The Best That Money Can't Buy

As a teenager, I once asked myself, where does money come from? How is it created, regulated, distributed and governed? Back then, I tried to convey with my mind how all of the communications, transportations and exchange is currently happening fundamentally. How it all was connected.

Turning 21, I liked my own room or semi appartment so much that I jokingly mentioned that I would like to take my room with me when I would get my own home in the nearby future. While wondering about these things, there was one person in my life who explained both of those thoughts with clear answers and a vast amount of details.

Since seeing Zeitgeist: Addendum in 2008, I have known and learned about Jacque Fresco up until this day. Going through many sources of him being featured inside interviews, articles, documentaries and more, he has become my main inspiration source, and he has changed my life.

With the Venus Project, which I first typed about on this blog 4 years ago, I became aware of an organization that introduced to me the concept of a Resource Based Economy, and that it was preparing to build an experimental city in order to validate the project's designs and proposals.

On various blog posts in here, I have already talked about the project and the founder behind it, which can be found in examples such as Robotics, The Venus Project and Quarter of a Century. Today, I would like to review not only the most special day I encountered during my U.S.A. Trip,
but also that of a little book called The Best That Money Can't Buy.

Let's start with the book first. Let's quote a clear summary about what can be expected from it:

"Hundreds of books address technological change, business process management, human productivity, and environmental issues. Almost all overlook the major element in all these systems; human beings and their social structures and culture.

This book offers a possible alternative and methods to consciously fuse all these elements to create a sustainable future for all our planterary inhabitants, as well as fundamental changes in the way we regard ourselves, one another, and our world."

Pretty much all political, social and economic systems today are outdated and obsolete. The Best That Money Can't Buy provides an inside look at how misguided and stagnating our judicial system is, how pseudo democracy works in developed countries and that it's about time that the monetary system got suspended and replaced in an inevitable transition of necessary change.

It also offers solutions, not only in the form of a Resource Based Economy and The Venus Project, but also going into untapped potential new resources to be used globally in the future, such as geothermal energy, deuterium and fusion energy.

It dismisses popular sayings and doom scenario's such as the machines will take over and enslave humanity, or that competition is useful and creates incentive. Or that Jacque's lifework is a communistic or Utopian model as an ideology.

It foresees interesting developments in the nearby future, such as nanotechnology, automation, artificial intelligence and a global economic collapse the likes of which we have never seen before yet.

It renders religious foundations as becoming more useless and false in the way of technological advancements and scientific progress. Many values we take for granted today, even in general terms, what we consider normal can be considered quite insane when looking at it from different perspectives or indeed through the eye or associative memory of the beholder.

It suggests a global scientific language to be implemented, free of miscommunication, useless opinions and other mistakes. A language of relevance, without judgemental norms and values, without emotional driven intent, such as engineering or chemistry is needed for better overall communication with one another.

Military, war and territorial disputes, poverty and scarcity, corruption and the majority of crimes could be wiped out of existence according to Jacque's research, but only if we commonly unite as a species and inherit the natural resources as a common heritage for all of the world's people.

It shares with us futuristic model devices and buildings such as machinery, transportation, chemical plants and scanners that could possibly be designed for a better world than the current chaotic state we live in. It's not perfect, but it's by no means BS(Bad Science), and it's a hell of a lot better than what governments around the world are currently discussing and implementing when we talk about pollution, waste disposal and global warming.

It advises to introduce a relevant education, without random arbitrary facts to compete with others, without supporting the monetary system and without being useless, not tapping on our intellect in a more humane and holistic sense.

It teaches us that we are shaped and reflect into what the environment makes of us and the culture that surrounds it, thus creating numerous amounts of conflicts already just for having different ideals, values and expectations. We get rewarded into preserving these cultures in the forms of medals, moral acceptance or the promise of going to a better place after death.

Nationalism, patriotism, the media and banks around the world are all connected for preserving their establishments through the power of money, property, communication and propaganda machines. Despite technological advancements, the establishments continue to uphold their old values and ideals.

The Best That Money Can't Buy is a huge eye opener in how I think the world works, and together with Fresco's numerous lectures, seminars, interviews and other meetings, it has made me aware of humanity and it's actions more than ever. And for that, I am utterly grateful.

This might just have been the most important book I have read yet in my lifetime, as it is more relevant than ever. And it's not just a futuristic book. It details very logically into ancient human establishments, how we could be better off and improve upon those, and it offers a vast number of solutions, making it feel like a complete book.

Rating: ****(out of 4)

For Further Information:

Paradise or Oblivion, excellent documentary which addresses the vision and goals of the Venus Project further, correctly pointing out the major root problems of today's world, while at the same time offering an alternative solution for humanity and nature to co-exist in.

Designing the Future, where it gets explained how goods and services would be distributed and available to all, without the need for war and politics. Social dilemma's are addressed, and alternatives are proposed towards major problems such as militarism, poverty, hunger and commercialism.

http://thevenusproject.com/

For Further References:

The Zeitgeist Trilogy, especially Addendum and Moving Forward are recommended.

Culture in Decline, a web based series going into further details what the Z Trilogy already shared with us in regards to the root problems of societies. Peter Joseph is creator of both projects, an outspoken and intelligent man to listen to.

http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ (Although both organizations have parted ways with each other, they are very similar in analyzing what's wrong in the current world and provide various solutions)
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As for my special day back in late August of this year, I was of course referring to the tour that the Venus Project organization itself provides for people to get introduced towards it's concepts. I went on a very small group of only 6 people attending, and it will be a great memory to remember.

Basically Jacque Fresco himself would greet and warn us beforehand that his way of thinking might offend us, and that we would have to bear with him in order to get the picture this man has been developing in a lifetime.

The contents I talked about as written in Fresco's book return in the tour, although this time you will hear it from the founder himself. Who by the way as of this writing is 98 years old, mental wise still sharp and continues to work for a better tommorow.

Roxanne Meadows, his closest associate, would guide us through the futuristic research and development center in Venus, Florida, showcasing us not only hundreds of interesting looking models, but futuristic architectual buildings as well.

After finishing the seminar and giving numerous amounts of examples in all corners of today's biggest topics such as politics, economy, the military, religion, human behavior and societies about what is wrong with each and everyone one of them, Jacque was concluding the tour after a round of questions.

All that time, I was sitting next towards one of the most respected persons I have ever had the privilege and pleasure of meeting in my life, and I honestly wish that The Venus Project, or atleast it's spiritual portion, will be granted the chance to change the history of humanity, once again, for a better future.