The Venus Project

Ask any man on the street what he thinks of our world today, and you are likely to receive a response riddled with negatives. The environment is deteriorating, politicians are failing to deliver, the recession is eating up savings, and surviving the everyday has become difficult if not impossible.

In these turbulent economic times, the tsunami wave of panic that has been offset by the frenzy of the media and politicians is causing many to barricade themselves indoors awaiting the end of the world. Driven by the shouts of panic, few are listening to the voices of calm solutions, such as those of Jacque Fresco.

An incredibly versatile individual who may be described as everything from an industrial designer to a pioneer, Fresco is the founder of The Venus Project. Offering a revolutionary yet feasible blueprint for living a life in symbiosis with our planet and without the artificial need for money, The Venus Project turns our current social structure upside down and demonstrates how fantasy can truly become a reality. Because, as Fresco aptly states, ‘All the wonders of technology mean very little unless they serve to elevate all human beings to their highest potential and help bring about world unification.’

Chic Today is honoured to present an exclusive interview with an individual whose incredible ideas, projects and vision are set to open your eyes in ways unimaginable.

If you had to condense the essence of your vision into a brief paragraph, what would you say to convince skeptics that your idea is truly feasible?

It is not possible to describe a new social system in a brief paragraph. However, The Venus Project’s plans for social change work toward a peaceful and sustainable global civilization. I believe it is now possible to achieve a society where people can live longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives. In such a society, the measure of success would be the fulfillment of one’s individual pursuits rather than the acquisition of wealth, property, and power.

Today, many think what is needed is a higher sense of ethics and international laws to assure a sustainable global society. Even if the most ethical people in the world were elected to political office, without sufficient resources we would still have many of the same problems. As long as a few nations control most of the world’s resources and the bottom line is profit, the same cycle of events will prevail. What is needed is the intelligent management of Earth’s resources.

If we really wish to put an end to our ongoing international and social problems, we must declare Earth and all of its resources to be the common heritage of all the world’s people and work towards that end. Anything less will result in the same problems we have today.

The Earth is abundant with resources; rationing resources with monetary methods is irrelevant and counterproductive to the well-being of people. Today we have highly advanced technologies. But our social and economic system has not kept pace with our technological capabilities which could easily create a world of abundance free of servitude and debt for all. This could be accomplished by implementing a global resource-based economy.

Simply stated, a resource-based economy uses resources directly rather than through the interface of money, and provides an equitable distribution of goods and services in a humane and efficient manner for the entire population. It is a system in which goods and services are available without the use of money, credit, barter, or any other form of debt or servitude. A resource-based economy uses resources to enhance the lives of the total population. In an economy based on rationally used resources rather than on money (which is an extra degree of separation from the things needed), we can easily produce the necessities of life and provide a high standard of living for all.

To better understand a resource-based economy consider this: if all the money in the world suddenly disappeared, but topsoil, factories, and other resources were left intact, we could build anything we chose to build and fulfill any human need. It is not money that people need, but access to the necessities of life without the interface of a government bureaucracy or any other agency. In a resource-based economy money is irrelevant. What’s required are resources, manufacturing, and distribution of the products.

A resource-based economy would use technology to compensate for scarce resources, and would utilize renewable sources of energy.  It would computerize and automate manufacturing and inventory, and design safe energy-efficient cities with universal health care and a relevant education. It would encourage the evolution of a new incentive system based on human and environmental concerns.

If the thought of eliminating money still troubles you, consider this: If a group of people with gold, diamonds, and money were stranded on an island that had no resources, their wealth would be irrelevant to their survival. It is only when resources are scarce that money can be used to control the distribution of things we need. One could not, for example, sell the air we breathe or water abundantly flowing down a mountain stream. Although air and water are valuable, when abundant they cannot be sold.

All social systems, regardless of political philosophy, religious beliefs, or social customs, depend upon natural resources, on clean air and water, arable land, and the technology and personnel necessary to maintain a high standard of living. This can be accomplished through the intelligent and humane application of science and technology.

The real wealth of any nation is its developed and potential resources, and the people who work for the elimination of scarcity and the creation of a more humane society.

(continues)

Pages: 1 2