Zeitgeist: Addendum

Summary

Zeitgeist: Addendum, a 2008 documentary film produced by Peter Joseph, is a continuation of the film Zeitgeist, the Movie. The film discusses the Federal Reserve System in the United States, the CIA, corporate America, other government and financial institutions, and religion, concluding that they are all corrupt institutions detrimental to humanity and are in need of replacement. The film proposes The Venus Project as a possible solution.

According to director Peter Joseph, the film attempts to locate the root causes of this pervasive social corruption, while offering a solution.In its conclusion, Addendum stresses the need for belief systems to embrace the ideas of emergence and interdependence. He outlines concrete steps that can be taken to weaken the monetary system. The film suggests actions for social transformation, which include boycotts of the large banks that make up the Federal Reserve System, the mainstream media, the military, and energy companies. It is also suggested that people reject the political structure.

Zeitgeist: Addendum premiered at the 5th Annual Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles, California on October 2, 2008, and was released free online on October 4, 2008.

Sequel to the internet blockbuster Zeitgeist. Addendum discusses more in-depth the corruption of the current monetary system that is implimented more or less world wide. It also introduces The Venus Project as a possible means to break away from our present social paralysis.

Part I

Part I follows on from Part III from the original film, citing the specific process of fractional-reserve banking as detailed in Modern Money Mechanics, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In detailing the process of money creation, the film suggests society is manipulated into economic slavery through debt-based monetary policies by requiring individuals to submit for employment in order to pay off their debt, supported by the statement "In the United States neither paper currency nor deposits have value as commodities. Intrinsically, a dollar bill is just a piece of paper, deposits merely book entries. Coins do have some intrinsic value as metal, but generally far less than their face value. What, then, makes these instruments - checks, paper money, and coins - acceptable at face value in payment of all debts and for other monetary uses is that money itself is debt", followed by "Money, like anything else, derives its value from its scarcity in relation to its usefulness.".

Part II

Part II is a documentary-style interview with The New York Times best-selling author and activist John Perkins based on his book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, in which he describes his role as a self-described economic hit man. In that capacity, he claims to have helped the CIA, as well as various corporate and political entities, to undermine or corrupt foreign regimes that put the interests of their populations before those of the transnational corporations. In the film, Perkins denies the existence of a "conspiracy" because in what he carefully discusses as the corporatocracy there is no need for a "plot" when those in charge such as Cheney shared dual roles as the head of Halliburton and the Vice Presidency.

Part III

Part III is a documentary-style interview with futurist Jacque Fresco of The Venus Project. The film suggests Jacque Fresco's proposal of a "resource-based economy" through intelligent management of resources is a sustainable way for humanity to progress, and it would eliminate the scarcity of resources. He goes on to discuss technology as the primary driver of human advancement while politics as clearly being a flawed solution to our problem due to many factors including politicians lack of formal training in the fields in the problems they attempt to solve. Jacque Fresco, in humility, claims that his approach is not the ultimate solution, but that "it's just much better than what we have. We can never achieve perfection.

Part IV

Part IV suggests the primary reason for the "irrational" behavior humans use is linked to a collective ignorance of "the symbiotic and emergent aspects of natural law." The film suggests actions for "social transformation", some of which include boycotts of the large banks that make up the Federal Reserve System such as JP Morgan Chase and Citibank, the mainstream media by simply turning off the TV, the military, and energy companies in favor or renewable, clean, affordable energy resources. It is further noted that boyoctting the military is due to ironies such as 1/4 of the homeless population being out so called honored veterans, not to disrespect the troops. It is also suggested that people reject the political structure in a peaceful manner so as to force the structures in control to conform to the will of the people. It closes by asking everyone to question, to tear down those differences which strongly separate the human race, and if they feel it is right, to help in the Zeitgeist movement.

The Venus Project

The Venus Project was started around 1975 by Jacque Fresco and Roxanne Meadows of Venus, Florida, USA. It was founded on the idea that poverty is caused by the stifling of progress in technology, which itself is caused by the present US's profit-driven economic system. The progression of technology, if it were carried on independent of its profitability, Fresco theorizes, would make more resources available to more people. This new-found abundance of resources would reduce the human tendency toward independence, corruption, and greed, and instead make people more likely to help each other. Fundamental to the project is the elimination of the current money economy in favor of what Fresco calls a resource-based economy. Jacque Fresco is a self-described futurist and social designer, with no formal university education. Roxanne Meadows is a former portrait artist. According to a 2008 interview with Fresco and Meadows, Fresco's lack of credentials has made it difficult for him to gain influence in academic circles. He adds that when universities do invite him to speak, they often don't give him enough time to explain his views. The Venus Project was incorporated in 1995. The Project also has a non-profit sector, called Future By Design.