason.
  • Your motivation section is POV and unsourced, except for a statement on what economic viability is that doesn't belong in this article.
  • The changes you did to the part about resource-based economy included information on how it should be organized that doesn't exist in the stated source (or as far as I can figure out, anywhere else. Sources on what Fresco actually means with RBE that isn't just talk about how great it will be, but actually explain how it will work and why it would be great would be highly appreciated. I can't find any.)

I don't see the "voice of a preacher" you are mentioning in the text that is there now, but your additions definitely have that air, treating Fresco's opinion like if they are fact. --OpenFuture (talk) 13:27, 30 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

  • With the US WW2 aircraft production table, I meant to compare Fresco's quoted statements with statistics on aircraft production and the whole story of how the US government could manufacture aircraft beyond the insufficient money and gold funds in stock, and instead just used what material and personnel resources were available.
  • In the motivation section, I inserted a description of the mechanism expressed in a sentence that is expressed formerly in the term 'scarcity', that term gets bantered about without much context, it is only in Fresco's videos that I find an explanation, if I can find the video were Jacques described it I will use it as a reference; when the term 'scarcity' is used without a context, its too vague, not self-evident what is meant; even if in the link scarcity a person could understand, it is not evident in 'the venus project' article how scarcity works to the disadvantage of consumers and then society everywhere.
  • The concept of how a resource economy works; I brought together a summary derived from descriptions made in videos where Jacques explains a little more the details; if I can pin them down, I will reference them; it may be difficult because I am summarizing the essential bits from information learnt from different videos or different parts of the videos; I will do what I can. I hope the videos will be linkable by time into play so I can reference the descriptions.
When a description keeps at a level of description where the mechanism is unclear, yet spoken like it is, using terms sophistically and possessively or obsessively; I suppose that is where my distain arrises; or the "voice of a preacher" I perceived.
I will keep your thought in mind when I edit again. I will be more diligent with the referencing. And maybe I will understand what parts of my own have that air I wish to avoid, unless it proves to be more effective at explaining the details, framing the idea and its workings, better than the last summary.
--Adeikov (talk) 15:13, 30 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]


If you can find the videos where he explains RBE and reference them that would be awesome. --OpenFuture (talk) 17:28, 30 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Section: Criticisms of a resource-based economy

This section doesn't actually contain any criticism. It's as of now very confused and of little value IMO. Should we try to fix it (I don't know how) or just remove it? --OpenFuture (talk) 08:36, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It is really a criticism of the efforts of Fresco; the later bit was a counter point to the criticism; perhaps a section called disadvantages? The criticism of Jacques goes best under the transition subheading where the efforts of Fresco are outlined. An actual criticism section of the whole Venus Project needs to be broader than doubts about progress but also of the whole idea too.
I might take the later part of the criticism section and use it in the resource-based economy section; after some framing with the flow of that material.--Adeikov (talk) 12:24, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Zeitgeist addendum as a source

Zeitgeist Addendum is a movie. To verify that source you have to look through the whole movie in order to see if there is one specific place that supports the statement. Hence it takes two hours to verify each use of it as a source. I find that unacceptable... IMO we should only allow this or any other video as a source if the citation includes a quote and a time withing the movie where the quote is said, so that it can be easily verified. Opinions on that? --OpenFuture (talk) 09:00, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]


I would like pinpoint the times in that video where Jacques is expressing an idea; if any value can be by extracted and put into a neutral frame; I might try that, perhaps I will add the details on the talk page until it can be integrated and framed well with the rest of the material. I may do likewise with others videos on YouTube Venus Project Media page. --Adeikov (talk) 12:05, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds good! --OpenFuture (talk) 12:23, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Good work on that! Thanks! (Although I wouldn't mind timestamps for all the quotes). --OpenFuture (talk) 09:22, 7 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Awesome! This makes Addendum a useful source. --OpenFuture (talk) 16:56, 7 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Transcript of Jacques with time-reference in video

(Transcript|Video)

"Corporatocracy" - Headline

(after John Perkins and Peter Joseph)

54m.40s "My name is Jacque Fresco. I'm and industrial designer and a social engineer. I'm very much interested in society and developing a system that might be sustainable, for all people. First of all the word 'corruption' is a monetary invention, that aberrant behavior, behavior that's disruptive to the well-being of people. Well you're dealing with human behavior. And human behavior appears to be environmentally determined. Meaning if you were raised by the Seminole indians as a baby, never saw anything else, you'd hold that value system. And this goes for nations, it goes for individuals, as families they try to indoctrinate their children to their particular faith, and their country and make them feel like they're part of that. And they build a society which they call established. They establish a workable point of view and tend to perpetuate that. Whereas all societies are really emergent, not established. And so they fight new ideas that would interfere with the establishment. Governments try to perpetuate that which keeps them in power. People are not elected to political office to change things. They're put there to keep things the way they are. So you see the basis of corruption is in our society. Let me make it clear. All nations then are basically corrupt because they tend to uphold existing institutions. I don't mean to uphold or downgrade all nations, but communism, socialist, fascism, the free enterprise system, and all others sub-cultures are the same. They are all basically corrupt."


"industry" - Headline

58m.23s "What's in it for me?, is why people think. And so if a man makes money selling a certain product, that's where he's going to fight the existence of another product that may threaten his institution. Therefore, people cannot be fair. And people do not trust each other. A guy will come over to you and say 'I've got just the house you're looking for'... he's a salesman. When a doctor says 'I think your kidney has to come out', I don't know if he's trying to pay off a yacht or that my kidney has to come out. It's hard in a monetary system to trust people. If you came into my store and I said 'This lamp that I've got is pretty good, but the lamp next door is much better', I wouldn't be in business very long. It wouldn't work. If I were ethical, it wouldn't work. So when you say industry cares for people... that's not true. They can't afford to be ethical. So your system is not designed to serve the well-being of people. If you still don't understand that there would be no outsourcing of jobs if they cared about people. Industry does not care. They only hire people because it hasn't been automated yet. So don't talk about decency and ethics, we cannot afford it and remain in business."

(after Peter)

1h.3m.14s "So you see, you have built-in corruption. We're all chiseling off each other, and you can't expect decency in that sort of thing.


"politics" - headline

1h.3m.28s "...a feeling that they don't know who to elect. They think in terms of a democracy, which is not possible in a monetary based economy. If you have more money to advertise your position, the position you desire in government, that isn't a democracy. It serves those in positions of differential advantage. So it's always a dictatorship of the elitist, the financially wealthy."

(after Peter)

1h.5m.14s "It's not politicians that can solve problems. They have no technical capabilities. They don't know how to solve problems. Even if they were sincere, they don't know how to solve problems. It's the technicians that produce the desalinization plants. It's the technicians that give you electricity. That give you motor vehicles. That heat your house, and cool it in the summer time. It's technology that solves problems, not politics. Politics cannot solve problems 'cause they are not trained to do so." (1:05:14 to 1:05:48)

(after Peter)


"technology" - headline

(after Peter)

1h.7m.29s "...and writing your congressman is fantastic. They tell ya, 'Write your congressman if you want something done.' The men in Washington should be at the forefront of technology. The forefront of human study. The forefront of crime. All the factors that shape human behavior. You don't have to write your congressman. What kind of people are they that are appointed to do that job? The future will have great difficulty... and the question that's raised by politicians is: How much will a project cost? The question is not: How much will it cost?, but: Do we have the resources? And we have the resources today to house everyone, build hospitals all over the world, build schools all over the world, the finest equipment in labs for teaching and doing medical research. So you see, we have all that, but we're in a monetary system, and in a monetary system there's profit."

(after Peter)


"scarcity" - headline

1h.9m.40s "What is scarcity? It's based on keeping products valuable. Slowing up production on oil raises the price. Maintaining scarcity of diamonds keeps the price high. They burn diamonds at the Kimberly Diamond Mine. They're made of carbon. That keeps the price up."

(after Peter)

1h.10m.50s "People use the word instinct because they can't account for the behavior. They sit back and they evaluate with their lack of knowledge, and they say things like 'Humans are built a certain way. Greed is a natural thing.' as though they'd worked for years on it. And it's no more natural than wearing clothing."

(after Roxanne)

1h.11m.45s "If you eradicate the conditions that generate what you call socially offensive behavior, it does not exist. A guy says 'Well listen, are they in-born?' No it's not!"

(after Roxanne)

1h.12m.13s "War, poverty, corruption, hunger, misery, human suffering will not change in a monetary system. That is, there'll be very little significant change. It's going to take the redesigning of our culture, our values, and it has to be related to the carrying capacity of the earth, not some human opinion or some politicians notions of the way the world ought to be. Or some religion's notion of the conduct of human affairs. And that's what The Venus Project is about. The society, that we're about to talk about, is a society that is free of all the old superstitions, incarceration, prisons, police, cruelty and law. All laws will disappear and the professions will disappear, that are no longer valid, such as stockbrokers, bankers, advertising... Gone! Forever! Because it's no longer relevant."

(after Peter)

1h.15m.18s "What the Venus Project proposes is an entirely different system that's updated to present day knowledge."

(after Roxanne)


"A resource based economy" - Headline

(after Roxanne)

1h.16m.40s "It's a very different system and it's very hard to talk about because the public is not that well enough informed as to the state of technology."


"Energy" - Headline

1h.16m.55s "At present we don't have to burn fossil fuels. We don't have to use anything that would contaminate the environment. There are many sources of energy available."

(after Peter)


"work" - Headline

1h.23m.20s "Now America is inclined towards fascism. It has a propensity by it's dominant philosophy and religion to uphold the fascist point of view. American industry is essentially a fascist institution. If you don't understand that... the minute you punch that time clock, you walk into a dictatorship."

(after Roxanne)

1h.23m.50s "You're brought up to believe that you shall earn your living by the sweat of your brow. That holds people back. Freeing people from drudgery, repetitive jobs which make them ignorant. You rob them. In our society, that is a resource based economy, machines free people. You see, we can't imagine that because we've never known that kind of world."


"automation" - Headline

(after Peter)

1h.25m.5s "When an industry takes on machines instead of shortening the work day, they downsize. You loose your job. So you have a right to fear machines."

1h.26m.11s "We have machines that clean out sewer, it frees a human being from doing that. So look at machines as extensions of human performance."

(after Peter)

1h.26m.58s "Instead of putting up a sign 'Drive carefully. Slippery when wet' put abrasive in the highway so it is not slippery when wet. And if a person gets in a car and they're drunk and the car oscillates a great deal, there is a little pendulum that swings up and back and that will pull the car over to the side... not a law, a solution. Put sonar and radar on automobiles so they can't hit one another. Man made laws are an attempts to deal with recurring problems and not knowing how to solve them they make a law."

(after Peter)


"incentive" - Headline

1h.28m.40s "If people have access to the necessities of life without servitude, debt, barter trade; they behave very differently. You want all these things available without a price tag. Now then, you've gotta have a price tag. What will motivate people? A man gets everything he wants, he'll just lay around in the sun. This is a myth they perpetuate. People in our culture are trained to believe that the monetary system produces incentive. If they have access to things, why should they want to do anything? They will lose their incentive. That's what you're taught to support the monetary system."

(after Roxanne)

1h.29m.31s "When people have access to the necessities of life, their incentives change. What about the moon and the stars? New incentives arise. If you make a painting that you enjoy, you will enjoy giving it to other people, not selling it."


"education" - Headline

(after Roxanne)

1h.30m.26s "Our society's major concern is mental development, and to motivate each person to their highest potential. Because our philosophy is the smarter people are the richer the world, because everybody becomes a contributor."

(after Roxanne)


"civilization" - Headline

1h.31m.1s "Patriotism, weapons, armies, navies, all that is a sign that we're not civilized yet. Kids will ask their parents... 'Didn't you see the necessity of machines? Dad, couldn't you see that war was inevitable when you produce scarcity? Isn't it obvious?' Of course the kid will understand that you were pinheads raised merely to serve the established institutions. We're such an abominable, sick society that we won't make the history books. They'll just say that large nations took land from smaller nations, used force and violence. You'll get history talked about as corrupt behavior all the way along until the beginning of the civilized world. That's when all the nations work together. World unification, working toward common good for all human beings and without anyone being subservient to anyone else. Without social stratification whether it be technical elitism or any other kind of elitism, eradicated from the face of the earth. The 'state' does nothing because there is no 'state'. The system I advocate, a resource based global economy is not perfect, it's just a lot better than what we have. We can never achieve perfection."

(after Peter)

1h.37m.45s "The concept of god, is really a method of accounting for the nature of things. In the early days people didn't know enough about how things formed, how nature worked. So they invented their own little stories, and the made god in their own image. A guy that get's angry when people don't behave right. He creates floods, and earthquakes, and they say it's and act of god."

(after Peter)

1h.40s.19s "The Bible is subject to interpretation. When you read it, you say 'I think Jesus meant this. I think Job meant that. Oh No! He meant this.' So you have the Lutheran, the Seventh-day Adventist, the Catholic, and a church divided is no church at all."

(after Peter)

1h.41m.35s "You don't see the plug to connect to the environment, so it looks like we're free... wandering around. Take the oxygen away, we all die immediately. Take plant life away, we die. And without the sun, all the plants die. So we are connected."

(after John Perkins and Peter Joseph)

1h.50m.10s "They're not gonna give up the monetary system, because of our designs of what we'd recommend. The system has to fail, and people have to lose confidence in their elected leaders. That will be a major turning point if The Venus Project is offered as a major alternative. If not, I fear the consequences. The trends now indicate that our country is going bankrupt. The probability is our country will move towards a military dictatorship to prevent riots and complete social breakdown. Once the US breaks down, all the other cultures will undergo similar things."

(Then Peter and J. Krishnamurti)

Is there actually any theory outside of resource based economy that is relevant here?

Or should we merge the theory heading into resource based economy. The two sections currently say pretty much the same thing. --OpenFuture (talk) 11:45, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I might attempt that; I might disassemble and reassemble it with resource based economy section; put the theory under specify subheading; cause it refer to specific aspect of the motivation for change and the resource based economy section the way it is, is part concept and part motivation. --Adeikov (talk) 12:15, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

That could work, at least if we get any more sources on how it's supposed to work. Most of the current sources are only motivation, ie they want RBE because it will lead to less poverty/less crime/something else thats good, but no explanation on why or how it would lead to these. And claims that market economy leads to bad things aren't really theory eitehr, but again just motivation. --OpenFuture (talk) 12:22, 1 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Resource-based economy (02/07/2011)

Essential factors

  • Common global ownership [5]
  • Sustainability [6]
  • Cybernated Gift Economy [7][8] (based on global resources, compiled into global manifest of resources, inferring the carrying capacity of the Earth, and determining strategies of sustainability and social wellbeing)
  • Cybernated Maintenance of Routine Governance [9]
  • Integrated Global Culture [10]

--Adeikov (talk) 01:57, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Criticism section (again)

It's nice to see a lot of activity here, but I don't really see much improvement of the article, and the criticism section is one example of this. There is few references, Bryan Caplans talk about anti-market-bias is relevant, but unless we can find a place where he directly says the TVP is a victim of this bias it's WP:Original Research. The "Counter-point" seems to contain no actual counter-point. To me adding material which doesn't have references or is original research isn't improving the article. As of now we are just getting more and more conjecture, opinions and guesses. I don't like that development. --OpenFuture (talk) 08:44, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]


I will review the material added myself, after studying the original research criterion and neutral pov criterion better, I will rectify the issues, and ensure conformance. I knew not all of it was perfect and would require alteration later, my motive here was structured flow and better clarity of the concept and critique Jacque Fresco discusses. Tell if my alterations are improvements, I know it's not perfect, I forsee a rewrite based on this structure, but better flow and cohesion and better conformance with Wikipedia. --Adeikov (talk) 12:37, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Super! You are finding some more sources on RBE, this is good. If you, or someone else, can find reliably sourced criticism, then we could get somewhere with this. --OpenFuture (talk) 12:55, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]
http://mises.org/daily/4636 --Biophily (talk) 10:05, 29 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I emailed the bunch of bloggers at Econlib.org for their analysis, critique, and parallel of the economic model offered at venusproject.com and how I wish to use them to reference on this article at Wikipedia, and for any good reference material they of that directly relates to thevenusproject.com economic model. Hopefully I will get treasure trove of reliable references, 2nd or 3rd party, for the article.

Bryan Chaplin is one of the bloggers, they are all economic experts which would be a great source of reference, and potential in future. --Adeikov (talk) 13:49, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure this will be acceptable. This would amount to provoking sources to produce source material for Wikipedia. There may be a policy against that. If it is acceptable practice, the writers would have to publish an article somewhere about it; an email response would not be valid.
Aside from that concern, there is another concern pertaining to the contrived nature of this affair. I suspect that if the writers were to respond with an article, it would be the product of an internet surf (discovering notions of utopia and communism), and not a thorough examination of Fresco's main book. This would be because the research was requested of them, and not self-motivated. The result could be a half-baked. Though I could be wrong. --Biophily (talk) 17:53, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is, a resource-based economy is generally a populist ideal. So far, it falls short of academic consideration. In cases such as these, the fate of the idea usually results in two outcomes: only certain aspects of the idea are attended to and the idea is commercialized, or the idea reaches such a noticeable state of populism that academics begin to study it as populism. Whether the idea would actually enter discourse is unknown, perhaps quite unlikely. Elementary parts of Fresco's resource-based economy have been considered thoroughly, but not as a part of Fresco's brand. For the few academics who have considered it as Fresco's brand, the response is positive. However the positive response is not detailed, and basically only expresses approval of the ideal and they refrain from criticizing it – probably because of the idea's humanitarian aspirations and well-intentioned nature. This leaves us with very limited criticism of it. There are plenty of sources that explain a resource-based economy, and plenty with positive regard, but too few expressing detailed criticism useful for your intended purposes here.

There are many sources that review the Venus Project. And there are plenty that mention a resource-based economy. I propose that elaboration of the resource-based economy concept be further pursued, and analysis of it be abandoned. Beings there is limited voices criticizing its viability, we should leave out those voices that profess its viability. We should stick strictly to the concept as elaborated by Fresco and in the context of it as his general philosophy or vision, and/or the philosophy/vision of the Venus Project and its followers.

The best place to find elaboration of the concept is in his book, The Best That Money Can't Buy - not the internet. But if you do not have access to that book, you might consult the essay on the Venus Project website, or you might consult his ebook Designing the Future. If you want third party sources you can look here:

By the way, including the often repeated quote about WWII arms proliferation should be included, as that is as close to a resource-based economy as we have had in modern times.

This article needs a lot of work. --Biophily (talk) 17:37, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Zeitgeist:: Moving Forward

Transcript of Jacque Fresco

(Transcript|Video) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Adeikov (talkcontribs) 17:54, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

5m.55s “When I was a young man growing up in New York City, I refused to pledge allegiance to the flag. Of course I was sent to the principal's office. And he asked me, 'Why don't you want to pledge allegiance? Everybody does!' I said, 'Everybody once believed the Earth was flat but that doesn't make it so.' I explained that America owed everything it has to other cultures and other nations. and that I would rather pledge allegiance to the Earth and everyone on it. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I left school entirely. and I set up a lab in my bedroom. There I began to learn about science and nature. I realized then that the universe is governed by laws and that the human being along with society itself was not exempt from these laws. Then came the crash of 1929, which began what we now call “The Great Depression”. I found it difficult to understand why millions were out of work, homeless, starving while all the factories were sitting there. The resources were unchanged. It was then that I realized that the rules of the economic game were inherently invalid. Shortly after, came World War II where various nations took turns systematically destroying each other. I later calculated that all the destruction and wasted resources spent on that war could have easily provided for every human need on the planet. Since that time I have watched humanity set the stage for its own extinction. I have watched as the precious finite resources are perpetually wasted and destroyed in the name of profit and free markets. I have watched the social values of society be reduced into a base artificiality of materialism and mindless consumption. And I have watched as the monetary powers control the political structure of supposedly free societies. I'm 94 years old now. And I'm afraid my disposition is the same as it was 75 years ago.”

1h.46m.8s “The horror movies of the future will be our society, the way it didn't work and politics, would be part of a horror movie. Well, lots of people today use the term 'cold science' because it's analytical and they don't even know what analytical means. Science means: closer approximations to the way the world really works. So, it's telling the truth - is what it is. A scientist doesn't try to get along with people. They tell them what their findings are. They have to question all things and if some scientist comes up with an experiment that shows certain materials have certain strengths other scientists have to be able to duplicate that experiment and come up with the same results. Even if a scientist feels that an airplane wing due to mathematics or calculations can hold up a given amount of weight they still pile sandbags on it to see when it breaks, and they say 'you know my calculations are right or they are not correct'. I love that system because it's free of bias and free of thinking that math can solve all the problems. You have to put your Math to test also. I think that every system that can be put to test should be put to test. And that all decisions should be based upon research.”

1h.49m.52s A “Resource-Based Economy would be based upon available resources. You can't just bring a lot of people to an island or build a city of 50,000 people without having access to the necessities of life. So, when I use the term a ‘comprehensive systems approach' I'm talking about doing an inventory of the area first and determining what that area can supply- not just architectural approach- not just design approach- but design must be based on all of the requirements to enhance human life and that's what I mean by an integrated way of thinking. Food, clothing, shelter, warmth, love - All those things are necessary and if you deprive people of any of them you have a lesser human being, less capable of functioning.”

2h.9m.52s “The more justice you seek, the more hurt you become because there's no such thing as justice. There is whatever there is out there. That's it. In other words, if people are conditioned to be racist bigots- if they are brought up in an environment that advocates that why do you blame the person for it? They are a victim of a subculture. Therefore they have to be helped. The point is, we have to redesign the environment that produces aberrant behavior. That's the problem. Not putting a person in jail. That's why judges, lawyers, “freedom of choice” - such concepts are dangerous, because it gives you misinformation. That the person is “bad” or that person is a “serial killer”. Serial killers are made just like soldiers become serial killers with a machine gun. They become killing machines, but nobody looks at them as murderers or assassins because that's “natural”. So we blame people. We say, “Well, this guy was a Nazi - he tortured Jews”. No, he was brought up to torture Jews. "Once you accept the fact that people have individual choices and they are free to make those choices." Free to make choices means without being influenced and I can't understand that at all. All of us are influenced in all of our choices by the culture we live in, by our parents and by the values that dominate. So, we're influenced- so there can't be “free” choices. What's the greatest country in the world?' - the true answer: I haven't been all over the world and I don't know enough about different cultures to answer that question.' I don't know anybody that speaks that way. They say, "It's the good old USA! The greatest country in the world!" There is no survey. 'Have you been to India?' - 'No.' 'Have you been to England?' - 'No.' 'Have you been to France?' - 'No.' 'Then what do you make your assumptions on?' They can't answer, they get mad at you. They say, 'God dammit! Who the hell are you to tell me what to think?!' You know. Don't forget: you're dealing with aberrated people. They are not responsible for their answers; they're victims of culture and that means they have been influenced by their culture.”

2h.13m.6s “I believe that communism, socialism, free enterprise, fascism are part of social evolution. You can't take a giant step from one culture to another- there are in-between systems.”

2h.31m.25s “And when things get so bad that people lose confidence in their elected leaders, they will demand change if we don't kill each other in the process or destroy the environment. I'm just afraid that we might get to the point of no return and that bothers me to no end.”

--Adeikov (talk) 17:45, 2 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Gift Economy?

The categorization of this is dubious and contentious. I have seen every source mentioning a resource-based economy and in none of them has it been labeled as a gift economy. It is apparent that it is your own categorization, and that is original research. Categorization requires analysis and that is not the duty of an encyclopedia editor. An encyclopedia editor gathers facts and views about a subject from sources. New views are not to be created. As tempting and comfortable as it is to categorize ideas, I recommend that it not be categorized unless such categorization can be attributed to a source.--Biophily (talk) 2 June 2011 (UTC)

I add a 2nd party source that may be used to source such a parallel the resource based gift economy; I have added it as a source. If the source is too weak, I will search further or I will replace the words 'gift economy' with the equivalent matching phrase that Jacque would use, source it and add the source. --Adeikov (talk) 23:21, 3 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

That looks like a self-published blog, and hence not a reliable source... --OpenFuture (talk) 00:26, 4 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]


Peter Joseph as a source of criticism and interpretation

There is a video where Jacque or Roxanne have an exchange of heated remarks at the date on their break away; Peter made the criticism about time, cost and likelihood of them reaching their target.

Also his view of the resource-based economy or his critique of the present economy; these could be a good source of parallel and disagreement; if Peter has a page or section on the Zeitgeist movement wiki, we could make valid comparisons and parallels and criticisms.

My motive here is to gently and subtly introduce other perspectives without affirming any; and any comparison with other experts to allow the reader a broad perspective and maybe gauge objectively and cleanly as possible. --Adeikov (talk) 17:08, 7 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]


List of Relevant Videos on YouTube

List of Videos of "The Venus Project Media" channel

Time Title Date Produced
11:41 Jacque Fresco-Expectations Dec 28, 2010
13:59 Jacque Fresco-Problems of Values May 3, 2011
3:53 The Venus Project Movie Donations
11:19 The Venus Project-Lecture+Update March 27, 2011
9:11 Jacque Fresco-Corrupting Factors, Social Responsibility Feb 14, 2011
15:43 Jacque Fresco-Technocracy, City Strategies, Sourcing Information Feb. 9, 2011
2:56 The Venus Project Feb 3, 2011 Update
4:55 The Venus Project Tours with Jacque Fresco
9:11 Jacque Fresco-Corrupting Factors, Social Responsibility Feb 14, 2011
10:49 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec.19, 2010 3/3
10:18 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec 19, 2010 2/3
11:49 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec.19, 2010 1/3
15:39 Jacque Fresco-Technology & Unemployment Dec.12, 2010
6:05 Jacque Fresco-Decisions May 15, 2011+Update
11:41 Jacque Fresco-Expectations Dec 28, 2010
13:59 Jacque Fresco-Problems of Values May 3, 2011
15:16 Jacque Fresco-Animal Behavior, "Instinct", Modifying Values April 17, 2011
11:19 The Venus Project-Lecture+Update March 27, 2011
3:53 The Venus Project Movie Donations
15:00 Jacque Fresco-Purpose, Conscious, Relativity, Individuality Sept.18, 1976
9:11 Jacque Fresco-Corrupting Factors, Social Responsibility Feb 14, 2011
15:43 Jacque Fresco-Technocracy, City Strategies, Sourcing Information Feb. 9, 2011
2:56 The Venus Project Feb 3, 2011 Update
14:25 Jacque Fresco-Can't Exceed Your Environment Dec. 28, 2010
4:55 The Venus Project Tours with Jacque Fresco
10:49 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec.19, 2010 3/3
10:18 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec 19, 2010 2/3
11:49 Jacque Fresco-Relation to Academia Dec.19, 2010 1/3
8:48 Jacque Fresco-In Search for the Science of Communication Nov 3, 2010 3/3
11:57 Jacque Fresco-In Search for the Science of Communication Nov. 3, 2010 2/3
14:56 Jacque Fresco-In Search for the Science of Communication Nov 3, 2010 1/3
12:18 Jacque Fresco-Investigating Behavior Oct 12, 2010 5/5 + update
15:43 Jacque Fresco-Investigating Behavior Oct 12, 2010 4/5
15:44 Jacque Fresco-Investigating Behavior Oct 12, 2010 3/5
15:35 Jacque Fresco-Investigating Behavior Oct 12, 2010 2/5
15:27 Jacque Fresco-Investigating Behavior Oct 12, 2010 1/5
15:35 Jacque Fresco-anthropology, efficiency, superfluous customs and primitive cultures
15:49 Jacque Fresco-looking backward, truth, learning, semantics
15:42 Jacque Fresco-Extensional values, set patterns
7:08 Jacque Fresco-"free" society, planned obsolescence, artificiality
6:14 Jacque Fresco-Adaptation, Established, Allegiance to Earth
15:31 Jacque Fresco-Dependency, Sharing, Security, Laws, Thought Control April 11, 1975

--Adeikov (talk) 17:41, 7 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

(This done by myself, so any error is mine, though should be mainly punctuational)

"How would you prevent the venus project from becoming corrupt, if people put up money to build the first city and try to dictate the policy of the city? First of all, the venus project would not be sponsored by people that think this system will work; it is the failure of this system that enables people to put money up for an experimental system. If doctors want to build a new hospital to operate differently, they build an experimental hospital and they check it out if it works, if doesn't they go back to the other system. If the venus project designs a city and it doesn't work, we'll change the design, until it does, just like a research programs, there is a lot of things in research that don't work, and so you don't stop doing research, you have to continue doing research, until it does work; will it work perfectly? No, every year it will get better, if you keep at it. So, I see all things changing always, I see no final frontiers, no utopias, and the basis for corruption if you were to have a man finance a city and he tries to steer it in the monetary direction, it'll fail, just like the monetary system.

So, we'll have a city, which we can use, but the guy that run a city will be out, his business will be out, because people don't have purchasing power to keep him going. And as I said before, if wealthy people, all buy big yoahts, and they keep them loaded ready to leave with food, sea piracy will grow, be more pirates in the sea grabbing yoahts, because they can't sail indefinitely without fuel. So, they all go out to the West indies, and they can occupy an island, all these wonderful yoahts, and were millionaires. And if other people on islands are starving they'll invade that island. You understand, you can't live to yourself is the message I'm talking about. If we don't take care of everybody including ourselves, we cannot build a world free of war, poverty, and hunger.

It's been said in religion, all these things, but they don't know, didn't know how to attain it. They thought if only people would be decent and fair. They can't in a competitive world. If you manufacture stockings that have runs in them, people have to buy new stockings, but if Larry invents stockings that don't have a runs, he'll put you out of business or you buy his patent and don't produce it because you want to sell stockings. So how can you be decent and ethical in a competitive world, how can you love your bother if you take advantage of him, by owning a patent that stops him from making something that will benefit other people. If you take a patent out on crutches and your wheelchair, people can't use it unless they pay you. So, all patents and private property deprive other people. When a guy is very wealthy, if he owns four thousand acres of land, I would say he's kind-of a selfish individual, you don't need four thousand acres, unless he gave it to some charity, I'd gathered the man is truly religious. Doctors without borders for me, are more religious than most church attendee, church attending people.

People that do good without reward, you know, the only reward you get is seeing less poverty, hunger, starvation, and deprivation; kids with swollen bellies, all gone. If that don't give you incentive, if your only incentive is the money system, then you don't understand human beings, because you owe your own life to the advances made by Edison, Louie Paster, and all the other people; you're alive because of them. So, if you don't feel you want to put anything back, into the earth, to make it a better place, I would say your harmful to yourself and society. Should we kill those people? No, sent them back to school to learn or show them evidence of the system you believe in and have them produce counter-arguments, don't stop them. Well, if they say this system kills incentive, say, what is your evidence for that. Always, don't kill them, because if you start killing people, you always have people you want to kill. You know what I mean? People just...say, “Well those bastards don't care about anybody but themselves." Well, I would say they need bits of information to be able to do the things that are better for people. Well, who, decides which is better for people? Eventually, the majority of people will decide that. If the system doesn't work, they won't operate it, or they'll find a system that does work.

You know went I was a kid, cops used to blow a whistle to stop traffic and I remember talking a lot, a system where a red light see, a section of pavement went up and it stopped the cars, so they couldn't violate the law. Even if there's a red light, a guy's talking to somebody in the car he can go through a red light. But, we don't want evaluators that might stop on the floor you want it to stop at, we want evaluators that stop on the floor you want it to stop at. We don't want traffic controlled by a light in the guy isn't watching it, we want traffic controlled by a mechanism in the car, instead of a red light, the car stops when other cars are passing, and when they cease to pass you get the go-sign, but don't leave anything up to people, it won't work. Even on an aircraft carrier today there is a guy that signals planes to come in, if a plane has a landing gear problem, he's given priority, they tell the other planes to fly around a little, until the damaged airplane lands. Nobody makes that decision except the conditions that prevail. Do you understand what that means? If we begin to run out of farm land, and the wealthy people or the middle class have difficulty getting food, then a lot of research will be done on hydroponics and ocean farming.

But right now you can't get a nickel for ocean farming, because it's not that necessary, as long as they're eating, that's your problem. And if you make it your problem, you might kill the wealthy guy for his bank account or kidnap his wife for ransom, so that you too can eat.

So, the system generates predatory bahaviour, where take advantage of other people, well you say that human nature, that's the way things are today, there's always been scarcity, so most people are out to take care of themselves. So, if you don't take care of yourself, no one's going to take care of you. And, so, they make us predatory, the system is like that. But you say, “Well, I think its up to each individual," if you really study it you'll find that each individual is made to conform to the social institutions that exist, if they don't conform, they wind up as vagrants in prison or they have difficulty getting a job they don't conform, so your pressed by many different forces to conform. If you walked around without any clothing because you don't believe in clothing, you'll be picked up and arrested and put in jail, if you continue to do that, you might be put in a mental hospital. But that isn't a free country, nothing is free. In a free country, you're free to make your own decision, you're never free to make your own decisions. If you live in any culture, they will work on you, so that you correspond to the values of that culture."

--Adeikov (talk) 13:25, 11 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

List of Videos of "Jacque Fresco -- JacqueTalk" channel

Time Title Date Produced
4:20 Larry King Interview 1974
0:42 Social Engineering
2:19 Research & Development
1:02 No Utopia
2:26 Being Responsible
3:22 Documentary on My Life Directed by William Gazecki
0:49 Generalism and Change
0:32 Social Change
0:42 People of the Future
1:30 Science and War

--Adeikov (talk) 18:19, 7 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

List of Videos of subanomic

Time Title Date Produced
12:33 Jacque Fresco - New Zealand FULL TV Interview (multilingual subtitles) 2/2
12:33 Jacque Fresco - New Zealand FULL TV Interview (multilingual subtitles) 1/2
2:53 We Are One Planet - Z-Day 2011 (multilingual subtitles)


Resource-based economy section (9/6/2011)

I was trying think of ways this could be structured best; I think it is better than it was before 28/5/2011; a reader could now pick up on some sense of coherence and substance. Yet, it is not perfect, it is to some degree messy, and some phrases like 'judicious efficiency' are weighty or not as flowing, and even some my own additions need more flow. I may attempt some revision, without subtracting anything vital or nuanced. --Adeikov (talk) 12:38, 9 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Redirected

The article relied entirely on primary sources so it was redirected, per the earlier AfD to Zeitgeist: Addendum. 69.86.225.27 (talk) 23:49, 6 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

What AfD? --OpenFuture (talk) 20:41, 8 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/The Venus Project. 128.59.169.48 (talk) 18:19, 9 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  1. ^ "Resource-Based Economy". Venus Project. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
  2. ^ "Definition - Economic Viability".
  3. ^ Harvey C Mansfield, A short history of OPA (Historical reports on War Administration) (1951)
  4. ^ Paul A. C. Koistinen, Arsenal of World War II: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1940-1945 (2004) pp 498-517
  5. ^ "In Phase 3 point 1; it states a prime foal is a treatise declaring the common heritage of the worlds aka common global ownership of resources".
  6. ^ "Sustainability is maintained as a prime component".
  7. ^ "Question 52 - What is the role of CYBERNATION as Decision Makers? - Includes economics and routine goverance".
  8. ^ "Queston 66 - Will people who do more WORK, such as doctors, demand more resources then someone like an artist? - mentions that goods and services are gifts aka without a price tag".
  9. ^ "Question 52 - What is the role of CYBERNATION as Decision Makers? - Includes economics and cybernated maintenance of routine governance".
  10. ^ "See Phase 3 - Point 2; states the merging integration culture in an essentially Integrated Global Culture".