Original subtitles

-DEADLY RIOTS OVER THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN

TO AVOID DEFAULTING ON ITS LOANS...

-...IS THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT KEEPS RISING,

AND IT HAS TO KEEP RISING,

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

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

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

-M-O-N-E-Y,

IN THE FORM OF A CONVENIENT PERSONAL LOAN...

-A FILTER CIGARETTE THAT DELIVERS THE TASTE...

-45 MALT LIQUOR...

-ARE YOU HOT?

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

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

-AMERICA IS SPONSORING TERROR ATTACKS IN IRAN...

-I FIRST LEARNED IT FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.

NOW, MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON.

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

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

SHE WOULD ACCUMULATE EVERYTHING SHE COULD,

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

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

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

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

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

AND THAT SUMMER, I LEARNED TO PLAY THE GAME.

I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THE ONLY WAY TO WIN

IS TO MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO ACQUISITION.

I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY AND POSSESSIONS --

THAT'S THE WAY THAT YOU KEEP SCORE.

AND BY THE END OF THAT SUMMER,

I WAS MORE RUTHLESS THAN MY GRANDMOTHER.

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

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

I TOOK EVERYTHING SHE HAD.

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

AND THEN SHE HAD ONE MORE THING TO TEACH ME.

THEN SHE SAID,

"NOW IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

ALL THOSE HOUSES AND HOTELS,

ALL THE RAILROADS AND UTILITY COMPANIES,

ALL THAT PROPERTY, AND ALL THAT WONDERFUL MONEY --

NOW IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX.

NONE OF IT WAS REALLY YOURS.

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

BUT IT WAS AROUND A LONG TIME

BEFORE YOU SAT DOWN AT THE BOARD,

AND IT WILL BE HERE AFTER YOU'RE GONE.

PLAYERS COME, PLAYERS GO.

HOUSES AND CARS...

TITLES AND CLOTHES...

EVEN YOUR BODY."

'CAUSE THE FACT IS

THAT EVERYTHING I CLUTCH AND CONSUME AND HOARD

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

SO, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF,

WHEN YOU FINALLY GET THE ULTIMATE PROMOTION,

WHEN YOU'VE MADE THE ULTIMATE PURCHASE,

WHEN YOU BUY THE ULTIMATE HOME,

WHEN YOU HAVE STORED UP FINANCIAL SECURITY

AND CLIMBED THE LADDER OF SUCCESS

TO THE HIGHEST RUNG YOU CAN POSSIBLY CLIMB IT,

AND THE THRILL WEARS OFF --

AND IT WILL WEAR OFF --

THEN WHAT?

HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO WALK DOWN THAT ROAD

BEFORE YOU SEE WHERE IT LEADS?

SURELY YOU UNDERSTAND IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH.

SO YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION --

WHAT MATTERS?

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ CHILD LAUGHING ]

-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.

THIS SHIT'S GOT TO GO.

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

HAMMERED INTO YOUR HEAD

IS THE INEVITABLE "NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,"

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

OR "GREEKS VERSUS TROJANS."

SO, NATURE VERSUS NURTURE,

THIS, BY NOW, UTTERLY OVERSIMPLIFYING VIEW

OF WHERE INFLUENCES ARE --

INFLUENCES ON HOW A CELL DEALS WITH AN ENERGY CRISIS

UP TO WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE

ON THE MOST INDIVIDUALISTIC LEVELS OF PERSONALITY.

AND WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS THIS COMPLETE FALSE DICHOTOMY

BUILT AROUND NATURE AS DETERMINISTIC

AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF ALL THE CAUSALITY OF LIFE.

THERE'S DNA AND THE CODE OF CODES

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

AND, AT THE OTHER END,

A MUCH MORE SOCIAL-SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE,

WHICH IS WE ARE SOCIAL ORGANISMS,

AND BIOLOGY IS FOR SLIME MOLDS.

HUMANS ARE FREE OF BIOLOGY.

AND, OBVIOUSLY, BOTH VIEWS ARE NONSENSE.

WHAT YOU SEE INSTEAD

IS IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW BIOLOGY WORKS

OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF ENVIRONMENT.

ONE OF THE MOST CRAZY-MAKING, YET WIDESPREAD

AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS NOTIONS IS,

"OH, THAT BEHAVIOR IS GENETIC."

NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IT MEANS ALL SORTS OF SUBTLE STUFF

IF YOU, SORT OF, KNOW MODERN BIOLOGY,

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

IS A DETERMINISTIC VIEW OF LIFE,

ONE ROOTED IN BIOLOGY AND GENETICS --

GENES EQUAL THINGS THAT CAN'T BE CHANGED.

GENES EQUAL THINGS THAT ARE INEVITABLE,

AND THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT WASTE RESOURCES TRYING TO FIX --

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

BECAUSE IT'S INEVITABLE, IT'S UNCHANGEABLE.

AND THAT IS SHEER NONSENSE.

-IT IS WIDELY THOUGHT

THAT CONDITIONS LIKE ADHD ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED,

CONDITIONS LIKE SCHIZOPHRENIA ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED.

THE TRUTH IS THE OPPOSITE.

NOTHING IS GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED.

THEY'RE VERY RARE DISEASES.

I MEAN, A SMALL HANDFUL,

EXTREMELY SPARSELY REPRESENTED IN THE POPULATION,

THAT ARE TRULY GENETICALLY DETERMINED.

MOST COMPLEX CONDITIONS MIGHT HAVE A PREDISPOSITION

THAT HAS A GENETIC COMPONENT,

BUT A PREDISPOSITION IS NOT THE SAME AS A PREDETERMINATION.

THE WHOLE SEARCH

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

BEFORE ANYBODY EVEN THOUGHT OF IT

BECAUSE MOST DISEASES ARE NOT GENETICALLY PREDETERMINED.

HEART DISEASE, CANCERS, STROKES,

RHEUMATOID CONDITIONS,

AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS IN GENERAL,

MENTAL-HEALTH CONDITIONS, ADDICTIONS --

THESE ARE NONE OF THEM GENETICALLY DETERMINED.

BREAST CANCER, FOR EXAMPLE --

OUT OF 100 WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER,

ONLY SEVEN WILL CARRY THE BREAST-CANCER GENES.

93 DO NOT.

AND OUT OF 100 WOMEN WHO DO HAVE THE GENES,

NOT ALL OF THEM WILL GET CANCER.

-GENES ARE NOT JUST THINGS THAT MAKE US BEHAVE

IN A PARTICULAR WAY, REGARDLESS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

GENES GIVE US DIFFERENT WAYS OF RESPONDING TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.

AND, IN FACT, IT LOOKS AS IF

SOME OF THE EARLY-CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES

AND THE KIND OF CHILD-REARING

AFFECT GENE EXPRESSION --

ACTUALLY TURNING ON AND OFF DIFFERENT GENES --

TO PUT YOU ON A DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL TRACK,

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

-SO, FOR EXAMPLE,

A STUDY DONE IN MONTREAL WITH SUICIDE VICTIMS

LOOKED AT AUTOPSIES OF THE BRAINS OF THESE PEOPLE,

AND IT TURNED OUT THAT IF A SUICIDE VICTIM --

THESE ARE USUALLY YOUNG ADULTS --

HAD BEEN ABUSED AS CHILDREN,

THE ABUSE ACTUALLY CAUSED A GENETIC CHANGE IN THE BRAIN

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

THAT'S AN EPIGENETIC EFFECT.

"EPI" MEANS "ON TOP OF,"

SO THAT THE EPIGENETIC INFLUENCE IS WHAT HAPPENS ENVIRONMENTALLY

TO EITHER ACTIVATE OR DEACTIVATE CERTAIN GENES.

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

IN A TOWN CALLED DUNEDIN,

IN WHICH A FEW THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS

WERE STUDIED FROM BIRTH UP TO THEIR -- INTO THEIR 20s.

WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT THEY COULD IDENTIFY

A GENETIC MUTATION, AN ABNORMAL GENE,

WHICH DID HAVE SOME RELATION

TO THE PREDISPOSITION TO COMMIT VIOLENCE,

BUT ONLY IF THE INDIVIDUAL

HAD ALSO BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEVERE CHILD ABUSE.

IN OTHER WORDS,

A CHILD WITH THIS ABNORMAL GENE

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

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

THAN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL GENES,

AS LONG AS THEY WEREN'T ABUSED AS CHILDREN.

-GREAT ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GENES

ARE NOT "BE ALL, END ALL" --

FANCY TECHNIQUE WHERE YOU CAN

TAKE A SPECIFIC GENE OUT OF A MOUSE,

THAT MOUSE AND ITS DESCENDANTS WILL NOT HAVE THAT GENE.

YOU HAVE KNOCKED OUT THAT GENE.

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

THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH LEARNING AND MEMORY,

AND -- THIS FABULOUS DEMONSTRATION --

KNOCK OUT THAT GENE,

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

OOH, A GENETIC BASIS FOR INTELLIGENCE!

WHAT WAS MUCH LESS APPRECIATED IN THAT LANDMARK STUDY

THAT GOT PICKED UP BY THE MEDIA LEFT AND RIGHT

IS TAKE THOSE GENETICALLY IMPAIRED MICE

AND RAISE THEM IN A MUCH MORE ENRICHED,

STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT THAN YOUR NORMAL MICE IN A LAB CAGE,

AND THEY COMPLETELY OVERCAME THAT DEFICIT.

SO, WHEN ONE SAYS, IN A CONTEMPORARY SENSE,

THAT "OH, THIS BEHAVIOR IS GENETIC" --

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

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS,

"THERE IS A GENETIC CONTRIBUTION

TO HOW THIS ORGANISM RESPONDS TO ENVIRONMENT,

GENES MAY INFLUENCE THE READINESS WITH WHICH AN ORGANISM

WILL DEAL WITH A CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE."

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

AND, NOT TO BE TOO SOAPBOXING,

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

AND IT'S NOT THAT FAR FROM

THE HISTORY OF EUGENICS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.

IT'S A WIDESPREAD MISCONCEPTION,

AND IT'S A POTENTIALLY FAIRLY DANGEROUS ONE.

-ONE REASON THAT THE,

SORT OF, BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR VIOLENCE --

ONE REASON THAT HYPOTHESIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS --

IT'S NOT JUST MISLEADING, IT CAN REALLY DO HARM --

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

"WELL, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO

TO CHANGE THE PREDISPOSITION PEOPLE HAVE TO BECOMING VIOLENT.

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

YOU KNOW, LOCK THEM UP OR EXECUTE THEM.

"BUT WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT

CHANGING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OR THE SOCIAL PRECONDITIONS

THAT MAY LEAD PEOPLE TO BECOME VIOLENT,

BECAUSE THAT'S IRRELEVANT."

-THE GENETIC ARGUMENT ALLOWS US THE LUXURY

OF IGNORING PAST AND PRESENT HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS,

AND, IN THE WORDS OF LOUIS MENAND,

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

"IT'S ALL IN THE GENES --

AN EXPLANATION FOR THE WAY THINGS ARE

THAT DOES NOT THREATEN THE WAY THINGS ARE.

WHY SHOULD SOMEONE FEEL UNHAPPY OR ENGAGE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

WHEN THAT PERSON IS LIVING

IN THE FREEST AND MOST PROSPEROUS NATION ON EARTH?

IT CAN'T BE THE SYSTEM!

THERE MUST BE A FLAW IN THE WIRING SOMEWHERE."

WHICH IS A GOOD WAY OF PUTTING IT.

SO, THE GENETIC ARGUMENT IS SIMPLY A COP-OUT

WHICH ALLOWS US TO IGNORE

THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FACTORS

THAT, IN FACT, UNDERLIE MANY TROUBLESOME BEHAVIORS.

ADDICTIONS ARE USUALLY

CONSIDERED TO BE A DRUG-RELATED ISSUE,

BUT, LOOKING AT IT MORE BROADLY,

I DEFINE ADDICTION

AS ANY BEHAVIOR THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CRAVING,

WITH TEMPORARY RELIEF,

AND WITH LONG-TERM NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

ALONG WITH AN IMPAIRMENT OF CONTROL OVER IT,

SO THAT THE PERSON WISHES TO GIVE IT UP,

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

AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT,

THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE ADDICTIONS

THAN SIMPLY THOSE RELATED TO DRUGS.

SO, THERE'S WORKAHOLISM,

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

THERE'S THE ADDICTION TO POWER --

PEOPLE THAT HAVE POWER, BUT THEY WANT MORE AND MORE AND MORE --

NOTHING IS EVER ENOUGH FOR THEM.

ACQUISITION -- CORPORATIONS THAT MUST OWN MORE AND MORE.

THE ADDICTION TO OIL,

OR, AT LEAST, TO THE WEALTH

AND TO THE PRODUCTS MADE ACCESSIBLE TO US BY OIL.

LOOK AT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

WE ARE DESTROYING THE VERY EARTH THAT WE INHABIT

FOR THE SAKE OF THAT ADDICTION.

NOW, THESE ADDICTIONS

ARE FAR MORE DEVASTATING IN THEIR SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

THAN THE COCAINE OR HEROIN HABITS

OF MY DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE PATIENTS.

YET THEY'RE REWARDED

AND CONSIDERED TO BE RESPECTABLE.

THE TOBACCO-COMPANY EXECUTIVE THAT SHOWS A HIGHER PROFIT

WILL GET A MUCH BIGGER REWARD.

HE DOESN'T FACE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES,

LEGALLY OR OTHERWISE.

IN FACT, HE IS A RESPECTED MEMBER

OF THE BOARD OF SEVERAL OTHER CORPORATIONS.

BUT TOBACCO-SMOKE-RELATED DISEASES

KILL 5h MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD EVERY YEAR.

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

AND THESE PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO WHAT? TO PROFIT.

TO SUCH A DEGREE ARE THEY ADDICTED,

THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN DENIAL

ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THEIR ACTIVITIES,

WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR ADDICTS, IS DENIAL.

AND THAT'S A RESPECTABLE ONE.

IT'S RESPECTABLE TO BE ADDICTED TO PROFIT,

NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.

SO, WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT IS RESPECTABLE

IS A HIGHLY ARBITRARY PHENOMENON IN OUR SOCIETY,

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE GREATER THE HARM,

THE MORE RESPECTABLE THE ADDICTION.

THERE'S A GENERAL MYTH THAT DRUGS,

IN THEMSELVES, ARE ADDICTIVE.

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

THAT IF YOU INTERDICT THE SOURCE OF DRUGS,

YOU CAN DEAL WITH ADDICTION THAT WAY.

NOW, IF YOU UNDERSTAND ADDICTION IN THE BROADER SENSE,

WE SEE THAT NOTHING, IN ITSELF, IS ADDICTIVE --

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

AND NO BEHAVIOR IS, BY ITSELF, ADDICTIVE.

MANY PEOPLE CAN GO SHOPPING WITHOUT BECOMING SHOPAHOLICS.

NOT EVERYBODY BECOMES A FOOD ADDICT.

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

SO, THE REAL ISSUE IS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

BECAUSE IT'S THE COMBINATION OF A SUSCEPTIBLE INDIVIDUAL

AND THE POTENTIALLY ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE OR BEHAVIOR

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

IN SHORT, IT'S NOT THE DRUG THAT'S ADDICTIVE --

IT'S THE QUESTION OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL

TO BEING ADDICTED

TO A PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE OR BEHAVIOR.

IF WE WISH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, THEN,

MAKES SOME PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE,

WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE.

THE OLD IDEA, ALTHOUGH IT'S OLD,

BUT IT'S STILL BROADLY HELD,

THAT ADDICTIONS ARE DUE TO SOME GENETIC CAUSE,

IS SIMPLY SCIENTIFICALLY UNTENABLE.

WHAT THE CASE IS, ACTUALLY,

IS THAT CERTAIN LIFE EXPERIENCES MAKE PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE --

LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT NOT ONLY SHAPE THE PERSON'S PERSONALITY

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS,

BUT ALSO THEIR VERY BRAINS IN CERTAIN WAYS.

AND THAT PROCESS BEGINS IN UTERO.

IT'S BEEN SHOWN, FOR EXAMPLE,

THAT IF YOU STRESS MOTHERS DURING PREGNANCY,

THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TRAITS

THAT PREDISPOSE THEM TO ADDICTIONS,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT

IS SHAPED BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.

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

AND PROGRAMMED BY THE LIFE EXPERIENCES,

BEGINNING IN UTERO.

-ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT BEGIN AT BIRTH.

ENVIRONMENT BEGINS AS SOON AS YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT.

AS SOON AS YOU ARE A FETUS,

YOU ARE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER INFORMATION

IS COMING THROUGH MOM'S CIRCULATIONS --

HORMONES, LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS.

A GREAT LANDMARK EXAMPLE OF THIS --

SOMETHING CALLED THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER.

1944, NAZIS OCCUPYING HOLLAND -- FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS,

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

FOR THREE MONTHS, EVERYBODY THERE WAS STARVING.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH.

WHAT THE DUTCH HONGERWINTER EFFECT IS,

IF YOU WERE A SECOND- OR THIRD-TRIMESTER FETUS

DURING THE STARVATION,

YOUR BODY LEARNED SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE DURING THAT TIME.

AS IT TURNS OUT, SECOND, THIRD TRIMESTER,

SOMETHING THAT YOUR BODY

IS GOING ABOUT TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IS,

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

HOW PLENTIFUL?

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

BE A FETUS WHO WAS STARVING DURING THAT TIME,

AND YOUR BODY PROGRAMS, FOREVER AFTER,

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

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

BE A DUTCH HONGERWINTER FETUS,

AND HALF A CENTURY LATER, EVERYTHING ELSE BEING EQUAL,

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

OR METABOLIC SYNDROME.

THAT IS ENVIRONMENT COMING IN A VERY UNEXPECTED PLACE.

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

AND THEIR OFFSPRING

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

YOU CAN STRESS HUMAN MOTHERS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN A BRITISH STUDY,

WOMEN WHO WERE ABUSED IN PREGNANCY

WILL HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF THE STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL

IN THEIR PLACENTA AT BIRTH,

AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE CONDITIONS

THAT PREDISPOSE THEM TO ADDICTIONS BY AGE 7 OR 8.

SO, IN-UTERO STRESS ALREADY PREPARES THE GUN

FOR ALL KINDS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

AN ISRAELI STUDY DONE PRIOR -- ON CHILDREN BORN TO MOTHERS

WHO WERE PREGNANT PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF THE 1967 WAR --

THESE WOMEN, OF COURSE, WERE VERY STRESSED,

AND THEIR OFFSPRING HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE

OF SCHIZOPHRENIA THAN THE AVERAGE COHORT.

SO, THERE IS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE NOW

THAT PRENATAL EFFECTS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

ON THE DEVELOPING HUMAN BEING.

THE POINT ABOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,

AND, SPECIFICALLY, HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT,

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

AND MOSTLY AFTER BIRTH.

NOW, IF YOU COMPARE US TO A HORSE,

WHICH CAN RUN ON THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE,

WE SEE THAT WE ARE VERY UNDEVELOPED --

WE CAN'T DEVELOP -- WE CAN'T, UH...

MUSTER THAT MUCH NEUROLOGICAL COORDINATION,

BALANCE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, VISUAL ACUITY,

UNTIL A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE HORSE

HAPPENS IN THE SAFETY OF THE WOMB.

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

AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH SIMPLE EVOLUTIONARY LOGIC.

AS THE HEAD GETS LARGER,

WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US INTO HUMAN BEINGS --

THE BURGEONING OF THE FOREBRAIN

IS WHAT CREATES THE HUMAN SPECIES, ACTUALLY --

AT THE SAME TIME, WE WALK ON TWO LEGS,

SO OUR PELVIS NARROWS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT,

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

BINGO -- WE HAVE TO BE BORN PREMATURELY.

AND THAT MEANS THAT THE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

THAT IN OTHER ANIMALS OCCURS IN UTERO,

IN US, OCCURS AFTER BIRTH,

AND MUCH OF THAT UNDER THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND THE CONCEPT OF NEURAL DARWINISM

SIMPLY MEANS THAT THE CIRCUITS

THAT GET THE APPROPRIATE INPUT FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

WILL DEVELOP OPTIMALLY,

AND THE ONES THAT DON'T

WILL EITHER NOT DEVELOP OPTIMALLY

OR, PERHAPS, NOT AT ALL.

IF YOU TAKE A CHILD WITH PERFECTLY GOOD EYES AT BIRTH

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

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

BECAUSE THE CIRCUITS OF VISION

REQUIRE LIGHT WAVES FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT, AND WITHOUT THAT,

EVEN THE RUDIMENTARY CIRCUITS PRESENT AND ACTIVE AT BIRTH

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

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT WAY IN WHICH EARLY EXPERIENCES

SHAPE ADULT BEHAVIOR.

AND EVEN -- AND ESPECIALLY,

EARLY EXPERIENCES FOR WHICH THERE IS NO RECALL MEMORY.

IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF MEMORY.

THERE IS EXPLICIT MEMORY, WHICH IS RECALL --

THIS IS WHEN YOU CAN CALL BACK

FACTS, DETAILS, EPISODES, CIRCUMSTANCES.

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

WHICH ENCODES RECALL MEMORY,

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

AND IT'S NOT FULLY DEVELOPED TILL MUCH LATER,

WHICH IS WHY HARDLY ANYBODY

HAS ANY RECALL MEMORY PRIOR TO 18 MONTHS.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER KIND OF MEMORY,

WHICH IS CALLED "IMPLICIT MEMORY,"

WHICH IS, IN FACT, AN EMOTIONAL MEMORY,

WHERE THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT AND THE INTERPRETATION

THAT THE CHILD MAKES OF THOSE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

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

READY TO FIRE WITHOUT SPECIFIC RECALL.

SO, TO GIVE YOU A CLEAR EXAMPLE,

PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED HAVE A LIFELONG SENSE OF REJECTION,

VERY OFTEN.

THEY CAN'T RECALL THE ADOPTION.

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

BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THERE TO RECALL WITH.

BUT THE EMOTIONAL MEMORY OF SEPARATION AND REJECTION

IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN THEIR BRAINS.

HENCE, THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE

A SENSE OF REJECTION AND A GREAT EMOTIONAL UPSET,

WHEN THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AS BEING REJECTED,

THAN OTHER PEOPLE.

THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED,

BUT IT'S PARTICULARLY STRONG IN THEM

BECAUSE OF THIS FUNCTION OF IMPLICIT MEMORY.

PEOPLE WHO ARE ADDICTED, GIVEN THAT THEY --

ACCORDING TO ALL THE RESEARCH LITERATURE,

AND CERTAINLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE,

THE HARDCORE ADDICTS VIRTUALLY WERE ALL

SIGNIFICANTLY ABUSED AS CHILDREN

OR SUFFERED SEVERE EMOTIONAL LOSS.

THEIR EMOTIONAL, OR IMPLICIT, MEMORIES

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

CAREGIVERS WHO ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED,

AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE NOT SAFE ENOUGH

TO OPEN UP TO VULNERABLY,

AND, HENCE, THEIR RESPONSES TEND TO BE

TO KEEP THEMSELVES SEPARATE

FROM REALLY INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS --

NOT TO TRUST CAREGIVERS, DOCTORS,

AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM,

AND GENERALLY SEE THE WORLD AS AN UNSAFE PLACE,

AND THAT'S STRICTLY A FUNCTION OF IMPLICIT MEMORY,

WHICH SOMETIMES HAS TO DO

WITH INCIDENTS THEY DON'T EVEN RECALL.

INFANTS WHO ARE BORN PREMATURE, ARE OFTEN IN INCUBATORS

AND VARIOUS TYPES OF GADGETRY AND MACHINERY

FOR WEEKS AND, PERHAPS, MONTHS --

IT'S NOW KNOWN THAT IF THESE CHILDREN ARE TOUCHED

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

THAT PROMOTES THEIR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.

SO, HUMAN TOUCH IS ESSENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT,

AND, IN FACT,

INFANTS WHO ARE NEVER PICKED UP WILL ACTUALLY DIE.

THAT'S HOW MUCH OF A FUNDAMENTAL NEED

BEING HELD IS TO HUMAN BEINGS.

IN OUR SOCIETY,

THERE IS AN UNFORTUNATE TENDENCY TO TELL PARENTS

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

NOT TO PICK UP BABIES WHO ARE CRYING,

FOR FEAR OF SPOILING THEM,

OR, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT,

YOU DON'T PICK THEM UP,

WHICH IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE CHILD NEEDS,

AND THESE CHILDREN MIGHT GO BACK TO SLEEP

BECAUSE THEY GIVE UP AND THEIR BRAINS JUST SHUT DOWN

AS A WAY OF DEFENDING AGAINST

THE VULNERABILITY OF BEING ABANDONED, REALLY,

BY THEIR PARENTS,

BUT THEIR IMPLICIT MEMORIES

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

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

IN A WAY, THE, IF YOU LIKE,

THE PARENTAL EXPERIENCE OF ADVERSITY --

HOW TOUGH LIFE IS, OR HOW EASY IT IS --

IS PASSED ON TO CHILDREN,

WHETHER THROUGH MATERNAL DEPRESSION

OR PARENTS BEING BAD-TEMPERED WITH THEIR KIDS

'CAUSE THEY HAVE HAD A HARD DAY,

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

AND THESE HAVE VERY POWERFUL EFFECTS,

PROGRAMMING CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT,

WHICH WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT NOW.

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

IT EXISTS AGAIN IN MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES.

EVEN SEEDLINGS --

THERE'S AN EARLY ADAPTIVE PROCESS

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

BUT FOR HUMANS, THE ADAPTATION IS

TO THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

AND, SO, EARLY LIFE --

HOW NURTURING OR HOW MUCH CONFLICT,

HOW MUCH ATTENTION YOU GET,

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

ARE YOU GROWING UP IN A WORLD

WHERE YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU CAN GET,

WATCH YOUR BACK, FEND FOR YOURSELF,

LEARN NOT TO TRUST OTHERS,

OR ARE YOU GROWING UP IN A SOCIETY

WHERE YOU DEPEND ON RECIPROCITY, MUTUALITY, COOPERATION,

WHERE EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT,

WHERE YOUR SECURITY DEPENDS

ON GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE?

AND THAT NEEDS A VERY DIFFERENT

EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,

AND THAT'S WHAT THE EARLY SENSITIVITY IS ABOUT.

AND PARENTING IS ALMOST, QUITE UNCONSCIOUSLY,

A SYSTEM FOR PASSING ON THAT EXPERIENCE TO CHILDREN

OF THE KIND OF WORLD THEY'RE IN.

-THE GREAT BRITISH CHILD PSYCHIATRIST

D.W. WINNICOTT SAID,

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

ONE IS WHEN THINGS HAPPEN THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN,

AND THEN THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BUT DON'T.

IN THE FIRST CATEGORY

IS THE TRAUMATIC AND ABUSIVE AND ABANDONMENT EXPERIENCES

OF MY DOWNTOWN-EASTSIDE PATIENTS AND OF MANY ADDICTS.

THAT'S WHAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT DID.

BUT THEN THERE IS THE NON-STRESSED,

ATTUNED, NON-DISTRACTED ATTENTION OF THE PARENT

THAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS,

THAT, VERY OFTEN, CHILDREN DON'T GET.

THEY'RE NOT ABUSED, THEY'RE NOT NEGLECTED,

AND THEY'RE NOT TRAUMATIZED,

BUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN --

THE PRESENCE OF THE EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE, NURTURING PARENT --

JUST IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM

BECAUSE OF THE STRESSES IN OUR SOCIETY

AND THE PARENTING ENVIRONMENT.

AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST ALLAN SCHORE CALLS THAT

"PROXIMAL ABANDONMENT" --

WHEN THE PARENT IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT BUT EMOTIONALLY ABSENT.

-I HAVE SPENT, UH,

OH, ROUGHLY, THE LAST 40 YEARS OF MY LIFE

WORKING WITH THE MOST VIOLENT PEOPLE OUR SOCIETY PRODUCES --

MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND SO ON --

IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSES THIS VIOLENCE.

I DISCOVERED THAT

THE MOST VIOLENT OF THE CRIMINALS IN OUR PRISONS

HAD, THEMSELVES, BEEN VICTIMS

OF A DEGREE OF CHILD ABUSE

THAT WAS BEYOND THE SCALE OF WHAT I EVER THOUGHT

OF APPLYING THE TERM "CHILD ABUSE" TO.

I HAD NO IDEA OF THE DEPTH OF THE DEPRAVITY

WITH WHICH CHILDREN IN OUR SOCIETY

ARE ALL TOO OFTEN TREATED.

THE MOST VIOLENT PEOPLE I SAW WERE, THEMSELVES,

THE SURVIVORS OF THEIR OWN ATTEMPTED MURDER,

OFTEN AT THE HANDS OF THEIR PARENTS

OR OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT,

OR WERE THE SURVIVORS OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN KILLED --

THEIR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBERS --

BY OTHER PEOPLE.

-THE BUDDHA ARGUED

THAT EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON EVERYTHING ELSE.

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

THAT YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING

IN ISOLATION FROM ITS ENVIRONMENT.

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

OBVIOUSLY.

THIS HAS NOW BEEN SHOWN TO BE TRUE,

OF COURSE, ALL AROUND, AND, SPECIFICALLY,

WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.

THE MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERM FOR IT

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

WHICH SAYS THAT THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN BEINGS

DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON THEIR INTERACTION

WITH THE SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT.

AND, SPECIFICALLY,

THE PSYCHIATRIST AND RESEARCHER DANIEL SIEGEL

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES -- UCLA --

HAS COINED A PHRASE, "INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY,"

WHICH MEANS TO SAY THAT THE WAY

THAT OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS --

IN THE FIRST PLACE, WITH THE PARENTING CAREGIVERS,

AND, IN THE SECOND PLACE,

WITH OTHER IMPORTANT ATTACHMENT FIGURES IN OUR LIVES,

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

SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEPARATE THE NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING

OF A HUMAN BEING FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

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

AND THIS IS TRUE THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE.

IT'S PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN YOU ARE DEPENDENT AND HELPLESS

AND YOUR BRAIN IS DEVELOPING,

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

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

FROM THE MOST EGALITARIAN --

HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES

SEEM TO HAVE BEEN VERY EGALITARIAN, FOR INSTANCE,

BASED ON FOOD SHARING, GIFT EXCHANGE.

-SMALL BANDS OF PEOPLE,

LIVING PREDOMINATELY OFF OF FORAGING,

BUT A LITTLE BIT OF HUNTING,

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

KNOWN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE,

IF NOT SURROUNDED BY THIRD COUSINS OR CLOSER,

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

BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS,

IN A WORLD IN WHICH THERE IS NOT

A WHOLE LOT IN TERMS OF MATERIAL CULTURE,

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

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

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU GET AS A RESULT OF THAT

IS FAR LESS VIOLENCE.

ORGANIZED GROUP VIOLENCE

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

AND THAT SEEMS QUITE CLEAR.

SO, WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?

-VIOLENCE IS NOT UNIVERSAL.

IT'S NOT SYMMETRICALLY DISTRIBUTED

THROUGHOUT THE HUMAN RACE.

THERE IS A HUGE VARIATION

IN THE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE IN DIFFERENT SOCIETIES.

THERE ARE SOME SOCIETIES THAT HAVE VIRTUALLY NO VIOLENCE.

THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DESTROY THEMSELVES.

SOME OF THE ANABAPTIST RELIGIOUS GROUPS

THAT ARE COMPLETE, STRICT PACIFISTS,

LIKE THE AMISH, THE MENNONITES, THE HUTTERITES,

AMONG SOME OF THESE GROUPS -- THE HUTTERITES --

THERE ARE NO RECORDED CASES OF HOMICIDE.

DURING OUR MAJOR WARS, LIKE WORLD WAR II,

WHERE PEOPLE WERE BEING DRAFTED,

THEY WOULD REFUSE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY.

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

IN THE KIBBUTZIM, IN ISRAEL,

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

WILL OFTEN SEND VIOLENT OFFENDERS --

PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES --

TO LIVE ON THE KIBBUTZIM

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

BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE THERE.

-SO, WE ARE AMPLY SHAPED BY SOCIETY.

OUR SOCIETIES -- IN THE BROADER SENSE,

INCLUDING OUR THEOLOGICAL, OUR METAPHYSICAL,

OUR LINGUISTIC INFLUENCES, ET CETERA --

OUR SOCIETIES HELP SHAPE US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT

WE THINK LIFE IS BASICALLY ABOUT SIN OR ABOUT BEAUTY --

WHETHER THE AFTERLIFE WILL CARRY A PRICE

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

IN A BROAD SORT OF WAY, DIFFERENT LARGE SOCIETIES

COULD BE TERMED AS INDIVIDUALISTIC OR COLLECTIVIST,

AND YOU GET VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE,

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

COMING ALONG WITH THAT.

WE, IN AMERICA,

ARE IN ONE OF THE MOST INDIVIDUALISTIC OF SOCIETIES,

AND CAPITALISM, BEING A SYSTEM

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

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

BY DEFINITION, THE MORE STRATIFIED A SOCIETY IS,

THE FEWER PEOPLE YOU HAVE AS PEERS --

THE FEWER PEOPLE WITH WHOM

YOU HAVE SYMMETRICAL, RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS,

AND, INSTEAD,

ALL YOU HAVE ARE DIFFERING SPOTS AND ENDLESS HIERARCHIES,

AND A WORLD IN WHICH YOU HAVE FEW RECIPROCAL PARTNERS

IS A WORLD WITH A LOT LESS ALTRUISM.

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

WHICH IS TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE IN PERSPECTIVE SCIENCE

AS TO WHAT THE NATURE IS OF HUMAN NATURE.

YOU KNOW, ON A CERTAIN LEVEL,

THE NATURE OF OUR NATURE

IS NOT TO BE PARTICULARLY CONSTRAINED BY OUR NATURE.

WE COME UP WITH MORE SOCIAL VARIABILITY

THAN ANY SPECIES OUT THERE -- MORE SYSTEMS OF BELIEF,

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

THE CAPACITY FOR VARIETY THAT WE HAVE IS EXTRAORDINARY.

-IN A SOCIETY WHICH IS PREDICATED ON COMPETITION

AND REALLY, VERY OFTEN,

THE RUTHLESS EXPLOITATION OF ONE HUMAN BEING BY ANOTHER,

THE PROFITEERING OFF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS,

AND, VERY OFTEN,

THE CREATION OF PROBLEMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROFITEERING,

THE RULING IDEOLOGY WILL VERY OFTEN JUSTIFY THAT BEHAVIOR

BY APPEALS TO SOME FUNDAMENTAL AND UNALTERABLE HUMAN NATURE.

SO, THE MYTH IN OUR SOCIETY

IS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMPETITIVE BY NATURE,

AND THAT THEY ARE INDIVIDUALISTIC,

AND THAT THEY'RE SELFISH.

THE REAL REALITY IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

WE HAVE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HUMAN NATURE CONCRETELY

IS BY RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN HUMAN NEEDS.

WE HAVE A HUMAN NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP

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

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

IF THOSE NEEDS ARE MET,

WE DEVELOP INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPASSIONATE AND COOPERATIVE,

AND, UM...

AND WHO HAVE EMPATHY FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

SO...

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

A DISTORTION OF HUMAN NATURE,

PRECISELY BECAUSE SO FEW PEOPLE HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET.

SO, YES, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HUMAN NATURE,

BUT ONLY IN THE SENSE OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

THAT ARE INSTINCTIVELY EVOKED, OR, I SHOULD SAY,

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

AND A DIFFERENT SET OF TRAITS IF THEY ARE DENIED.

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

WHICH HAS A GREAT DEAL OF ADAPTIVE FLEXIBILITY,

ALLOWING US TO SURVIVE IN MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS,

IS ALSO RIGIDLY PROGRAMMED FOR

CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, OR HUMAN NEEDS,

A SOCIAL IMPERATIVE BEGINS TO EMERGE.

JUST AS OUR BODIES REQUIRE PHYSICAL NUTRIENTS,

THE HUMAN BRAIN DEMANDS POSITIVE FORMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

AT ALL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT,

WHILE ALSO NEEDING TO BE PROTECTED

FROM OTHER NEGATIVE FORMS OF STIMULUS.

AND IF THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN DO NOT,

OR IF THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN DO,

IT IS NOW APPARENT THAT THE DOOR CAN BE OPENED

FOR NOT ONLY A CASCADE OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISEASES,

BUT MANY DETRIMENTAL HUMAN BEHAVIORS AS WELL.

SO, AS WE TURN OUR PERSPECTIVE NOW OUTWARD

AND TAKE ACCOUNT FOR THE STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY,

WE MUST ASK THE QUESTION,

IS THE CONDITION WE HAVE CREATED IN THE MODERN WORLD

ACTUALLY SUPPORTING OUR HEALTH?

IS THE BEDROCK OF OUR SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM

ACTING AS A POSITIVE FORCE

FOR HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS?

OR, IS THE FOUNDATIONAL GRAVITATION OF OUR SOCIETY

ACTUALLY GOING AGAINST THE CORE EVOLUTIONARY REQUIREMENTS

NEEDED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN

OUR PERSONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING?

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

WHAT WE HAVE TODAY --

REALLY, A WORLD IN A STATE OF CUMULATIVE COLLAPSE.

-YOU GET IT STARTED WITH JOHN LOCKE,

AND JOHN LOCKE INTRODUCES PROPERTY,

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

AND THE THREE PROVISOS ARE

THAT THERE MUST BE ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS,

AND THAT YOU MUST NOT LET IT SPOIL,

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

IT SEEMS JUSTIFIED --

YOU MIX YOUR LABOR WITH THE WORLD,

THEN YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THE PRODUCT,

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

AND AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T SPOIL --

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

WELL, HE SPENDS A LONG TIME

OF HIS FAMOUS TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT,

AND IT'S SINCE BEEN THE CANONICAL TEXT

FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AND LEGAL UNDERSTANDING.

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

WELL, WHAT HE DID --

AFTER HE GIVES THE PROVISOS

AND YOU'RE ALMOST THINKING, AT THE TIME,

WHETHER YOU'RE FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OR NOT,

HE'S GIVEN A VERY --

A VERY GOOD AND PLAUSIBLE AND POWERFUL DEFENSE

OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, HERE.

WELL, HE DROPS THEM!

HE DROPS THEM LIKE THAT, RIGHT IN ONE SENTENCE.

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

BY MEN'S TACIT CONSENT, THEN IT BECAME" --

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

BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

SO, NOW WE HAVE NOT

PRODUCT AND YOUR PROPERTY EARNED BY YOUR OWN LABOR --

OH, NO -- MONEY BUYS LABOR NOW.

THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION

OF WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR OTHERS.

THERE'S NO LONGER CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER IT SPOILS,

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

AND GOLD CAN'T SPOIL.

THEREFORE, MONIES CAN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE,"

WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND SILVER.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT ITS EFFECTS ARE.

IT'S ONE NON SEQUITUR AFTER ANOTHER --

JUST THE MOST STARTLING LOGICAL LEGERDEMAIN

THAT HE GETS AWAY WITH, HERE,

BUT IT FITS THE INTERESTS OF CAPITAL OWNERS.

THEN ADAM SMITH COMES ALONG,

AND WHAT HE ADDS IS THE RELIGION TO THIS.

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

THIS IS GOD'S RIGHT,"

AND NOW WE GET, ALSO, WITH SMITH, COMING ALONG --

HE SAYS, "IT'S NOT ONLY GOD'S" --

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

PHILOSOPHICALLY, BEING PRINCIPLE.

HE'S SAYING, "IT'S NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY" --

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

AND THAT MONEY INVESTORS THAT BUY LABOR -- GIVEN.

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

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

HOW MUCH INEQUALITY -- THAT'S ALL GIVEN, NOW.

AND SO HE COMES ALONG, AND WHAT HIS BIG IDEA IS --

AND, AGAIN, IT'S JUST INTRODUCED IN PARENTHESES, EN PASSANT --

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE PUT OUT GOODS FOR SALE,

AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY,

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

HOW DO YOU -- HOW DO WE HAVE SUPPLY EQUALING DEMAND,

OR DEMAND EQUALING SUPPLY?

HOW CAN THEY COME INTO EQUILIBRIUM?

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL NOTIONS OF ECONOMICS,

IS HOW DO THEY COME INTO EQUILIBRIUM?

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

THAT BRINGS THEM INTO EQUILIBRIUM.

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

HE JUST DIDN'T GIVE THE RIGHTS TO PROPERTY AND HOW --

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

OF DOING ALL THAT LOCKE SAID.

NOW WE HAVE THE SYSTEM ITSELF AS GOD.

IN FACT, SMITH SAYS, WHEN HE TALKS --

AND YOU'LL NEVER FIND THIS QUOTED --

YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE OF

"THE INQUIRY INTO THE WEALTH OF NATIONS" --

HE SAYS, "THE SCANTINESS OF SUBSISTENCE

SETS LIMITS TO THE REPRODUCTION OF THE POOR,

AND THAT NATURE CAN DEAL WITH THIS IN NO OTHER WAY

THAN ELIMINATION OF THEIR CHILDREN.

SO, HE ANTICIPATED EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

IN THE WORST SENSE.

THIS IS WELL BEFORE DARWIN.

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

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

THERE WAS AN INHERENT ACCEPTANCE -- LIFE BLINDNESS --

TO KILL INNUMERABLE CHILDREN,

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

MAKING SUPPLY MEET DEMAND AND DEMAND MEET SUPPLY,

SO, SEE HOW WISE GOD IS?"

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

LIFE-DESTRUCTIVE, ECO-GENOCIDAL THINGS

THAT ARE GOING ON NOW HAVE, IN A WAY,

A "THOUGHT GENE" BACK IN SMITH, TOO.

-WHEN WE REFLECT ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT

OF THE SO-CALLED FREE-MARKET CAPITALIST SYSTEM,

AS INITIATED BY EARLY ECONOMIC PHILOSOPHERS SUCH AS ADAM SMITH,

WE SEE THAT THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF A MARKET

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

ADAM SMITH NEVER FATHOMED

THAT THE MOST PROFITABLE ECONOMIC SECTOR ON THE PLANET

WOULD EVENTUALLY BE IN THE ARENA OF FINANCIAL TRADING,

OR SO-CALLED "INVESTMENT,"

WHERE MONEY ITSELF IS SIMPLY GAINED

BY THE MOVEMENT OF OTHER MONEY IN AN ARBITRARY GAME

WHICH HOLDS ZERO PRODUCTIVE MERIT TO SOCIETY.

YET, REGARDLESS OF SMITH'S INTENT,

THE DOOR FOR SUCH SEEMINGLY ANOMALOUS ADVENTS

WAS LEFT WIDE OPEN

BY ONE FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF THIS THEORY --

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

TODAY, IN EVERY ECONOMY OF THE WORLD,

REGARDLESS OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM THEY CLAIM,

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

THE UNDERLYING IDEA,

WHICH WAS MYSTERIOUSLY QUALIFIED BY ADAM SMITH

WITH HIS RELIGIOUS DECLARATION OF THE INVISIBLE HAND,

IS THAT THE NARROW, SELF-INTERESTED PURSUIT OF THIS

FICTIONAL COMMODITY WILL SOMEHOW, MAGICALLY,

MANIFEST HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND PROGRESS.

THE REALITY IS THAT THE MONETARY INCENTIVE "INTEREST,"

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

HAS NOW COMPLETELY DECOUPLED

FROM THE FOUNDATIONAL LIFE INTEREST,

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

-WHAT HAS HAPPENED

IS THAT THERE'S A COMPLETE CONFUSION IN ECONOMIC DOCTRINE

BETWEEN THOSE TWO SEQUENCES.

THEY THINK THAT THE MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE

DELIVERS THE LIFE SEQUENCE OF VALUE,

AND THAT'S WHY THEY SAY IF MORE GOODS ARE SOLD --

IF GDPs RISE AND SO FORTH --

THEREFORE, THERE WOULD BE MORE WELL-BEING --

ENHANCED WELL-BEING.

WE COULD TAKE THE GDP TO BE,

BASICALLY, OUR INDICATOR OF SOCIAL HEALTH.

WELL, THERE YOU SEE THE CONFUSION.

IT'S TALKING ABOUT MONEY SEQUENCES OF VALUE --

THAT IS, ALL THE RECEIPTS, ALL THE REVENUES

THAT ARE DERIVED FROM SELLING GOODS --

AND THEY'RE CONFUSING THAT WITH LIFE REPRODUCTION,

SO THAT YOU HAVE,

BUILT RIGHT INTO THIS THING FROM THE BEGINNING,

IS A COMPLETE CONFLATION OF THE MONEY

AND LIFE SEQUENCES OF VALUE.

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

THAT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DEADLY

AS THE MONEY SEQUENCE DECOUPLES FROM PRODUCING ANYTHING AT ALL.

SO, IT'S A SYSTEM DISORDER,

AND THE SYSTEM DISORDER SEEMS TO BE FATAL.

-IN SOCIETY TODAY,

YOU SELDOM HEAR ANYONE SPEAK

OF THE PROGRESS OF THEIR COUNTRY OR SOCIETY

IN TERMS OF THEIR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING,

STATE OF HAPPINESS, TRUST, OR SOCIAL STABILITY.

RATHER, THE MEASURES ARE PRESENTED TO US

THROUGH ECONOMIC ABSTRACTIONS.

WE HAVE THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT,

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

RATES OF INFLATION, AND SO ON.

BUT DOES THIS TELL US ANYTHING OF REAL VALUE

AS TO THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES?

NO.

ALL THESE MEASURES HAVE TO DO WITH THE MONEY SEQUENCE ITSELF

AND NOTHING MORE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF A COUNTRY

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

THIS MEASURE IS CLAIMED TO CORRELATE

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

IN THE UNITED STATES,

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

AMOUNTING TO OVER $2.5 TRILLION SPENT,

HENCE, CREATING A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THIS ECONOMIC MEASURE.

AND, BASED ON THIS LOGIC,

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

IF HEALTH-CARE SERVICES INCREASED MORE SO --

PERHAPS TO $3 TRILLION, OR $5 TRILLION,

SINCE THAT WOULD CREATE MORE GROWTH, MORE JOBS,

AND, HENCE, BOASTED BY ECONOMISTS

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

BUT...WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT DO HEALTH-CARE SERVICES ACTUALLY REPRESENT?

WELL, SICK AND DYING PEOPLE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THE MORE UNHEALTHY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN AMERICA,

THE BETTER THE ECONOMY.

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

IN FACT, IF WE STEP BACK FAR ENOUGH,

YOU WILL REALIZE THAT THE GDP

NOT ONLY DOESN'T REFLECT REAL PUBLIC OR SOCIAL HEALTH

ON ANY TANGIBLE LEVEL,

IT IS, IN FACT, MOSTLY A MEASURE

OF INDUSTRIAL INEFFICIENCY AND SOCIAL DEGRADATION,

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

WITH RESPECT TO PERSONAL, SOCIAL,

AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.

-YOU HAVE TO CREATE PROBLEMS TO CREATE PROFIT.

THERE IS NO PROFIT UNDER THE CURRENT PARADIGM

IN SAVING LIVES, PUTTING BALANCE ON THIS PLANET,

HAVING JUSTICE AND PEACE, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

THERE'S JUST NO PROFIT THERE.

THERE'S AN OLD SAYING -- "PASS A LAW, CREATE A BUSINESS,"

WHETHER YOU'RE CREATING A BUSINESS

FOR A LAWYER OR WHATEVER.

SO, YOU KNOW, CRIME DOES CREATE BUSINESS,

JUST LIKE DESTRUCTION CREATES BUSINESS IN HAITI.

WE HAVE NOW ROUGHLY 2 MILLION PEOPLE INCARCERATED

IN THIS COUNTRY,

AND OF THOSE,

MANY OF THEM ARE IN PRISONS RUN BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS --

CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA, WACKENHUT,

WHO TRADE THEIR STOCK ON WALL STREET

BASED UPON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL.

NOW, THAT'S SICKNESS.

BUT THAT IS A REFLECTION

OF WHAT THIS ECONOMIC PARADIGM CALLS FOR.

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

WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM GOING?

CONSUMPTION.

OR, MORE ACCURATELY, CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION.

WHEN WE BREAK DOWN

THE FOUNDATION OF CLASSIC MARKET ECONOMICS,

WE ARE LEFT WITH A PATTERN OF MONETARY EXCHANGE

THAT SIMPLY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STOP

OR EVEN SUBSTANTIALLY SLOWED

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

THERE ARE THREE MAIN ACTORS ON THE ECONOMIC STAGE --

THE EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYER, AND THE CONSUMER.

THE EMPLOYEE SELLS LABOR TO THE EMPLOYER FOR INCOME.

THE EMPLOYER SELLS ITS PRODUCTION SERVICES,

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

AND THE CONSUMER, OF COURSE,

IS SIMPLY ANOTHER ROLE OF THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE,

SPENDING BACK INTO THE SYSTEM

TO ENABLE THE CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION TO CONTINUE.

IN OTHER WORDS,

THE GLOBAL MARKET SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION

THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ENOUGH PRODUCT DEMAND

IN SOCIETY TO MOVE ENOUGH MONEY AROUND

AT A RATE WHICH CAN KEEP THE CONSUMPTION PROCESS GOING.

AND THE FASTER THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION,

THE MORE SO-CALLED ECONOMIC GROWTH IS ASSUMED,

AND SO THE MACHINE GOES.

BUT HOLD ON.

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

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

AND A REDUCTION OF WASTE?

SO, HOW DOES OUR SYSTEM, WHICH DEMANDS CONSUMPTION,

AND THE MORE, THE BETTER,

EFFICIENTLY PRESERVE, OR ECONOMIZE, AT ALL?

WELL, IT DOESN'T.

THE INTENT OF THE MARKET SYSTEM IS, IN FACT,

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

WHICH IS EFFICIENTLY

AND CONSERVATIVELY ORIENT THE MATERIALS

FOR PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE-SUPPORTING GOODS.

WE LIVE ON A FINITE PLANET, WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE,

THE OIL WE UTILIZE TOOK MILLIONS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP --

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

SO, HAVING A SYSTEM

THAT DELIBERATELY PROMOTES THE ACCELERATION OF CONSUMPTION

FOR THE SAKE OF SO-CALLED "ECONOMIC GROWTH"

IS PURE ECOCIDAL INSANITY.

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

ABSENCE OF WASTE?

THIS SYSTEM IS MORE WASTEFUL

THAN ALL THE OTHER EXISTING SYSTEMS

IN THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET.

EVERY LEVEL OF LIFE ORGANIZATION AND LIFE SYSTEM

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

NO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL IN THE LAST 30 YEARS

WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING DIFFERENT --

THAT IS, THAT EVERY LIFE SYSTEM IS IN DECLINE,

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

TRY TO NAME ANY MEANS OF LIFE

THAT ISN'T THREATENED AND ENDANGERED.

YOU CAN'T.

THERE ISN'T --

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

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

WE DON'T WANT TO FACE THE CAUSAL MECHANISM.

WE JUST WANT TO GO ON.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT INSANITY IS --

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

EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY DOESN'T WORK.

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

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

-THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT THE COMPETITIVE MARKET MODEL

SEEKS TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE GOODS

AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES.

THIS STATEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY THE INCENTIVE CONCEPT,

WHICH JUSTIFIES MARKET COMPETITION

BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE RESULT

IS THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHER-QUALITY GOODS.

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

I WOULD NATURALLY BUILD IT

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

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

WHY WOULD I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING POOR,

KNOWING I WOULD HAVE TO EVENTUALLY DO IT AGAIN

AND EXPEND MORE MATERIALS AND MORE ENERGY?

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

WHEN IT COMES TO THE MARKET WORLD,

IT IS NOT ONLY EXPLICITLY IRRATIONAL --

IT IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION.

IT IS TECHNICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PRODUCE THE BEST OF ANYTHING

IF A COMPANY IS TO MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE,

AND, HENCE, REMAIN AFFORDABLE TO THE CONSUMER.

LITERALLY EVERYTHING CREATED AND SET FOR SALE

IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

IS IMMEDIATELY INFERIOR THE MOMENT IT IS PRODUCED,

FOR IT IS A MATHEMATICAL IMPOSSIBILITY

TO MAKE THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY ADVANCED,

EFFICIENT, AND STRATEGICALLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS.

THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MARKET SYSTEM

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

EXISTS T EVERY STAGE OF PRODUCTION,

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

AND SO ON.

THIS COMPETITIVE STRATEGY, OF COURSE,

IS TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC BUYS THEIR GOODS

RATHER THAN FROM A COMPETING PRODUCER,

WHICH IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING

TO ALSO MAKE THEIR GOODS BOTH COMPETITIVE AND AFFORDABLE.

THIS IMMUTABLY WASTEFUL CONSEQUENCE OF THE SYSTEM

COULD BE TERMED "INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE."

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

A FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNING PRINCIPLE OF MARKET ECONOMICS --

ONE THAT YOU WILL NOT FIND IN ANY TEXTBOOK, BY THE WAY --

IS THE FOLLOWING --

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

LONGER THAN WHAT CAN BE ENDURED

IN ORDER TO CONTINUE CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION."

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

AND EXPIRE WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.

THIS IS TERMED "PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE."

PLANNED OBSOLESCE

IS THE BACKBONE OF THE UNDERLYING MARKET STRATEGY

OF EVERY GOODS-PRODUCING CORPORATION IN EXISTENCE.

WHILE VERY FEW, OF COURSE,

WOULD ADMIT TO SUCH A STRATEGY OUTRIGHT,

WHAT THEY DO IS MASK IT WITHIN

THE INTRINSIC OBSOLESCENCE PHENOMENON JUST DISCUSSED,

WHILE OFTEN IGNORING OR EVEN SUPPRESSING

NEW ADVENTS IN TECHNOLOGY

WHICH MIGHT CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE, DURABLE GOOD.

SO, IF IT WASN'T WASTEFUL ENOUGH

THAT THE SYSTEM INHERENTLY CANNOT ALLOW

THE MOST DURABLE AND EFFICIENT GOODS TO BE PRODUCED,

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE DELIBERATELY RECOGNIZES

THAT THE LONGER ANY GOOD IS IN OPERATION,

THE WORSE IT IS FOR SUSTAINING CYCLICAL CONSUMPTION,

AND, HENCE, THE MARKET SYSTEM ITSELF.

IN OTHER WORDS,

PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY IS ACTUALLY INVERSE

TO ECONOMIC GROWTH,

AND, HENCE, THERE IS A DIRECT, REINFORCED INCENTIVE

TO MAKE SURE LIFE-SPANS ARE SHORT

OF ANY GIVEN GOOD PRODUCED.

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

ONE GLANCE AT THE SEA OF LANDFILLS

NOW SPREADING ACROSS THE WORLD SHOW THE OBSOLESCENCE REALITY.

THERE ARE NOW BILLIONS OF CHEAPLY MADE CELL PHONES,

COMPUTERS, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY,

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

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

USUALLY DUE TO THE MERE MALFUNCTION

OR OBSOLESCENCE OF SMALL PARTS,

WHICH, IN A CONSERVATIVE SOCIETY,

COULD LIKELY BE FIXED OR UPDATED,

AND THE LIFE OF THE GOOD EXTENDED.

UNFORTUNATELY,

AS EFFICIENT AS THAT MAY SEEM IN OUR PHYSICAL REALITY,

LIVING ON A FINITE PLANET WITH FINITE RESOURCES,

IT IS EXPLICITLY INEFFICIENT WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET.

TO PUT IT INTO A PHRASE,

EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND PRESERVATION

ARE THE ENEMIES OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

LIKEWISE, JUST AS PHYSICAL GOODS

NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY PRODUCED AND REPRODUCED,

REGARDLESS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT,

THE SERVICE INDUSTRY OPERATES WITH AN EQUAL RATIONALE.

THE FACT IS, THERE IS NO MONETARY BENEFIT

TO RESOLVING ANY PROBLEMS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED.

AT THE END OF THE DAY,

THE LAST THING THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT REALLY WANTS

IS THE CURING OF DISEASES, SUCH AS CANCER,

WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE COUNTLESS JOBS AND TRILLIONS IN REVENUE.

AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT,

CRIME AND TERRORISM IN THIS SYSTEM ARE GOOD!

WELL, AT LEAST ECONOMICALLY,

FOR IT IS EMPLOYING POLICE,

GENERATING HIGH-VALUE COMMODITIES FOR SECURITY,

NOT TO MENTION THE VALUE OF PRISONS

THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED -- FOR PROFIT.

AND HOW ABOUT WAR?

THE WAR INDUSTRY IN AMERICA IS A HUGE DRIVER OF GDP --

ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES --

PRODUCING WEAPONS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.

THE FAVORITE GAME OF THIS INDUSTRY IS TO BLOW THINGS UP

AND THEN CAN GO AND REBUILD THEM -- FOR PROFIT.

WE SAW THIS WITH THE WINDFALL BILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACTS

MADE FROM THE IRAQ WAR.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SOCIALLY NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF SOCIETY

HAVE BECOME POSITIVELY REWARDED VENTURES FOR INDUSTRY,

AND ANY INTEREST IN PROBLEM-RESOLUTION

OR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSERVATION

IS INTRINSICALLY COUNTER TO ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY.

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

YOU ARE WITNESSING AN INCREASE IN NECESSITY,

WHETHER REAL OR CONTRIVED,

AND, BY DEFINITION,

A NECESSITY IS ROOTED IN INEFFICIENCY,

HENCE, INCREASED NECESSITY MEANS INCREASED INEFFICIENCY.

-THE AMERICAN DREAM IS BASED ON RAMPANT CONSUMERISM.

IT IS BASED UPON THE FACT THAT MAINSTREAM MEDIA

AND ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING --

ALL CORPORATIONS WHO NEED THIS INFINITE GROWTH --

HAVE CONVINCED US,

OR BRAINWASHED MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA,

AND, HENCE, THE WORLD,

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

AND THE POSSIBILITY

OF GAINING INFINITELY MORE MATERIAL POSSESSIONS,

IN ORDER TO BE HAPPY.

THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

SO WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BUY IN THIS WAY,

WHICH IS ULTIMATELY ECO-GENOCIDAL

IN ITS SYSTEMIC EFFECTS, CUMULATIVELY?

AND IT JUST IS CLASSICAL OPERANT CONDITIONING.

YOU SIMPLY PUT INPUTS OF CONDITIONING INTO THE ORGANISM,

AND YOU HAVE OUTPUTS OF DESIRED BEHAVIORS

OR GOALS OR OBJECTIVES.

AND IT HAS ALL THE RESOURCES OF TECHNOLOGY,

AND THEY BOAST ABOUT HOW THEY GET INTO THE MINDS OF INFANTS --

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

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

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

IT'S A VALUE-SYSTEM DISORDER.

-YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS ANY TESTAMENT

TO THE PLASTICITY OF THE HUMAN MIND,

IF THERE IS ANY PROOF TO HOW MALLEABLE HUMAN THOUGHT IS

AND HOW EASILY CONDITIONED AND GUIDED PEOPLE CAN BECOME

BASED ON THE NATURE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULUS

AND WHAT IT REINFORCES,

THE WORLD OF COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING IS THE PROOF.

YOU HAVE TO STAND IN AWE AT THE LEVEL OF BRAINWASHING

WHERE THESE PROGRAMMED ROBOTS KNOWN AS "CONSUMERS"

WANDER THE LANDSCAPE, ONLY TO WALK INTO A STORE

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

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

ONLY FOR THE BRAND STATUS

IT SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTS IN THE CULTURE.

OR PERHAPS THE ANCIENT COMMUNAL TRADITIONS

WHICH INCREASE TRUST AND COHESIVENESS IN SOCIETY,

WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN HIJACKED BY ACQUISITIVE MATERIALISTIC VALUES

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

AND WE MIGHT WONDER WHY SO MANY TODAY

HAVE A COMPULSION TO SHOPPING AND ACQUISITION

WHEN IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED FROM CHILDHOOD

TO EXPECT MATERIAL GOODS

AS A SIGN OF THEIR STATUS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

THE FACT IS, THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SOCIETY

ARE THE VALUES THAT SUPPORT ITS OPERATION,

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

SUPPORT THE CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION IT REQUIRES

TO CONTINUE THE MARKET SYSTEM.

75 YEARS AGO,

CONSUMPTION IN AMERICA AND MUCH OF THE FIRST WORLD

WAS HALF OF WHAT WE SEE TODAY, PER PERSON.

TODAY'S NEW CONSUMER CULTURE HAS BEEN MANUFACTURED AND IMPOSED

DUE TO THE VERY REAL NEED

FOR HIGHER AND HIGHER LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION.

AND THIS IS WHY MOST CORPORATIONS

NOW SPEND MORE MONEY ON ADVERTISING

THAN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF PRODUCT CREATION ITSELF.

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

AND IT HAPPENS TO WORK.

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

THEY'RE PROPAGANDISTS OF MONEY VALUE,

AND YOU WILL FIND THAT ALL THEIR MODELS

BASICALLY GET DOWN TO TOKEN EXCHANGES

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

OR WHATEVER -- BUT THEY'RE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED

FROM THE ACTUALLY EXISTING WORLD OF REPRODUCTION.

-UM, IN OHIO,

AN OLD MAN FAILED TO PAY HIS ELECTRIC BILL.

YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE.

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

THE REASON THEY TURNED IT OFF WAS BECAUSE

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

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PAY HIS BILL.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WAS RIGHT?

-THE RESPONSIBILITY REALLY LIES

NOT ON THE ELECTRIC COMPANY FOR TURNING IT OFF,

BUT ON THOSE OF THIS MAN'S NEIGHBORS

AND FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES WHO WERE NOT CHARITABLE ENOUGH

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

-HMM.

DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?

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

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

[ Chuckling ] WELL, THEN,

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

LITTLE MISERABLE COIN-SLOT DONATIONS FOR BODEGA COUNTERS,

AND A BUNCH OF PICKLE JARS

FOR THE BILLION PEOPLE NOW STARVING TO DEATH ON THIS PLANET

BECAUSE OF THE VERY SYSTEM MILTON FRIEDMAN PROMOTES.

WHETHER YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MILTON FRIEDMAN,

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

OR ANY OTHER MAJOR MARKET ECONOMIST,

THE BASIS OF RATIONALE RARELY LEAVES THE MONEY SEQUENCE.

IT IS LIKE A RELIGION.

CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS, STABILIZATION POLICIES,

DEFICIT SPENDING, AGGREGATE DEMAND --

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

SELF-RATIONALIZING CIRCLE OF DISCOURSE

WHERE UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEED, NATURAL RESOURCES,

OR ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL, LIFE-SUPPORTING EFFICIENCY

IS RULED OUT BY DEFAULT AND REPLACED BY THE SINGULAR NOTION

THAT HUMANS SEEKING ADVANTAGE OVER EACH OTHER FOR MONEY ALONE,

MOTIVATED BY THEIR OWN NARROW SELF-INTEREST,

WILL MAGICALLY CREATE

DA SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY, BALANCED SOCIETY.

-THERE IS NO LIFE COORDINATE IN THIS WHOLE THEORY --

THIS WHOLE DOCTRINE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TRACKING MONEY SEQUENCES.

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

PRESUPPOSING EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS.

ONE, THAT THERE'S NO LIFE COORDINATES --

WHAH, NO LIFE COORDINATES!

TWO, THAT ALL THE AGENTS

ARE SELF-MAXIMIZING PREFERENCE SEEKERS.

THAT IS, THEY THINK OF NOTHING OTHER THAN THEMSELVES

AND WHAT THEY CAN GET MOST FOR THEMSELVES.

THAT'S THE NOTION --

THE THE RULING NOTION OF RATIONALITY --

SELF-MAXIMIZING CHOICE.

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

IS MONEY OR COMMODITIES.

WELL, WHERE DOES SOCIAL RELATIONS COME IN?

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

WHERE DO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES COME IN?

THEY DON'T, EXCEPT TO EXPLOIT.

WHERE...

DOES THE FAMILY COME IN AS BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE?

IT DOESN'T.

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

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

ISN'T THAT WHAT THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS --

TO SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS?

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

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

THAT MEANS MONEY-DEMAND THAT WANTS TO BUY.

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

IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH NEED,

BECAUSE MAYBE THE PERSON HAS NO MONEY-DEMAND

AND DESPERATELY NEEDS, SAY, WATER SUPPLY.

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

WELL, WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

TO THE GOLD TOILET SEAT.

AND YOU CALL THIS ECONOMICS?

[ Laughing ] LIKE, IT'S REALLY, WHEN ONE THINKS OF IT,

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

IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN THOUGHT.

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

BUT THIS SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY ONLY ONE HALF

OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC PARADIGM.

THE OTHER HALF IS THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

WHILE THE MARKET SYSTEM DEALS WITH THE INTERACTION OF PEOPLE,

GAMING FOR PROFIT

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF LABOR, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION,

THE MONETARY SYSTEM IS AN UNDERLYING SET OF POLICIES,

SET BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,

WHICH CREATE CONDITIONS FOR THE MARKET SYSTEM,

AMONG OTHER THINGS.

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

"LOANS," "DEBT," "THE MONEY SUPPLY,"

"INFLATION," ET CETERA.

AND WHILE YOU MIGHT WANT TO PULL YOUR HAIR OUT,

LISTENING TO THE GIBBERISH

COMING FROM THE MONETARY ECONOMISTS...

-MODEST PREEMPTIVE ACTIONS CAN OBVIATE THE NEED

OF MORE DRASTIC ACTIONS AT A LATER DATE.

-...THE NATURE AND EFFECT OF THIS SYSTEM

IS ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.

-OUR ECONOMY HAS --

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

ONE IS FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING --

BANKS PRINTING MONEY OUT OF NOTHING.

IT'S ALSO BASED UPON COMPOUND INTEREST --

WHEN YOU BORROW MONEY,

YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK MORE THAN YOU BORROWED,

WHICH MEANS THAT YOU,

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

WHICH HAS TO BE SERVICED BY CREATING STILL MORE MONEY.

WE LIVE IN AN INFINITE-GROWTH PARADIGM.

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

NOTHING GROWS FOREVER.

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

AS A GREAT PSYCHOLOGIST, JAMES HILLMAN, WROTE,

"THE ONLY THING THAT GROWS

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

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

IT'S THE AMOUNT OF CONSUMERS --

CONSUMERS TO BORROW MONEY AT INTEREST TO GENERATE MORE MONEY.

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

PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY VEHICLES TO JUST CREATE MONEY,

WHICH MUST CREATE MORE MONEY

TO KEEP THE WHOLE THING FROM FALLING APART,

WHICH IS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

-THERE ARE REALLY ONLY TWO THINGS ANYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

ABOUT THE MONETARY SYSTEM.

ONE, ALL MONEY IS CREATED OUT OF DEBT.

MONEY IS MONETIZED DEBT,

WHETHER IT MATERIALIZED FROM TREASURY BONDS,

HOME-LOAN CONTRACTS, OR CREDIT CARDS.

IN OTHER WORDS,

IF ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT WAS TO BE REPAID RIGHT NOW,

THERE WOULD NOT BE ONE DOLLAR IN CIRCULATION.

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

AND THE MONEY NEEDED TO PAY BACK THIS INTEREST

DOES NOT EXIST IN THE MONEY SUPPLY OUTRIGHT.

ONLY THE PRINCIPAL IS CREATED BY THE LOANS,

AND THE PRINCIPAL IS THE MONEY SUPPLY.

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

NOT ONLY WOULD THERE NOT BE ONE DOLLAR LEFT IN CIRCULATION --

THERE WOULD ALSO BE A GIGANTIC AMOUNT OF MONEY OWED

THAT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY BACK,

FOR IT DOES NOT EXIST.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF ALL OF THIS

IS THAT TWO THINGS ARE INEVITABLE --

INFLATION AND BANKRUPTCY.

AS FAR AS INFLATION,

THIS CAN BE SEEN AS A HISTORICAL TREND

IN VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTRY TODAY,

AND EASILY TIED TO ITS CAUSE,

WHICH IS THE PERPETUAL INCREASE OF THE MONEY SUPPLY,

WHICH IS REQUIRED TO COVER THE INTEREST CHARGES

AND KEEP THE SYSTEM GOING.

AS FAR AS BANKRUPTCY,

IT COMES IN THE FORM OF DEBT COLLAPSE.

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

OR A COUNTRY,

AND TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE INTEREST PAYMENTS

ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO MAKE.

BUT THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE TO ALL OF THIS --

WELL, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE MARKET SYSTEM,

BECAUSE DEBT CREATES PRESSURE.

DEBT CREATES WAGE SLAVES.

A PERSON IN DEBT IS MUCH MORE LIKELY

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

HENCE BECOMING A CHEAP COMMODITY,

SO IT'S GREAT FOR THE CORPORATIONS

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

BUT, HEY, THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT

ALSO GOES FOR ENTIRE COUNTRIES.

THE WORLD BANK AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND,

WHICH MOSTLY SERVE AS PROXIES

FOR TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATE INTERESTS,

GIVE GIGANTIC LOANS TO TROUBLED COUNTRIES

AT VERY HIGH INTEREST RATES,

AND THEN,

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

AUSTERITY MEASURES ARE APPLIED,

THE CORPORATIONS SWOOP IN, SET UP SWEATSHOPS,

AND TAKE THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES.

NOW, THAT'S MARKET EFFICIENCY.

[ APPLAUSE ]

BUT WAIT -- THERE'S MORE.

YOU SEE, THERE'S THIS UNIQUE HYBRID

OF THE MONETARY AND MARKET SYSTEM

CALLED "THE STOCK MARKET,"

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

THEY JUST BUY AND SELL MONEY ITSELF.

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

THAT'S RIGHT. THEY TRADE IT.

THEY ACTUALLY BUY AND SELL DEBT FOR PROFIT.

FROM CREDIT-DEFAULT SWAPS

AND COLLATERALIZED-DEBT OBLIGATIONS FOR CONSUMER DEBT

TO COMPLEX DERIVATIVE SCHEMES

USED TO MASK THE DEBT OF ENTIRE COUNTRIES,

SUCH AS THE COLLUSION

OF INVESTMENT BANK GOLDMAN SACHS AND GREECE,

WHICH NEARLY COLLAPSED THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN ECONOMY.

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

WE HAVE AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL OF INSANITY

BORN OUT OF THE MONEY SEQUENCE OF VALUE.

-ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARKETS

WAS WRITTEN IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

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

AND IN THIS EDITORIAL,

THEY EXPLAINED WHY PEOPLE WITH SLIGHT BRAIN DAMAGE

DO BETTER AS INVESTORS

THAN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL BRAIN FUNCTIONALITY.

WHY? BECAUSE THE SLIGHTLY BRAIN-DAMAGED PERSON

HAS NO EMPATHY, AND THAT'S THE KEY.

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

AND SO WALL STREET BREEDS PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO EMPATHY

TO GO IN THERE AND TO MAKE DECISIONS

AND MAKE TRADES THAT THEY HAVE NO COMPUNCTION ABOUT

AND NO THOUGHT WHATSOEVER AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING

MIGHT AFFECT THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEING.

SO, THEY BREED THESE ROBOTS,

THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SOULS,

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

THEY'RE NOW BREEDING ROBOTS -- REAL ROBOTS --

REAL ALGORITHMIC TRADERS.

GOLDMAN SACHS, IN THE HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING SCANDAL,

THEY PUT A COMPUTER NEXT TO THE EXCHANGE --

THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

THIS COMPUTER, THIS "CO-LOCATED COMPUTER,"

AS THEY CALL IT,

IT FRONT-RUNS ALL THE TRADES ON THE EXCHANGE

AND HITS THE EXCHANGE WITH VOLUMES OF ORDERS

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

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

THEY WENT ONE QUARTER LAST YEAR,

30 OR 60 STRAIGHT DAYS WITHOUT A SINGLE DOWN DAY

AND MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

IS THAT BECAUSE -- WELL, THAT'S STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

WHEN I WORKED ON WALL STREET,

THE WAY IT WORKS IS EVERYONE KICKS UPSTAIRS TO BRIBES.

THE BROKERS BRIBE TO THE OFFICE MANAGER.

THE OFFICE MANAGER BRIBES TO THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

THE REGIONAL-SALES MANAGER

BRIBES TO THE NATIONAL-SALES MANAGER.

IT'S A COMMON UNDERSTANDING.

AT CHRISTMAS,

WHO GETS THE BIGGEST BONUS AT CHRISTMAS

IN AN AVERAGE BROKER JOB?

IT'S THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER.

THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER SITS THERE ALL DAY LONG.

HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING SURE

YOU DON'T VIOLATE ANY OF THE MARGIN RULES

AND YOU'RE "COMPLYING" WITH THE LAW.

OF COURSE, YEAH,

TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN BRIBE THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER,

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

SO, HOW HAS FRAUD BECOME THE SYSTEM?

IT'S NO LONGER A BYPRODUCT.

IT I THE SYSTEM.

IT'S LIKE THAT OLD WOODY ALLEN JOKE.

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

AND THE DOCTOR SAYS,

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

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

WE NEED THE EGGS." OKAY?

SO, THE TRADING OF FRAUDULENT CLAIMS BACK AND FORTH

BETWEEN BANKS TO GENERATE FEES, TO GENERATE BONUSES,

HAS BECOME THE GDP-PRODUCING GROWTH ENGINE

OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY,

EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY TRADING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS

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

THEY'RE PROCESSING AND GENERATING

AND RE-SECURITIZING NOTHING.

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

AND I SELL IT TO JPMorgan

WHILE JPMorgan WRITES $20 BILLION ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

AND WE SWAP THOSE TWO COCKTAIL NAPKINS AT A BAR

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

WE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR OUR CHRISTMAS BONUS.

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

WHICH HAS NO REAL VALUE UNTIL SUCH TIME

AS THE SYSTEM IS NO LONGER ABLE TO ABSORB

BOGUS COCKTAIL NAPKINS,

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

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

THERE ARE NOW CONSERVATIVELY ABOUT $700 TRILLION

OF OUTSTANDING, FRAUDULENT CLAIMS,

KNOWN AS DERIVATIVES, STILL WAITING TO COLLAPSE --

A VALUE AMOUNTING TO OVER 10 TIMES THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

OF THE ENTIRE PLANET.

AND WHILE WE HAVE SEEN

THE BAILOUTS OF CORPORATIONS AND BANKS BY GOVERNMENTS,

WHICH, OF COURSE,

COMEDICALLY BORROW THEIR MONEY FROM BANKS TO BEGIN WITH,

WE ARE NOW SEEING ATTEMPTS TO BAIL OUT WHOLE COUNTRIES

BY CONGLOMERATES OF OTHER COUNTRIES

THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL BANKS.

BUT HOW DO YOU BAIL OUT A PLANET?

THERE IS NO COUNTRY OUT THERE

THAT ISN'T NOW SATURATED IN DEBT.

THE CASCADE OF SOVEREIGN DEBT DEFAULTS WE HAVE SEEN

CAN ONLY BE THE BEGINNING,

WHEN THE MATH IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE

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

JUST TO COVER THE INTEREST IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ECONOMISTS ARE NOW FORESHADOWING THAT WITHIN A FEW DECADES,

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

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

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

BECAUSE OF THIS IDEA CALLED "DEBT,"

WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST IN THE PHYSICAL REALITY.

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

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

IS NOW BEING COMPROMISED.

EXTREME LAYOFFS, TENT CITIES, ACCELERATING POVERTY,

AUSTERITY MEASURES IMPOSED, SCHOOLS SHUTTING DOWN,

CHILD HUNGER,

AND OTHER LEVELS OF FAMILIAL DEPRIVATION,

ALL BECAUSE OF THIS ELABORATE FICTION.

WHAT ARE WE, FUCKING STUPID?!

-HEY, HEY. MARS, MY MAN.

HELP A BROTHER OUT, HUH?

[ CHANGE JINGLES ]

-GROW UP, KID.

-[ GROANS ]

[ LIGHTER CLICKS ]

[ INHALES DEEPLY ]

SATURN! WHAT'S UP, MAN?

YOU REMEMBER THAT SMOKIN' NEBULA

I HOOKED YOU UP WITH A WHILE BACK?

[ CHANGE JINGLES ]

-UH, LISTEN, EARTH.

WE'RE GETTING REALLY TIRED OF YOU.

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

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

AND YOU KNOW IT.

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

FOR CHRIST'S SAKE? -[ GROANS ]

-YOU'RE MAKIN' YOUR MOTHER MISERABLE.

[ SAD TROMBONE PLAYS ]

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, PAL.

-YEAH, WHATEVER.

[ GULPING ]

-NOW, ALL OF THIS CONSIDERED,

FROM THE WASTE MACHINE KNOWN AS THE MARKET SYSTEM

TO THE DEBT MACHINE KNOWN AS THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

HENCE CREATING THE MONETARY-MARKET PARADIGM,

WHICH DEFINES THE GLOBAL ECONOMY TODAY,

THERE IS ONE CONSEQUENCE

THAT RUNS THROUGH THE ENTIRE MACHINE --

INEQUALITY.

WHETHER IT IS THE MARKET SYSTEM,

WHICH CREATES A NATURAL GRAVITATION

TOWARDS MONOPOLY AND POWER CONSOLIDATION

WHILE ALSO GENERATING POCKETS OF WEALTHY INDUSTRIES

THAT TOWER OVER OTHERS REGARDLESS OF UTILITY,

SUCH AS THE FACT THAT TOP HEDGE-FUND MANAGERS

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

FOR CONTRIBUTING LITERALLY NOTHING,

WHILE A SCIENTIST LOOKING FOR A CURE FOR A DISEASE,

TRYING TO HELP HUMANITY,

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

OR WHETHER IT IS THE MONETARY SYSTEM,

WHICH HAS CLASS DIVISION BUILT RIGHT INTO ITS STRUCTURE.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE $1 MILLION TO SPARE

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

I WILL MAKE $40,000 A YEAR --

NO SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION, NO NOTHING.

HOWEVER, IF I'M A LOWER-CLASS PERSON

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

I AM PAYING IN INTEREST, WHICH, IN ABSTRACTION,

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

THIS STEALING FROM THE POOR TO PAY THE RICH

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

AND IT COULD BE LABELED "STRUCTURAL CLASSISM".

OF COURSE, HISTORICALLY,

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEEMED UNFAIR,

BUT OBVIOUSLY ACCEPTED OVERALL,

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

BUT, MATERIAL FAIRNESS ASIDE,

THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON

UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE OF INEQUALITY,

CAUSING AN INCREDIBLE DETERIORATION

IN PUBLIC HEALTH AS A WHOLE.

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

THE MATERIAL SUCCESS OF OUR SOCIETY'S

UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF WEALTH AND THE MANY SOCIAL FAILINGS.

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

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

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

WHAT THE DATA THAT I'VE BEEN DESCRIBING DOES

IS SIMPLY SHOWS THAT INTUITION

THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,

THAT INEQUALITY IS DIVISIVE AND SOCIALLY CORROSIVE.

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

THERE ARE VERY POWERFUL

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS OF INEQUALITY --

MORE TO DO, I SUPPOSE,

WITH FEELINGS OF SUPERIORITY AND INFERIORITY,

THAT KIND OF DIVISION,

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

PEOPLE FEELING LOOKED-DOWN-ON AT THE BOTTOM,

WHICH, BY THE WAY,

IS WHY VIOLENCE IS MORE COMMON IN MORE UNEQUAL SOCIETIES.

IT'S -- THE TRIGGER TO VIOLENCE

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

-IF THERE IS ONE PRINCIPLE I COULD EMPHASIZE

THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE UNDERLYING

THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE, IT WOULD BE EQUALITY.

THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR

THAT AFFECTS THE RATE OF VIOLENCE

IS THE DEGREE OF EQUALITY

VERSUS THE DEGREE OF INEQUALITY IN THAT SOCIETY.

-SO, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT

IS A SORT OF GENERAL SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION.

IT'S NOT JUST ONE OR TWO THINGS

THAT GO WRONG AS INEQUALITY INCREASES.

IT SEEMS TO BE EVERYTHING,

WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRIME OR HEALTH

OR MENTAL ILLNESS OR WHATEVER.

-ONE OF THE REALLY DISTURBING FINDINGS OUT

IN PUBLIC HEALTH THERE IS --

NEVER EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BEING POOR

OR BEING BORN POOR.

YOUR HEALTH PAYS FOR IT IN ENDLESS SORTS OF WAYS --

SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE "HEALTH SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENT."

AS YOU MOVE DOWN FROM THE HIGHEST STRATA IN SOCIETY,

IN TERMS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

EVERY STEP DOWN,

HEALTH GETS WORSE FOR UMPTEEN DIFFERENT DISEASES.

LIFE EXPECTANCY GETS WORSE. INFANT MORTALITY RATE.

EVERYTHING YOU COULD LOOK AT.

SO, A HUGE ISSUE HAS BEEN

WHY IS IT THAT THIS GRADIENT EXISTS?

TOTALLY SIMPLE, OBVIOUS ANSWER,

WHICH IS IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY SICK,

YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE VERY PRODUCTIVE,

SO HEALTH CAUSES DRIVE SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES.

NOT THAT IN THE SLIGHTEST, ON THE VERY SIMPLE LEVEL

THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

OF A 10-YEAR-OLD

AND THAT'S GONNA TO PREDICT SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR HEALTH

DECADES LATER.

SO, THAT'S THE DIRECTION OF CAUSALITY.

NEXT ONE.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT -- "OH, IT'S PERFECTLY OBVIOUS --

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

IT'S HEALTHCARE ACCESS.

IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT,

'CAUSE YOU SEE THESE SAME GRADIENTS

IN COUNTRIES WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE,

SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

OKAY, NEXT SIMPLE EXPLANATION --

"OH, ON THE AVERAGE,

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

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

YEAH, THOSE CONTRIBUTE,

BUT CAREFUL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN

THAT EXPLAINS MAYBE ABOUT 1/3 OF THE VARIABILITY.

SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

AND WHAT'S LEFT IS HAVING A TON TO DO

WITH THE STRESS OF POVERTY.

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

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

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

THE WORSE YOUR HEALTH IS.

THIS TELLS US SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT --

THE HEALTH CONNECTION WITH POVERTY --

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

-INCREASINGLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM...

CHRONIC STRESS IS AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON HEALTH,

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES OF STRESS

ARE THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

-AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING

THAT LOWERS THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL RELATIONS,

IT IS THE SOCIOECONOMIC STRATIFICATION OF SOCIETY.

WHAT SCIENCE HAS NOW SHOWN

IS THAT REGARDLESS OF MATERIAL WEALTH,

THE STRESS OF SIMPLY LIVING IN A STRATIFIED SOCIETY

LEADS TO A VAST SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC-HEALTH PROBLEMS.

AND THE GREATER THE INEQUALITY, THE WORSE THEY BECOME.

LIFE EXPECTANCY -- LONGER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

DRUG ABUSE -- LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

MENTAL ILLNESS -- LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

SOCIAL CAPITAL,

MEANING THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO TRUST EACH OTHER --

NATURALLY, GREATER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

EDUCATIONAL SCORES -- HIGHER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

HOMICIDE RATES -- LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

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

IT GOES ON AND ON.

INFANT MORTALITY, OBESITY, TEEN-BIRTH RATE --

LESS IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES.

AND, PERHAPS MOST INTERESTING,

INNOVATION -- GREATER IN MORE-EQUAL COUNTRIES,

WHICH CHALLENGES THE AGE-OLD NOTION

THAT A COMPETITIVE, STRATIFIED SOCIETY

IS SOMEHOW MORE CREATIVE AND INVENTIVE.

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

CALLED "THE WHITEHALL STUDY,"

CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A SOCIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASE

AS YOU GO FROM THE TOP OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC LADDER

TO THE BOTTOM.

FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT

THE LOWEST RUNGS OF THE HIERARCHY

HAD A FOUR-FOLD INCREASE

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

AND THIS PATTERN EXISTS,

IRRESPECTIVE OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

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

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

THIS PHENOMENON IS ROOTED IN WHAT COULD BE TERMED

"PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS,"

AND IT IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE GREATEST SOCIAL DISTORTIONS

PLAGUING OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

ITS CAUSE?

THE MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM.

MAKE NO MISTAKE --

THE GREATEST DESTROYER OF ECOLOGY,

THE GREATEST SOURCE OF WASTE AND DEPLETION AND POLLUTION,

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

ANIMAL ABUSE, AND INHUMANITY,

THE GREATEST GENERATOR OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL NEUROSIS,

MENTAL DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY,

NOT TO MENTION THE GREATEST SOURCE OF SOCIAL PARALYSIS

STOPPING US FROM MOVING INTO NEW METHODOLOGIES

FOR PERSONAL HEALTH, GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY,

AND PROGRESS ON THIS PLANET,

IS NOT SOME CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OR LEGISLATION,

NOT SOME ROGUE CORPORATION OR BANKING CARTEL,

NOT SOME FLAW OF HUMAN NATURE,

AND NOT SOME SECRET HIDDEN CABAL THAT CONTROLS THE WORLD.

IT IS, IN FACT, THE SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM ITSELF,

AT ITS VERY FOUNDATION.

LET'S IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT WE HAD THE OPTION

TO REDESIGN HUMAN CIVILIZATION FROM THE GROUND UP.

WHAT IF, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING,

WE DISCOVERED AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE PLANET EARTH,

AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THIS NEW PLANET AND OUR CURRENT ONE

IS THAT HUMAN EVOLUTION HAD NOT OCCURRED --

IT WAS AN OPEN PALETTE --

NO COUNTRIES, NO CITIES, NO POLLUTION, NO REPUBLICANS,

JUST A PRISTINE, OPEN ENVIRONMENT.

SO, WHAT WOULD WE DO?

WELL, FIRST WE NEED A GOAL, RIGHT?

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

AND NOT TO JUST SURVIVE,

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

MOST PEOPLE, INDEED, DESIRE TO LIVE,

AND THEY WOULD PREFER TO DO SO WITHOUT SUFFERING.

THEREFORE, THE BASIS OF THIS CIVILIZATION

NEEDS TO BE AS SUPPORTIVE AND, HENCE,

SUSTAINABLE FOR HUMAN LIFE AS POSSIBLE,

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

WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE ANYTHING

THAT COULD HURT US IN THE LONG RUN.

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

THE NEXT QUESTION REGARDS OUR METHOD.

WHAT KIND OF APPROACH DO WE TAKE?

WELL, LET'S SEE.

LAST I CHECKED,

POLITICS WAS THE METHOD OF SOCIAL OPERATION ON EARTH,

SO WHAT DO THE DOCTRINES OF THE REPUBLICANS, LIBERALS,

CONSERVATIVES, OR SOCIALISTS

HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SOCIETAL DESIGN?

HMMM...

NOT A DAMN THING.

OKAY, THEN, WHAT ABOUT RELIGION?

SURELY THE GREAT CREATOR

HAD TO HAVE LEFT SOME BLUEPRINTS SOMEWHERE.

NOPE, NOTHING I CAN FIND.

OKAY, THEN. SO, WHAT'S LEFT?

IT APPEARS SOMETHING CALLED "SCIENCE."

SCIENCE IS UNIQUE IN THAT ITS METHODS DEMAND

NOT ONLY THAT THE IDEAS PROPOSED BE TESTED AND REPLICATED,

BUT BUT EVERYTHING SCIENCE

COMES UP WITH IS ALSO INHERENTLY FALSIFIABLE.

IN OTHER WORDS, UNLIKE RELIGION AND POLITICS,

SCIENCE HAS NO EGO, AND EVERYTHING IT SUGGESTS

ACCEPTS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING PROVEN WRONG EVENTUALLY.

IT HOLDS ON TO NOTHING AND EVOLVES CONSTANTLY.

WELL, THAT SOUNDS NATURAL ENOUGH TO ME.

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

IN THE EARLY 21st CENTURY,

ALONG WITH OUR GOAL OF MAXIMUM SUSTAINABILITY

FOR THE HUMAN POPULATION,

HOW DO WE BEGIN THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION?

WELL, THE FIRST QUESTION TO ASK --

WHAT DO WE NEED TO SURVIVE?

THE ANSWER, OF COURSE, ARE PLANETARY RESOURCES.

WHETHER IT IS THE WATER WE DRINK,

THE ENERGY WE USE,

THE RAW MATERIALS WE UTILIZE TO CREATE TOOLS AND SHELTER,

THE PLANET HOSTS AN INVENTORY OF RESOURCES,

MANY OF WHICH ARE DEMANDED FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

SO, GIVEN THAT REALITY,

IT THEN BECOMES CRITICAL TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT WE HAVE AND WHERE IT IS.

THIS MEANS WE NEED TO CONDUCT A SURVEY.

WE SIMPLY LOCATE AND IDENTIFY

EVERY PHYSICAL RESOURCE ON THE PLANET WE CAN,

ALONG WITH THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE AT EACH LOCATION,

FROM THE DEPOSITS OF COPPER,

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

TO THE NATURAL FRESHWATER SPRINGS,

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

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

BUT, SINCE WE HUMANS

ARE GOING TO BE CONSUMING THESE RESOURCES OVER TIME,

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

WE ALSO NEED TO TRACK.

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

THAT WOULD BE BAD.

AND THIS MEANS NOT ONLY TRACKING OUR RATES OF USE,

BUT THE RATES OF EARTHLY REGENERATION, AS WELL,

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

OR A SPRING TO REPLENISH.

THIS IS CALLED "DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM."

IN OTHER WORDS,

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

WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, FOR IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

SO, THEN, HOW DO WE TRACK THIS INVENTORY,

ESPECIALLY WHEN WE RECOGNIZE

THAT ALL OF THIS STUFF IS SCATTERED EVERYWHERE?

WE HAVE LARGE MINERAL MINES IN WHAT WE CALL AFRICA,

ENERGY CONCENTRATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

HUGE TIDAL-POWER POSSIBILITIES

ON THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA,

THE LARGEST SUPPLY OF FRESHWATER IN BRAZIL, ET CETERA.

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

IT'S CALLED "SYSTEMS THEORY."

SYSTEMS THEORY RECOGNIZES THAT THE FABRIC OF THE NATURAL WORLD,

FROM HUMAN BIOLOGY TO THE EARTHLY BIOSPHERE

TO THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ITSELF,

IS ONE HUGE, SYNERGISTICALLY CONNECTED SYSTEM,

FULLY INTERLINKED,

JUST AS HUMAN CELLS CONNECT TO FORM OUR ORGANS,

AND THE ORGANS CONNECT TO FORM OUR BODIES,

AND SINCE OUR BODIES CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THE EARTHLY RESOURCES

OF FOOD, AIR, AND WATER,

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

SO, AS NATURE SUGGESTS,

WE TAKE ALL OF THIS INVENTORY AND TRACKING DATA

AND CREATE A SYSTEM TO MANAGE IT --

A GLOBAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IN FACT,

TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY RELEVANT RESOURCE ON THE PLANET.

THERE IS SIMPLY NO LOGICAL ALTERNATIVE

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

WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK, AS A WHOLE.

THAT UNDERSTOOD, WE CAN NOW CONSIDER PRODUCTION.

HOW DO WE USE ALL THIS STUFF?

WHAT WILL OUR PROCESS OF PRODUCTION BE,

AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER TO MAKE SURE

IT IS AS OPTIMIZED AS POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE OUR SUSTAINABILITY?

WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPS RIGHT OUT AT US

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

THE PLANET'S RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIALLY FINITE,

SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE BE STRATEGIC.

STRATEGIC PRESERVATION IS KEY.

THE SECOND THING WE RECOGNIZE

IS THAT SOME RESOURCES ARE REALLY NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS

IN THEIR PERFORMANCE.

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

HAS A TERRIBLE EFFECT OF THE ENVIRONMENT,

WHICH INVARIABLY HINDERS OUR OWN HEALTH.

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

RELEASE SOME PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE AGENTS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

THEREFORE, IT IS CRITICAL

WE DO OUR BEST TO USE SUCH THINGS

ONLY WHEN WE REALLY HAVE TO, IF AT ALL.

FORTUNATELY FOR US,

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

AND GEOTHERMAL POSSIBILITIES FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION,

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

TO AVOID WHAT COULD BE CALLED "NEGATIVE RETROACTIONS,"

OR ANYTHING THAT RESULTS FROM PRODUCTION OR USE

THAT DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT AND, HENCE, OURSELVES.

WE WILL CALL THIS "STRATEGIC SAFETY"

TO COUPLE IN WITH OUR STRATEGIC PRESERVATION.

BUT PRODUCTION STRATEGIES DO NOT STOP THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO NEED AN EFFICIENCY STRATEGY

FOR THE ACTUAL MECHANICS OF PRODUCTION ITSELF.

AND WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THERE ARE ROUGHLY THREE

SPECIFIC PROTOCOLS WE MUST ADHERE TO.

ONE, EVERY GOOD WE PRODUCE MUST BE DESIGNED TO LAST

AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

NATURALLY, THE MORE THINGS BREAK DOWN,

THE MORE RESOURCES WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO REPLACE THEM

AND THE MORE WASTE PRODUCED.

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

FOR WHATEVER REASON,

IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE HARVEST,

OR RECYCLE AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

SO, THE PRODUCTION DESIGN MUST TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT DIRECTLY

AT THE VERY EARLIEST STAGES.

THREE, QUICKLY EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES,

SUCH AS ELECTRONICS, WHICH ARE SUBJECT

TO THE FASTEST RATES OF TECHNOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE,

WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNED

TO FORESHADOW AND ACCOMMODATE PHYSICAL UPDATES.

THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO

IS THROW AWAY AN ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM

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

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

PART BY PART, STANDARDIZED, AND UNIVERSALLY INTERCHANGEABLE,

FORESHADOWED BY THE CURRENT TREND OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.

AND WHEN WE REALIZE

THAT THE MECHANISMS OF STRATEGIC PRESERVATION, STRATEGIC SAFETY,

AND STRATEGIC EFFICIENCY ARE PURELY TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS,

DEVOID OF ANY HUMAN OPINION OR BIAS,

WE SIMPLY PROGRAM THESE STRATEGIES INTO A COMPUTER

WHICH CAN WEIGH AND CALCULATE ALL THE RELEVANT VARIABLES,

ALLOWING US TO ALWAYS ARRIVE AT THE ABSOLUTE BEST METHOD

FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION BASED ON CURRENT UNDERSTANDINGS.

AND WHILE THAT MIGHT SOUND COMPLEX,

ALL IT IS IS A GLORIFIED CALCULATOR --

NOT TO MENTION SUCH MULTI-VARIED

DECISION-MAKING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY USED

ACROSS THE WORLD TODAY FOR ISOLATED PURPOSES.

IT IS SIMPLY A PROCESS OF SCALING IT OUT.

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

BUT ALSO A PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

BOTH OF WHICH ARE EASILY COMPUTER-AUTOMATED TO MAXIMIZE

EFFICIENCY, PRESERVATION, AND SAFETY.

THE INFORMATIONAL REALITY IS THAT THE HUMAN MIND,

OR EVEN A GROUP OF HUMANS,

CANNOT TRACK WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRACKED.

IT MUST BE DONE BY COMPUTERS,

AND IT CAN BE.

AND THIS BRINGS US TO THE NEXT LEVEL -- DISTRIBUTION.

WHAT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES MAKE SENSE HERE?

WELL, SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN

TWO POINTS IS A STRAIGHT LINE,

AND SINCE ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO POWER TRANSPORT MACHINES,

THE LESS TRANSPORT DISTANCE, THE MORE EFFICIENT.

PRODUCING GOODS IN ONE CONTINENT

AND SHIPPING THEM OVER TO ANOTHER

ONLY MAKES SENSE IF THE GOODS IN QUESTION

SIMPLY CANNOT BE PRODUCED IN THE TARGET AREA.

OTHERWISE, IT IS NOTHING BUT WASTEFUL.

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

AND REQUIRES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

WE'LL CALL THIS THE "PROXIMITY STRATEGY,"

WHICH SIMPLY MEANS WE REDUCE THE TRAVEL OF GOODS

AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,

WHETHER RAW MATERIALS OR FINISHED CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

OF COURSE, IT MIGHT ALSO BE IMPORTANT

TO KNOW WHAT GOODS WE ARE WE TRANSPORTING AND WHY,

AND THIS FALLS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF DEMAND,

AND DEMAND IS SIMPLY WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEALTHY

AND TO HAVE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE.

THE SPECTRUM OF MATERIAL HUMAN NEEDS

RANGE FROM CORE LIFE-SUPPORTING NECESSITIES

SUCH AS FOOD, CLEAN WATER, SHELTER,

TO SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL GOODS

WHICH ALLOW FOR RELAXATION AND PERSONAL, SOCIAL ENJOYMENT --

BOTH IMPORTANT FACTORS IN HUMAN AND SOCIAL HEALTH OVERALL.

SO, VERY SIMPLY, WE TAKE ANOTHER SURVEY.

PEOPLE DESCRIBE THEIR NEEDS, DEMAND IS ASSESSED,

AND PRODUCTION BEGINS BASED ON THAT DEMAND.

AND SINCE THE LEVEL OF DEMAND OF DIFFERENT GOODS

WILL NATURALLY FLUCTUATE AND CHANGE AROUND DIFFERENT REGIONS,

WE NEED TO CREATE

A "DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION TRACKING SYSTEM,"

SO TO AVOID OVERRUNS AND SHORTAGES.

OF COURSE, THIS IDEA IS OLD NEWS.

IT IS USED IN EVERY MAJOR STORE CHAIN TODAY

TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP UP WITH THEIR INVENTORY.

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

BUT, WAIT A MINUTE.

WE REALLY CAN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND DEMAND

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

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

HAVE ONE OF EVERYTHING MADE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR USAGE?

NO. THAT WOULD BE SIMPLY WASTEFUL AND INEFFICIENT.

IF A PERSON HAS A NEED FOR A GOOD,

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

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

TO THEM AND TO OTHERS WHEN NEEDED.

MANY FORGET THAT IT ISN'T THE GOOD THAT THEY WANT --

IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT GOOD.

WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THE GOOD ITSELF

IS ONLY AS IMPORTANT AS ITS UTILITY,

WE SEE THAT "EXTERNAL RESTRICTION,"

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

IS EXTREMELY WASTEFUL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ILLOGICAL

IN A FUNDAMENTAL, ECONOMIC SENSE.

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

THIS WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION

OF OUR DEMAND & DISTRIBUTION TRACKING SYSTEM,

WHICH MAKES SURE WE CAN MEET THE DEMAND

OF THE POPULATION'S NEEDS FOR ACCESS

OF WHATEVER THEY NEED, WHEN THEY NEED IT.

AND AS FAR AS PHYSICALLY OBTAINING THE GOODS,

CENTRALIZED AND REGIONAL ACCESS CENTERS ALL MAKE SENSE FOR,

THE MOST PART --

PLACED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE POPULATION,

AND A PERSON WOULD SIMPLY COME IN,

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

RETURN IT WHEN IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED --

SORT OF HOW A LIBRARY WORKS TODAY.

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

IN THE WAY WE SEE LOCAL STORES TODAY,

BUT SPECIALIZED ACCESS CENTERS WOULD EXIST IN SPECIFIC AREAS

WHERE OFTEN CERTAIN GOODS ARE UTILIZED,

SAVING MORE ENERGY WITH LESS REPEAT TRANSPORT.

AND ONCE THIS DEMAND-TRACKING SYSTEM IS IN ORDER,

IT IS TIED INTO OUR PRODUCTION-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

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

HENCE CREATING A UNIFIED, DYNAMICALLY UPDATING GLOBAL

ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT MACHINE

THAT SIMPLY MAKES SURE WE REMAIN SUSTAINABLE,

STARTING WITH SECURING THE INTEGRITY

OF OUR FINITE RESOURCES,

MOVING TO MAKE SURE WE ONLY CREATE

THE BEST, MOST STRATEGIC GOODS POSSIBLE

WHILE DISTRIBUTING EVERYTHING

IN THE MOST INTELLIGENT AND EFFICIENT WAY.

AND THE UNIQUE RESULT OF THIS PRESERVATION-BASED APPROACH,

WHICH IS INTUITIVELY COUNTER TO MANY,

IS THAT THIS LOGICAL, GROUND-UP,

EMPIRICAL PROCESS OF PRESERVATION AND EFFICIENCY,

WHICH CAN ONLY DEFINE TRUE HUMAN SUSTAINABILITY ON THE PLANET,

WOULD LIKELY ENABLE SOMETHING

NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN HUMAN HISTORY --

ACCESS ABUNDANCE --

NOT JUST FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION,

BUT THE ENTIRE CIVILIZATION.

THIS ECONOMIC MODEL, AS WAS JUST GENERALIZED --

THIS RESPONSIBLE, SYSTEMS APPROACH

TO TOTAL EARTH-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSES,

DESIGNED AGAIN TO DO NOTHING LESS

THAN TAKE CARE OF HUMANITY AS WHOLE

IN THE MOST EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE WAY,

COULD BE TERMED A "RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY."

THE IDEA WAS DEFINED IN THE 1970s

BY STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JACQUE FRESCO.

HE UNDERSTOOD BACK THEN

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

UNSUSTAINABLE ON EVERY LEVEL,

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

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

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

COULD THEY BE BUILT WITH WHAT WE KNOW TODAY,

OR ARE SOME OF THESE THINGS, ARE YOU GUESSING,

BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY?

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

IT WOULD TAKE 10 YEARS TO CHANGE THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH --

TO REBUILD THE WORLD INTO A SECOND GARDEN OF EDEN.

THE CHOICE LIES WITH YOU.

THE STUPIDITY OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE,

THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS,

TRYING TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS POLITICALLY

BY ELECTING THIS POLITICAL PARTY OR THAT POLITICAL PARTY,

THAT ALL POLITICS IS IMMERSED IN CORRUPTION.

LET ME SAY IT AGAIN -- COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, FASCISM,

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

ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT BELIEVE IN A BETTER LIFE FOR MAN --

THERE ARE NO NEGRO PROBLEMS OR POLISH PROBLEMS

OR JEWISH PROBLEMS OR GREEK PROBLEMS

OR WOMEN'S PROBLEMS.

THERE ARE HUMAN PROBLEMS.

I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYBODY.

I DON'T WORK FOR ANYONE.

NO ONE CAN DISCHARGE ME.

I HAVE NO BOSS.

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

OUR SOCIETY CANNOT BE MAINTAINED BY THIS TYPE OF INCOMPETENCY.

IT WAS GREAT -- THE FREE-ENTERPRISE SYSTEM --

ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO.

THAT WAS THE LAST OF ITS USEFULNESS.

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

-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 THEY'RE ANALYTICAL,

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

SCIENCE MEANS CLOSER APPROXIMATIONS

AT 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'RE 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.

-A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY IS SIMPLY

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD APPLIED TO SOCIAL CONCERN --

AN APPROACH UTTERLY ABSENT IN THE WORLD TODAY.

SOCIETY IS A TECHNICAL INVENTION,

AND THE MOST EFFICIENT METHODS OF OPTIMIZED HUMAN HEALTH,

PHYSICAL PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION,

CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE LIKE

RESIDE IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,

NOT POLITICS OR MONETARY ECONOMICS.

IT OPERATES IN THE SAME SYSTEMATIC WAY AS,

SAY, AN AIRPLANE,

AND THERE IS NO REPUBLICAN OR LIBERAL WAY

TO BUILD AN AIRPLANE.

LIKEWISE, NATURE ITSELF IS THE PHYSICAL REFERENT

WE USE TO PROVE OUR SCIENCE,

AND IT IS A SET SYSTEM,

EMERGING ONLY FROM OUR INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

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

OR BELIEVE TO BE TRUE.

RATHER, IT GIVES YOU AN OPTION.

YOU CAN LEARN AND FALL IN LINE WITH ITS NATURAL LAWS

AND CONDUCT YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY,

INVARIABLY CREATING GOOD HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY,

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

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BELIEVE

YOU CAN JUST STAND UP RIGHT NOW

AND WALK ON THE WALL NEXT TO YOU.

THE LAW OF GRAVITY WILL NOT ALLOW IT.

IF YOU DO NOT EAT, YOU WILL DIE.

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

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

AND WE CAN EITHER LISTEN TO IT AND COME IN HARMONY WITH IT

OR SUFFER THE INEVITABLE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.

SO, A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY IS NOTHING MORE

THAN A SET OF PROVEN, LIFE-SUPPORTING UNDERSTANDINGS

WHERE ALL DECISIONS ARE BASED UPON OPTIMIZED HUMAN

AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE EMPIRICAL "LIFE GROUND"

WHICH EVERY HUMAN BEING SHARES AS A NEED, REGARDLESS, AGAIN,

OF THEIR POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY.

THERE IS NO CULTURAL RELATIVISM TO THIS APPROACH.

IT ISN'T A MATTER OF OPINION.

HUMAN NEEDS ARE HUMAN NEEDS,

AND HAVING ACCESS TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE,

SUCH AS CLEAN AIR, NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND CLEAN WATER,

ALONG WITH A POSITIVELY REINFORCING, STABLE, NURTURING,

AND NONVIOLENT ENVIRONMENT

IS DEMANDED FOR OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH,

OUR EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS,

AND, HENCE, THE SPECIES' SURVIVAL ITSELF.

-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.

IF YOU DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF ANY OF THEM,

YOU HAVE A LESSER HUMAN BEING, LESS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING.

-AS PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED,

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY'S GROUND-UP, GLOBAL,

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO EXTRACTION, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION

IS BASED UPON ON A SET OF TRUE ECONOMIC MECHANISMS,

OR STRATEGIES,

WHICH GUARANTEE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

IN EVERY AREA OF THE ECONOMY.

SO, CONTINUING THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT

REGARDING LOGICAL DESIGN,

WHAT IS NEXT IN OUR EQUATION?

WHERE DOES ALL THIS MATERIALIZE?

CITIES.

THE ADVENT OF THE CITY IS A DEFINING FEATURE

OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.

ITS ROLE IS TO ENABLE EFFICIENT ACCESS

TO THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE ALONG WITH

INCREASED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY INTERACTION.

SO HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT DESIGNING AN IDEAL CITY?

WHAT SHAPE SHOULD WE MAKE IT?

SQUARE? TRAPEZOID?

WELL, GIVEN WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING AROUND THE THING,

WE MIGHT AS WELL

MAKE IT AS EQUIDISTANT AS POSSIBLE, FOR EASE,

HENCE THE CIRCLE.

WHAT SHOULD THE CITY CONTAIN?

WELL, NATURALLY, WE NEED A RESIDENTIAL AREA,

A GOODS-PRODUCTION AREA,

A POWER-GENERATION AREA,

AN AGRICULTURAL AREA.

BUT WE ALSO NEED NURTURING AS HUMAN BEINGS,

HENCE CULTURE, NATURE, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION.

SO, LETS INCLUDE A NICE, OPEN PARK,

AN ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS AREA

FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES AND SOCIALIZING,

AND EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH FACILITIES.

AND SINCE WE ARE WORKING WITH A CIRCLE,

IT SEEMS RATIONAL TO PLACE THESE FUNCTIONS IN BELTS

BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF LAND REQUIRED FOR EACH GOAL.

ALONG WITH EASE OF ACCESS.

VERY GOOD.

NOW, LET'S GET DOWN TO SPECIFICS.

FIRST, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE CORE INFRASTRUCTURE,

OR INTESTINES OF THE CITY ORGANISM.

THESE WOULD BE THE WATER,

GOOD, WASTE, AND ENERGY TRANSPORT CHANNELS.

JUST AS WE HAVE WATER AND SEWAGE SYSTEMS UNDER OUR CITIES TODAY,

WE WOULD EXTEND THIS CHANNELING CONCEPT TO INTEGRATE

WASTE RECYCLING AND DELIVERY ITSELF.

NO MORE MAILMEN OR GARBAGE MEN.

IT IS BUILT RIGHT IN.

WE COULD EVEN USE AUTOMATED PNEUMATIC TUBES

AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES.

SAME GOES FOR TRANSPORT.

IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED AND STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED

TO REDUCE OR EVEN REMOVE THE NEED FOR WASTEFUL,

INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILES.

ELECTRIC TRAMS, CONVEYORS, TRANSVEYORS, AND MAGLEVS,

WHICH CAN TAKE YOU VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE IN THE CITY,

EVEN UP AND DOWN,

ALONG WITH CONNECTING YOU TO OTHER CITIES, AS WELL.

AND, OF COURSE, IN THE EVENT AN AUTOMOBILE IS REQUIRED,

IT IS AUTOMATED BY SATELLITE FOR SAFETY AND INTEGRITY.

IN FACT, THIS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

IS IN WORKING ORDER RIGHT NOW.

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS KILL

ABOUT 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE YEAR,

INJURING ABOUT 50 MILLION.

THIS IS ABSURD AND DOESN'T HAVE TO OCCUR.

BETWEEN EFFICIENT CITY DESIGN AND AUTOMATED, DRIVERLESS CARS,

THIS DEATH TOLL CAN BE VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED.

AGRICULTURE.

TODAY, THROUGH OUR HAPHAZARD, COST-CUTTING INDUSTRIAL METHODS,

USING PESTICIDES, EXCESSIVE FERTILIZERS, AND OTHER MEANS,

WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DESTROYED

MUCH OF THE ARABLE LAND ON THIS PLANET,

NOT TO MENTION ALSO EXTENSIVELY POISONING OUR BODIES.

IN FACT, INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL TOXINS

NOW SHOW UP IN VIRTUALLY EVERY HUMAN BEING TESTED,

INCLUDING INFANTS.

FORTUNATELY, THERE IS A GLARING ALTERNATIVE --

THE SOILLESS MEDIUMS OF HYDROPONICS AND AEROPONICS,

WHICH ALSO REDUCE NUTRIENT AND WATER REQUIREMENTS

BY UP TO 75% OF OUR CURRENT USAGE.

FOOD CAN NOW BE ORGANICALLY GROWN

ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE IN ENCLOSED VERTICAL FARMS,

SUCH AS IN 50-STORY, 1-ACRE PLOTS,

VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING THE NEED

FOR PESTICIDES AND HYDROCARBONS IN GENERAL.

THIS IS THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL FOOD CULTIVATION --

EFFICIENT, CLEAN, AND ABUNDANT.

SO, SUCH ADVANCED SYSTEMS WOULD BE, IN PART,

WHAT COMPRISE OUR AGRICULTURAL BELT,

PRODUCING ALL THE FOOD REQUIRED

FOR THE ENTIRE CITY'S POPULATION,

WITH NO NEED TO IMPORT ANYTHING FROM THE OUTSIDE,

SAVING TIME, WASTE, AND ENERGY.

AND, SPEAKING OF ENERGY,

THE ENERGY BELT WOULD WORK IN A SYSTEMS APPROACH

TO EXTRACT ELECTRICITY FROM OUR ABUNDANT RENEWABLE MEDIUMS --

SPECIFICALLY, WIND, SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL,

AND HEAT DIFFERENTIALS,

AND, IF NEAR WATER POTENTIALS, TIDAL AND WAVE POWER.

TO AVOID INTERMITTENCY

AND MAKE SURE A POSITIVE NET ENERGY RETURN OCCURS,

THESE MEDIUMS WOULD OPERATE IN AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM,

POWERING EACH OTHER WHEN NEEDED,

WHILE STORING EXCESSIVE ENERGY TO LARGE SUPER-CAPACITORS

UNDER THE GROUND,

SO NOTHING CAN GO TO WASTE.

AND NOT ONLY DOES THE CITY POWER ITSELF --

PARTICULAR STRUCTURES WILL ALSO POWER INDEPENDENTLY

AND GENERATE ELECTRICITY THROUGH PHOTOVOLTAIC PAINTS,

STRUCTURAL PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS,

THE THERMOCOUPLE EFFECT,

AND OTHER CURRENT BUT UNDERUTILIZED TECHNOLOGIES.

BUT, OF COURSE, THIS BEGS THE QUESTION --

HOW DOES THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND GOODS IN GENERAL,

GET CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

THIS BRING US TO PRODUCTION.

THE INDUSTRIAL BELT, APART FROM HAVING HOSPITALS AND THE LIKE,

WOULD BE THE HUB OF FACTORY PRODUCTION.

COMPLETELY LOCALIZED OVERALL,

IT WOULD, OF COURSE, OBTAIN RAW MATERIALS BY WAY OF

THE GLOBAL RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM JUST DISCUSSED,

WITH DEMAND BEING GENERATED

BY THE POPULATION OF THE CITY ITSELF.

AS FAR AS THE MECHANICS OF PRODUCTION,

WE NEED TO DISCUSS A NEW, POWERFUL PHENOMENON

WHICH WAS SPARKED VERY RECENTLY IN HUMAN HISTORY

AND IS ON PACE TO CHANGING EVERYTHING.

IT'S CALLED MECHANIZATION, OR THE AUTOMATION OF LABOR.

-WELL, IF YOU LOOK AROUND YOU,

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT WE USE TODAY

IS BUILT AUTOMATICALLY --

YOUR SHOES, YOUR CLOTHES,

YOUR HOME APPLIANCES, YOUR CAR, AND SO ON.

THEY'RE ALL BUILT BY MACHINES IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY.

CAN WE SAY THAT THE SOCIETY HAS NOT BEEN INFLUENCED

BY THESE MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS?

OF COURSE NOT.

THESE SYSTEMS REALLY DICTATE NEW STRUCTURES AND NEW NEEDS,

AND THEY MAKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS OBSOLETE.

SO, WE'VE BEEN GOING UP

IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY

IN AN EXPONENTIAL WAY.

SO, DEFINITELY, AUTOMATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

YOU CANNOT STOP TECHNOLOGIES THAT JUST MAKE SENSE.

-LABOR AUTOMATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

IS AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY MAJOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

IN HUMAN HISTORY,

FROM THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND THE INVENTION OF THE PLOW

TO THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

AND THE INVENTION OF THE POWERED MACHINE

TO THE INFORMATION AGE WE LIVE IN NOW,

THROUGH, ESSENTIALLY,

THE INVENTION OF ADVANCED ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTERS.

AND WITH REGARD TO ADVANCED PRODUCTION METHODS TODAY,

MECHANIZATION IS NOW EVOLVING ON ITS OWN,

MOVING AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL METHOD

OF ASSEMBLING COMPONENT PARTS INTO A CONFIGURATION,

INTO AN ADVANCED METHOD OF CREATING ENTIRE PRODUCTS

IN ONE SINGLE PROCESS.

-LIKE MOST ENGINEERS, I'M FASCINATED BY BIOLOGY,

BECAUSE IT'S SO FULL OF EXAMPLES

OF EXTRAORDINARY PIECES OF ENGINEERING.

AND WHAT BIOLOGY IS,

IS THE STUDY OF THINGS THAT COPY THEMSELVES.

OF COURSE, THAT'S...AS GOOD A DEFINITION OF LIFE AS WE'VE GOT.

AGAIN, AS AN ENGINEER, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED

BY THE IDEA OF MACHINES THAT CAN COPY THEMSELVES.

RepRap IS A THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTER --

THAT'S TO SAY

IT'S A PRINTER THAT YOU PLUG INTO YOUR COMPUTER,

AND INSTEAD OF MAKING

TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHEETS OF PAPER WITH PATTERNS ON,

IT MAKES REAL, PHYSICAL, THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS.

NOW, THERE'S NOTHING NEW ABOUT THAT.

3-D PRINTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.

THE BIG THING ABOUT RepRap IS THAT IT PRINTS

MOST OF ITS OWN PARTS.

SO, IF YOU'VE GOT ONE,

YOU COULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE AND GIVE IT TO A FRIEND,

AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO PRINT LOTS OF USEFUL THINGS.

-FROM THE SIMPLE PRINTING

OF BASIC HOUSEHOLD GOODS IN YOUR HOME

TO THE PRINTING OF AN ENTIRE AUTOMOBILE BODY IN ONE SWOOP,

ADVANCED, AUTOMATED 3-D PRINTING

NOW HAS THE POTENTIAL

TO TRANSFORM VIRTUALLY EVERY FIELD OF PRODUCTION,

INCLUDING HOME CONSTRUCTION.

-CONTOUR CRAFTING IS ACTUALLY A FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY.

THE SO-CALLED 3-D PRINTING,

WHEN YOU DIRECTLY BUILD 3-D OBJECTS FROM A COMPUTER MODEL.

USING CONTOUR CRAFTING,

IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO BUILD A 2,000 SQUARE-FOOT HOME

ENTIRELY BY THE MACHINE IN ONE DAY.

THE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED

IN AUTOMATING CONSTRUCTION

IS THAT IT REALLY BRINGS A LOT OF BENEFITS.

FOR EXAMPLE, CONSTRUCTION IS PRETTY LABOR-INTENSIVE,

AND ALTHOUGH IT PROVIDES JOBS FOR A SECTOR OF THE SOCIETY,

IT ALSO HAS ISSUES AND COMPLICATIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE,

CONSTRUCTION IS THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB THAT THERE IS.

IT IS WORSE THAN MINING AND AGRICULTURE.

THAT HAS GOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FATALITY

IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY.

ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE WASTE.

AN AVERAGE HOME IN THE UNITED STATES

HAS THREE TO SEVEN TONS OF WASTE.

SO, THIS IS HUGE,

IF WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION

AND KNOWING THAT ABOUT 40%

OF ALL MATERIALS IN THE WORLD ARE USED IN CONSTRUCTION,

SO, A BIG WASTE OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES,

AND BIG DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.

-MAKING HOMES USING HAMMERS AND NAILS AND WOOD,

WITH THE STATE OF OUR TECHNOLOGY TODAY, IS REALLY ABSURD,

AND WILL GO THE WAY OF OUR LABOR CLASS

IN REGARDS TO MANUFACTURING IN THE UNITED STATES.

RECENTLY, THERE WAS A STUDY BY ECONOMIST DAVID AUTOR OF M.I.T.

THAT STATES THAT OUR MIDDLE CLASS IS OBSOLETE

AND BEING REPLACED BY AUTOMATION.

-QUITE SIMPLY,

MECHANIZATION IS MORE PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT,

AND SUSTAINABLE THAN HUMAN LABOR

IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY TODAY.

MACHINES DO NOT NEED VACATIONS, BREAKS, INSURANCE, PENSIONS,

AND THEY CAN 24 WORK HOURS A DAY, EVERY DAY.

THE OUTPUT POTENTIAL AND ACCURACY,

COMPARED TO HUMAN LABOR, IS UNMATCHED.

THE BOTTOM LINE --

REPETITIVE HUMAN LABOR

IS BECOMING OBSOLETE AND IMPRACTICAL ACROSS THE WORLD,

AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT YOU SEE AROUND YOU TODAY

IS FUNDAMENTALLY THE RESULT

OF THIS EVOLUTION OF EFFICIENCY IN TECHNOLOGY.

FOR YEARS, MARKET ECONOMISTS HAVE DISMISSED

THIS GROWING PATTERN,

WHICH COULD BE CALLED "TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT,"

BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT NEW SECTORS ALWAYS SEEMED TO EMERGE

TO REABSORB THE DISPLACED WORKERS.

TODAY, THE SERVICE SECTOR IS THE ONLY REAL HUB LEFT,

AND CURRENTLY EMPLOYS OVER 80% OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE,

WITH MOST INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

MAINTAINING A SIMILAR PROPORTION.

HOWEVER, THIS SECTOR IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED INCREASINGLY

BY AUTOMATED KIOSKS, AUTOMATED RESTAURANTS,

AND EVEN AUTOMATED STORES.

ECONOMISTS TODAY ARE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGING

WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DENYING FOR YEARS --

NOT ONLY IS TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT

EXASPERATING THE CURRENT LABOR CRISIS WE SEE ACROSS THE WORLD

DUE TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,

BUT THE MORE THE RECESSION DEEPENS,

THE FASTER THE INDUSTRIES ARE MECHANIZING.

THE CATCH, WHICH IS NOT REALIZED,

IS THAT THE FASTER THEY MECHANIZE TO SAVE MONEY,

THE MORE THEY DISPLACE PEOPLE,

THE MORE THEY REDUCE PUBLIC PURCHASING POWER.

THIS MEANS THAT WHILE THE CORPORATION

CAN PRODUCE EVERYTHING MORE CHEAPLY,

FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE

WILL ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY TO BUY ANYTHING,

REGARDLESS OF HOW CHEAP THEY BECOME.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE "LABOR FOR INCOME" GAME

IS SLOWLY COMING TO AN END.

IN FACT, IF YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT

ON THE JOBS WHICH ARE IN EXISTENCE TODAY

WHICH AUTOMATION COULD TAKE OVER RIGHT NOW, IF APPLIED,

75% OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE

COULD BE REPLACED BY MECHANIZATION TOMORROW.

AND THIS IS WHY, IN A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

THERE IS NO MONETARY MARKET SYSTEM --

NO MONEY AT ALL,

FOR THERE IS NO NEED.

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

RECOGNIZES THE EFFICIENCY OF MECHANIZATION

AND ACCEPTS IT FOR WHAT IT OFFERS.

IT DOESN'T FIGHT IT, LIKE WE DO TODAY.

WHY? BECAUSE IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE NOT TO,

GIVEN ANY INTEREST IN EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

AND THIS BRINGS US BACK TO OUR CITY SYSTEM.

IN THE CENTER IS THE CENTRAL DOME,

WHICH NOT ONLY HOUSES

THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION HUB --

IT ALSO HOSTS THE MAINFRAME

THAT RUNS THE CITY'S TECHNICAL OPERATIONS.

THE CITY IS, IN FACT, ONE BIG AUTOMATED MACHINE.

IT HAS SENSORS IN ALL TECHNICAL BELTS

TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE,

ENERGY GATHERING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND THE LIKE.

NOW, WOULD PEOPLE BE NEEDED TO OVERSEE THESE OPERATIONS

IN THE EVENT OF A MALFUNCTION OR THE LIKE?

MOST, PROBABLY, YES,

BUT THAT NUMBER WOULD DECREASE OVER TIME

AS IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE.

HOWEVER, AS OF TODAY,

MAYBE 3% OF THE CITY POPULATION WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THIS JOB,

WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN,

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT...

...WHILE OFTEN STRUGGLING WITH DEBT THAT DOESN'T EXIST

JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET,

I GUARANTEE YOU, PEOPLE WILL VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME

LEFT AND RIGHT TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE A SYSTEM

THAT ACTUALLY TAKES CARE OF THEM.

AND COUPLED WITH THIS ISSUE OF INCENTIVE

COMES THE COMMON ASSUMPTION

THAT IF THERE ISN'T SOME EXTERNAL PRESSURE

FOR ONE TO WORK FOR A LIVING,

PEOPLE WILL JUST SIT AROUND, DO NOTHING,

AND TURN INTO FAT, LAZY BLOBS.

THIS IS NONSENSE.

THE LABOR SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY

IS, IN FACT, THE GENERATOR OF LAZINESS,

NOT A RESOLVER OF IT.

IF YOU THINK BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, FULL OF LIFE,

INTERESTED IN NEW THINGS TO UNDERSTAND,

LIKELY CREATING AND EXPLORING...

BUT, AS TIME WENT ON,

THE SYSTEM PUSHED YOU INTO THE FOCUS

OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE MONEY,

AND FROM EARLY EDUCATION TO STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY,

YOU ARE NARROWED,

ONLY TO EMERGE AS A CREATURE WHICH SERVES AS A COG IN A WHEEL

IN A MODEL THAT SENDS ALL THE FRUITS TO THE UPPER 1%.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE NOW SHOWN THAT PEOPLE ARE, IN FACT,

NOT MOTIVATED BY MONETARY REWARD

WHEN IT COMES TO INGENUITY AND CREATION.

THE CREATION ITSELF IS THE REWARD.

MONEY, IN FACT, APPEARS ONLY TO SERVE AS AN INCENTIVE

FOR REPETITIVE, MUNDANE ACTIONS --

A ROLE WE HAVE JUST NOW SHOWN CAN BE REPLACED BY MACHINE.

SO, WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION,

THE ACTUAL USE OF THE HUMAN MIND,

THE MONETARY INCENTIVE HAS PROVEN TO BE A HINDRANCE,

INTERFERING AND DETRACTING FROM CREATIVE THOUGHT.

AND THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY NIKOLA TESLA,

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, AND OTHER INVENTORS

WHO CONTRIBUTED MASSIVELY TO OUR CURRENT WORLD

NEVER SHOWED A MONETARY INCENTIVE TO DO SO.

MONEY IS, IN FACT, A FALSE INCENTIVE,

AND CAUSES 100 TIMES MORE DISTORTION

THAN IT DOES CONTRIBUTION.

[ LAUGHTER ]

-GOOD MORNING, CLASS. PLEASE SETTLE DOWN.

THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS GO AROUND THE ROOM

AND ASK WHAT EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST?

OKAY, HOW ABOUT YOU, SARAH?

-WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO WORK AT McDONALD'S, LIKE MY MOM!

-OH, FAMILY TRADITION, EH?

HOW ABOUT YOU, LINDA?

-WHEN I GROW UP,

I'M GONNA BE A PROSTITUTE ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY!

-OH, GLAMOUR GIRL, HUH?

VERY AMBITIOUS.

HOW ABOUT YOU, TOMMY?

-WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GONNA BE A RICH, ELITIST BUSINESSMAN

WHO WORKS ON WALL STREET

AND PROFITS OFF OF THE COLLAPSE OF FOREIGN ECONOMIES.

-ENTERPRISING.

AND GREAT TO SEE SOME MULTICULTURAL INTEREST.

-AS STATED BEFORE,

A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY

APPLIES THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO SOCIAL CONCERN,

AND THIS ISN'T LIMITED TO SIMPLY TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY.

IT ALSO HAS THE CONSIDERATION

OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING DIRECTLY

AND WHAT COMPRISES IT.

WHAT GOOD IS A SOCIAL SYSTEM IF, IN THE END,

IT DOESN'T PRODUCE HAPPINESS AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE?

SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT

THAT WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE MONEY SYSTEM

AND THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE PROVIDED,

WE WOULD SEE A GLOBAL REDUCTION IN CRIME BY ABOUT 95%

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,

FOR THERE IS NOTHING TO STEAL, EMBEZZLE, SCAM, OR THE LIKE.

95% OF ALL PEOPLE IN PRISONS TODAY ARE THERE

DUE TO SOME MONETARY-RELATED CRIME OR DRUG ABUSE,

AND DRUG ABUSE IS A DISORDER, NOT A CRIME.

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 5% --

THE TRULY VIOLENT,

OFTEN SEEMING TO SOME AS BEING VIOLENT

FOR THE SAKE OF BEING VIOLENT?

ARE THEY JUST EVIL PEOPLE?

-THE REASON THAT I FRANKLY THINK IT'S A WASTE OF TIME

TO ENGAGE IN MORAL VALUE JUDGMENTS

ABOUT PEOPLE'S VIOLENCE

IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADVANCE BY ONE IOTA

OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EITHER THE CAUSES

OR THE PREVENTION OF THE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK

IF I BELIEVE IN FORGIVING CRIMINALS.

MY ANSWER TO THAT IS,

NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IN FORGIVENESS

ANY MORE THAN I BELIEVE IN CONDEMNATION.

IT'S ONLY IF WE, AS A SOCIETY,

CAN TAKE THE SAME ATTITUDE OF TREATING VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM

IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE,

RATHER THAN AS A MORAL EVIL.

IT'S ONLY WHEN WE MAKE THAT CHANGE IN OUR OWN ATTITUDES

AND ASSUMPTIONS AND VALUES

THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY SUCCEED

IN REDUCING THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE

RATHER THAN STIMULATING IT,

WHICH IS WHAT WE DO NOW.

-THE MORE JUSTICE YOU SEEK, THE MORE HURT YOU BECOME,

'CAUSE 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'RE BROUGHT UP IN AN ENVIRONMENT

THAT ADVOCATES THAT --

WHY DO YOU BLAME THE PERSON FOR IT?

THEY'RE 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'RE 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 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 U.S.A.,

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."

WHAT DO YOU MAKE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ON?

THEY CAN'T ANSWER. THEY GET MAD AT YOU.

THEY SAY, "WELL, GOD DAMN IT!

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TO THINK?"

YOU KNOW.

DON'T FORGET, YOU'RE DEALING WITH ABERRATED PEOPLE.

THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ANSWERS.

THEY'RE VICTIMS OF CULTURE.

THAT MEANS THEY'VE BEEN INFLUENCED BY THEIR CULTURE.

-WHEN WE CONSIDER A RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY,

THERE ARE OFTEN A NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS

THAT TEND TO COME UP WITH REGARD --

-HEY! HEY! HEY! -UH...

-NOW, HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE.

-YES?

-I KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

THIS IS CALLED MARXISM, BUDDY.

STALIN KILLED 800 BILLION PEOPLE 'CAUSE OF IDEAS LIKE THIS.

-MY FATHER DIED IN THE GULAG!

-YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE. THIS IS JUST NONSENSE.

-ALL RIGHT. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. -COMMUNIST!

-FASCIST! -YOU DON'T LIKE AMERICA,

YOU SHOULD JUST LEAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

-ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, JUST CALM DOWN.

-DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

-AND AS THE IRRATIONALITY OF THE AUDIENCE GREW,

SHOCKED AND CONFUSED,

SUDDENLY, THE NARRATOR SUFFERED A FATAL HEART ATTACK.

-[ GASPS ]

-AND THE SEEMINGLY COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA FILM WAS NO MORE.

[ BEEPING ]

[ WARBLING ]

[ BEEPING ]

[ STATIC BUZZES ]

-...YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THAT SORT OF THING TO PEOPLE

IN THINK-TANK-TYPE OF SITUATIONS,

AND, YOU KNOW, THESE "CLUB OF ROME" TYPES, AND SO FORTH.

"MARXIST!"

"WHAT? MARXIST? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?"

YOU KNOW?

THEY JUST -- THEY GOT THIS ICON THEY HOLD ON TO.

IT'S THEIR HOLY GRAIL.

AND IT'S SUCH AN EASY ONE, YOU KNOW?

-PEOPLE ASK IF I'M A SOCIALIST OR A COMMUNIST OR CAPITALIST,

AND I SAY, "I'M NONE OF THE ABOVE, AND WHY DO YOU THINK --

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS?"

ALL OF THOSE POLITICAL CONSTRUCTS

WERE CREATED BY WRITERS

WHO ASSUMED THAT WE LIVED ON A PLANET OF INFINITE RESOURCES.

NOT A ONE OF THOSE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES

EVEN CONTEMPLATES

THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SHORTAGE OF ANYTHING.

-I BELIEVE THAT COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE,

FASCISM ARE PART OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION --

THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE A GIANT STEP FROM ONE CULTURE TO ANOTHER,

BUT THERE ARE IN-BETWEEN SYSTEMS.

-BEFORE THERE'S ANY "ISM", WE'VE GOT LIFE GROUND,

AND THE LIFE GROUND IS, AS I'VE JUST DESCRIBED MOST EASILY,

IS ALL THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO TAKE YOUR NEXT BREATH,

AND THAT INVOLVES THE AIR YOU BREATHE,

THE WATER YOU GET, THE SAFETY YOU HAVE,

THE EDUCATION YOU CAN ACCESS --

ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE SHARE AND USE,

AND THAT NO LIFE, IN ANY CULTURE, CAN DO WITHOUT.

SO, WE'VE GOT TO RESET DOWN TO THE LIFE GROUND,

AND THE LIFE GROUND IS NO LONGER ANY "ISM."

IT'S LIFE VALUE ANALYSIS.

-IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF HISTORICAL FACT

THAT THE DOMINANT INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

OF ANY PARTICULAR SOCIETY

REFLECTS THE INTERESTS

OF THE DOMINANT GROUP IN THAT SOCIETY.

IN A SLAVE-OWNING SOCIETY,

THE BELIEFS ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND SO ON

WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE SLAVE OWNERS.

IN A SOCIETY WHICH, AGAIN,

IS BASED ON THE POWER OF CERTAIN PEOPLE

TO CONTROL AND PROFIT FROM

THE LIVES AND WORK OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS,

THE DOMINANT INTELLECTUAL CULTURE

WILL REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE DOMINANT GROUP.

AND, SO, THAT, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD,

THE IDEAS THAT PERVADE PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

AND HISTORY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

FUNDAMENTALLY REFLECT CERTAIN ELITE INTERESTS,

AND THE ACADEMICS WHO QUESTION THAT TOO MUCH

TEND TO GET SHUNTED TO THE SIDE

OR TO BE SEEN AS, SORT OF, RADICALS.

-THE DOMINANT VALUES OF A CULTURE

TEND TO SUPPORT AND PERPETUATE

WHAT IS REWARDED BY THAT CULTURE,

AND IN A SOCIETY WHERE SUCCESS AND STATUS

IS MEASURED BY MATERIAL WEALTH, NOT SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION,

IT IS EASY TO SEE

WHY THE STATE OF THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS TODAY.

WE ARE DEALING WITH A VALUE SYSTEM DISORDER,

COMPLETELY DENATURED,

WHERE THE PRIORITY OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL HEALTH

HAVE BECOME SECONDARY

TO THE DETRIMENTAL NOTIONS

OF ARTIFICIAL WEALTH AND LIMITLESS GROWTH.

AND, LIKE A VIRUS,

THIS DISORDER NOW PERMEATES EVERY FACET OF GOVERNMENT,

NEWS MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT,

AND EVEN ACADEMIA.

AND BUILT INTO ITS STRUCTURE

ARE MECHANISMS OF PROTECTION

FROM ANYTHING THAT MIGHT INTERFERE.

DISCIPLES OF THE MONETARY-MARKET RELIGION,

THE SELF-APPOINTED GUARDIANS OF THE STATUS QUO,

CONSTANTLY SEEK OUT WAYS TO AVOID ANY FORM OF THOUGHT

WHICH MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THEIR BELIEFS --

THE MOST COMMON OF WHICH ARE PROJECTED DUALITIES.

IF YOU ARE NOT A REPUBLICAN, YOU MUST BE A DEMOCRAT,

IF YOU ARE NOT CHRISTIAN, YOU MIGHT BE A SATANIST,

AND IF YOU FEEL SOCIETY CAN BE GREATLY IMPROVED

TO CONSIDER, PERHAPS, I DON'T KNOW, TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE,

YOU'RE JUST A UTOPIANIST.

AND THE MOST INSIDIOUS OF THEM ALL --

IF YOU ARE NOT FOR THE FREE MARKET,

YOU MUST BE AGAINST FREEDOM ITSELF.

-I'M A BELIEVER IN FREEDOM!

-EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE WORD "FREEDOM" BEING SAID ANYWHERE,

OR "GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE" SAID ANYWHERE,

IT MEANS, DECODED,

BLOCKING MAXIMIZATION OF TURNING MONEY INTO MORE MONEY

FOR PRIVATE MONEY POSSESSORS.

THAT'S IT.

EVERY OTHER THING THEY'LL SAY --

"OH, WE NEED MORE COMMODITIES FOR PEOPLE,"

"OH, THIS IS FREEDOM AGAINST TYRANNY,"

AND SO FORTH --

EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN DECODE IT DOWN TO THAT,

AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND A ONE-TO-ONE CORRELATION

WITH EVERY TIME THEY USE IT.

AND THIS IS A SENSE IN WHICH WE MIGHT CALL --

IT'S A SYNTAX,

A GOVERNING SYNTAX OF UNDERSTANDING AND OF VALUE,

SO THAT IT GOVERNS BENEATH THEIR OWN RECOGNITION OF IT,

SO THEY MAY NOT SAY,

"OH, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT AT ALL,"

BUT, IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO,

JUST LIKE YOU MAY SPEAK A GRAMMAR

AND YOU HAVE RULES OF GRAMMAR YOU FOLLOW

WITHOUT RECOGNIZING WHAT THE RULES ARE.

AND, SO, WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT I CALL

THE "RULING VALUE SYNTAX" THAT UNDERLIES THIS.

SO, EVERY TIME THEY USE THESE WORDS --

"GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE," "LACK OF FREEDOM" OR "FREEDOM,"

OR "PROGRESS" OR "DEVELOPMENT,"

YOU CAN DECODE THEM ALL TO COME BACK TO MEAN THAT.

-OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "FREEDOM,"

IT TENDS TO BE IN SAME SENTENCE

WITH SOMETHING CALLED "DEMOCRACY."

IT'S FASCINATING HOW PEOPLE TODAY SEEM TO BELIEVE

THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A RELEVANT INFLUENCE

ON WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT DOES,

FORGETTING THAT THE VERY NATURE OF OUR SYSTEM

OFFERS EVERYTHING FOR SALE.

THE ONLY VOTE THAT COUNTS IS THE MONETARY VOTE,

AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH ANY ACTIVIST YELLS

ABOUT ETHICS OR ACCOUNTABILITY.

IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

EVERY POLITICIAN, EVERY LEGISLATION,

AND, HENCE, EVERY GOVERNMENT IS FOR SALE.

AND EVEN WITH THE 20-TRILLION-DOLLAR BANK BAILOUTS

STARTING IN 2007,

AN AMOUNT OF MONEY WHICH COULD HAVE CHANGED,

SAY, THE GLOBAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

TO FULLY RENEWABLE METHODS,

INSTEAD GOING TO A SERIES OF INSTITUTIONS

THAT LITERALLY DO NOTHING TO HELP SOCIETY --

INSTITUTIONS THAT COULD BE REMOVED TOMORROW

WITH NO RECOURSE.

THE BLIND CONDITIONING

THAT POLITICS AND POLITICIANS EXIST FOR THE PUBLIC WELL-BEING

STILL CONTINUES.

THE FACT IS POLITICS IS A BUSINESS,

NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER IN A MARKET SYSTEM,

AND THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR SELF-INTEREST

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

-I DON'T REALLY, HONESTLY, DEEP DOWN,

BELIEVE IN POLITICAL ACTION.

I THINK THE SYSTEM CONTRACTS AND EXPANDS AS IT WANTS TO.

IT ACCOMMODATES THESE CHANGES.

I THINK THE CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENT WAS AN ACCOMMODATION

ON THE PART OF THOSE WHO OWN THE COUNTRY.

I THINK THEY SEE WHERE THEIR SELF-INTEREST LIES.

THEY SEE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FREEDOM SEEMS GOOD --

AN ILLUSION OF LIBERTY --

"GIVE THESE PEOPLE A VOTING DAY EVERY YEAR

SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE ILLUSION OF MEANINGLESS CHOICE."

MEANINGLESS CHOICE,

THAT WE GO LIKE SLAVES AND SAY "OH, I VOTED."

THE LIMITS OF DEBATE IN THIS COUNTRY ARE ESTABLISHED

BEFORE THE DEBATE EVEN BEGINS,

AND EVERYONE ELSE IS MARGINALIZED

AND MADE TO SEEM EITHER TO BE COMMUNIST

OR SOME SORT OF DISLOYAL PERSON --

A "KOOK," THERE'S A WORD --

AND NOW IT'S "CONSPIRACY."

SEE, THEY MADE THAT SOMETHING

THAT SHOULD NOT BE EVEN ENTERTAINED FOR A MINUTE,

THAT POWERFUL PEOPLE MIGHT GET TOGETHER AND HAVE A PLAN!

"DOESN'T HAPPEN!" "YOU'RE A KOOK!"

"YOU'RE A CONSPIRACY BUFF!"

-AND OF ALL THE MECHANISMS OF DEFENSE OF THIS SYSTEM,

THERE ARE TWO THAT REPEATEDLY COME UP.

THE FIRST IS THIS IDEA

THAT THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE CAUSE

OF THE MATERIAL PROGRESS WE HAVE SEEN ON THIS PLANET.

WELL, NO.

THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO ROOT CAUSES

WHICH HAVE CREATED THE INCREASED SO-CALLED "WEALTH"

AND POPULATION GROWTH WE SEE TODAY.

ONE, THE EXPONENTIAL ADVANCEMENT OF PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY --

HENCE, SCIENTIFIC INGENUITY.

AND, TWO, THE INITIAL DISCOVERY OF ABUNDANT HYDROCARBON ENERGY,

WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE FOUNDATION

OF THE ENTIRE SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM.

THE FREE-MARKET, CAPITALIST, MONETARY-MARKET SYSTEM,

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT,

HAS DONE NOTHING BUT RIDE THE WAVE OF THESE ADVENTS

WITH A DISTORTED INCENTIVE SYSTEM

AND A HAPHAZARD, GROSSLY UNEQUAL METHOD

OF UTILIZING AND DISTRIBUTING THOSE FRUITS.

THE SECOND DEFENSE IS A BELLIGERENT SOCIAL BIAS,

GENERATED FROM YEARS OF PROPAGANDA,

WHICH SEES ANY OTHER SOCIAL SYSTEM

AS A ROUTE TO SO-CALLED "TYRANNY,"

WITH VARIOUS NAME-DROPPINGS OF STALIN, MAO, HITLER,

AND THE DEATH TOLLS THEY GENERATED.

WELL, AS DESPOTIC AS THESE MEN MIGHT HAVE BEEN,

ALONG WITH THE SOCIETAL APPROACHES THEY PERPETUATED,

WHEN IT COMES TO THE GAME OF DEATH,

WHEN IT COMES TO THE SYSTEMATIC,

DAILY MASS MURDER OF HUMAN BEINGS,

NOTHING IN HISTORY COMPARES TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

-FAMINES,

THROUGHOUT AT LEAST THE LAST CENTURY OF OUR HISTORY,

HAVE NOT BEEN CAUSED BY A LACK OF FOOD.

THEY'VE BEEN CAUSED BY RELATIVE POVERTY.

THE ECONOMIC RESOURCES WERE SO INEQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED

THAT THE POOR SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

WITH WHICH TO BUY THE FOOD THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AVAILABLE

IF THEY COULD HAVE AFFORDED TO PAY FOR IT.

THAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE --

IN AFRICA AND SOME OTHER AREAS --

WELL, I'LL PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON AFRICA --

TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE DYING OF AIDS.

WHY ARE THEY DYING?

IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT AIDS.

WE HAVE -- YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WEALTHY COUNTRIES

ARE GETTING ALONG REMARKABLY WELL

BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MEDICINES THAT WILL TREAT IT.

THE PEOPLE IN AFRICA WHO ARE DYING OF AIDS

ARE NOT DYING BECAUSE OF THE HIV VIRUS.

THEY'RE DYING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY

WITH WHICH TO PAY FOR THE DRUGS THAT WOULD KEEP THEM ALIVE.

GANDHI SAW THIS.

HE SAID, "THE DEADLIEST FORM OF VIOLENCE IS POVERTY."

AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

POVERTY KILLS FAR MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE WARS IN HISTORY,

MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE MURDERERS IN HISTORY,

MORE THAN ALL THE SUICIDES IN HISTORY.

NOT ONLY DOES STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE KILL MORE PEOPLE

THAN ALL THE BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE PUT TOGETHER,

STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE

IS ALSO THE MAIN CAUSE OF BEHAVIORAL VIOLENCE.

-OIL IS THE FOUNDATION OF

AND IT IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT

THE EDIFICE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION.

THERE ARE 10 CALORIES OF HYDROCARBON ENERGY --

OIL AND NATURAL GAS --

IN EVERY CALORIE OF FOOD YOU AND I EAT

IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD.

FERTILIZERS ARE MADE FROM NATURAL GAS.

PESTICIDES ARE MADE FROM OIL.

YOU DRIVE OIL-POWERED MACHINES

TO PLANT, PLOW, IRRIGATE, HARVEST, TRANSPORT, PACKAGE.

YOU WRAP THE FOOD IN PLASTIC -- THAT'S OIL.

ALL PLASTIC IS OIL.

THERE ARE SEVEN GALLONS OF OIL IN EVERY TIRE.

OIL IS EVERYWHERE. IT'S UBIQUITOUS.

AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF OIL

THAT THERE ARE 7 BILLION PEOPLE --

OR ALMOST 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET RIGHT NOW.

-THE ARRIVAL OF THIS CHEAP, EASY ENERGY --

WHICH IS EQUIVALENT, BY THE WAY,

TO BILLIONS OF SLAVES WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK --

CHANGED THE WORLD IN SUCH A RADICAL WAY

OVER THE LAST CENTURY,

AND THE POPULATION HAS GONE UP 10 TIMES,

BUT BY 2050,

OIL SUPPLY IS ABLE TO SUPPORT

LESS THAN HALF THE PRESENT WORLD'S POPULATION

IN THEIR PRESENT WAY OF LIFE.

SO, THE SCALE OF ADJUSTMENT TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY

IS JUST ENORMOUS.

-THE WORLD IS NOW USING SIX BARRELS OF OIL

FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

FIVE YEARS AGO,

IT WAS USING FOUR BARRELS OF OIL FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

A YEAR FROM NOW, IT'S GONNA BE USING EIGHT BARRELS OF OIL

FOR EVERY BARREL IT FINDS.

-WHAT'S DISTURBING TO ME IS THE LACK OF ANY REAL EFFORT

FROM GOVERNMENTS WORLDWIDE OR INDUSTRY LEADERS WORLDWIDE

TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, WE HAVE THESE

SORT OF ATTEMPTS TO BUILD MORE WIND POWER

AND TO MAYBE DO SOMETHING WITH TIDE,

WE'VE GOT ATTEMPTS

TO MAKE OUR CARS A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT,

BUT THERE'S NOTHING

WHICH REALLY LOOKS LIKE A REVOLUTION COMING ALONG.

THESE ARE ALL PRETTY MINOR,

AND THAT, I THINK, IS PRETTY FRIGHTENING.

-AND THE GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE DRIVEN BY THESE ECONOMISTS

WHO DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

ARE TRYING TO STIMULATE CONSUMERISM

TO RESTORE PAST PROSPERITY

IN THE HOPE THAT THEY CAN RESTORE THE PAST.

THEY'RE PRINTING YET MORE MONEY, LACKING ANY COLLATERAL AT ALL.

SO, IF THE ECONOMY IMPROVES AND RECOVERS AND GROWTH --

THE FAMOUS GROWTH COMES BACK,

IT'LL ONLY BE SHORT-LIVED,

BECAUSE WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

COUNTED IN MONTHS, RATHER THAN YEARS,

IT'LL HIT THE SUPPLY BARRIER AGAIN.

THERE'LL BE ANOTHER PRICE SHOCK AND A DEEPER RECESSION.

SO I THINK WE GO INTO A SERIES OF VICIOUS CIRCLES.

-SO, YOU HAVE THE ECONOMIC GROWTH GOING UP.

PRICE SPIKE -- EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THEN IT STARTS TO COME UP AGAIN.

BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW

IS THIS AREA WHERE THERE'S NO MORE ABILITY

TO PRODUCE CHEAP ENERGY.

WE'RE AT THE PEAK.

WE'RE ON THE DOWNSLOPE OF OIL PRODUCTION.

NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY MORE OUT OF THE GROUND ANY FASTER,

WHICH MEANS THAT THINGS SHUT DOWN,

THE PRICE OF OIL DROPS,

WHICH IT DID IN EARLY 2009,

BUT THEN, AS YOU HAVE AN ERSATZ, SO-CALLED RECOVERY,

THE PRICE OF OIL STARTS TO COME BACK.

IT'S RECENTLY BEEN HOVERING AROUND $80 A BARREL,

AND WHAT WE SEE IS AT $80 A BARREL, NOW,

WITH THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COLLAPSE,

PEOPLE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME AFFORDING THAT.

-WORLD OIL PRODUCTION, RIGHT NOW,

IS ABOUT 86 MILLION BARRELS A DAY.

OVER 10 YEARS,

YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY 40 MILLION BARRELS A DAY

HAVING TO BE REPLACED.

THERE'S NOTHING AROUND WHICH CAN COME EVEN WITHIN 1%

OF MEETING THAT SORT OF DEMAND.

IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING PRETTY QUICKLY,

THERE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE ENERGY DEFICIENCY.

I THINK THE BIG MISTAKE IS IN NOT RECOGNIZING,

A DECADE OR SO AGO,

THAT AN EFFORT -- A CONCERTED EFFORT --

NEEDED TO BE MADE

TO DEVELOP THESE SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF ENERGY.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING OUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOOK BACK ON

WITH TOTAL DISBELIEF.

"YOU PEOPLE KNEW THAT YOU WERE DEALING WITH A FINITE COMMODITY.

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BUILT YOUR ECONOMY

AROUND SOMETHING WHICH WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR?"

-FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY,

THE SPECIES IS NOW FACED

WITH THE DEPLETION OF A CORE RESOURCE

CENTRAL TO OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OF SURVIVAL,

AND THE PUNCH LINE OF THE WHOLE THING

IS THAT EVEN WITH OIL BECOMING MORE AND MORE SCARCE,

THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM WILL STILL BLINDLY PUSH

ITS CANCEROUS GROWTH MODEL

SO PEOPLE CAN GO OUT AND BUY MORE OIL-POWERED CARS

TO GENERATE GDP AND JOBS, EXASPERATING THE DECLINE.

ARE THERE SOLUTIONS

TO REPLACE THE EDIFICE OF THE HYDROCARBON ECONOMY?

OF COURSE.

BUT THE PATH NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THESE CHANGES

WILL NOT MANIFEST

THROUGH THE MARKET SYSTEM PROTOCOLS REQUIRED,

SINCE NEW SOLUTIONS CAN ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED

THROUGH THE PROFIT MECHANISM.

PEOPLE ARE NOT INVESTING IN RENEWABLE ENERGIES

BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY IN IT

IN BOTH THE LONG AND SHORT TERM,

AND THE COMMITMENT NEEDED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

CAN ONLY OCCUR AT A SEVERE FINANCIAL LOSS.

HENCE, THERE IS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

AND IN THIS SYSTEM,

IF THERE'S NO MONETARY INCENTIVE,

THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN.

AND, ON TOP OF IT ALL,

PEAK OIL IS JUST ONE OF MANY SURFACING CONSEQUENCES

OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIAL TRAIN WRECK GAINING SPEED TODAY.

OTHER DECLINES INCLUDE FRESHWATER --

THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR EXISTENCE --

WHICH IS CURRENTLY SHOWING SHORTAGES

FOR 2.8 BILLION PEOPLE,

AND THOSE SHORTAGES ARE ON PACE TO REACH 4 BILLION BY 2030.

FOOD PRODUCTION --

THE DESTRUCTION OF ARABLE CROPLAND,

FROM WHICH 99.7% OF ALL HUMAN FOOD COMES FROM TODAY --

IS OCCURRING UP TO 40 TIMES FASTER

THAN IT IS BEING REPLENISHED.

AND OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS,

30% OF THE ARABLE LAND HAS BECOME UNPRODUCTIVE --

NOT TO MENTION THAT HYDROCARBONS

ARE THE BACKBONE OF AGRICULTURE TODAY,

AND AS IT DECLINES, SO WILL THE FOOD SUPPLY.

AS FAR AS RESOURCES IN GENERAL,

AT OUR CURRENT PATTERNS OF CONSUMPTION,

BY 2030, WE WILL NEED TWO PLANETS TO CONTINUE OUR RATES --

NOT TO MENTION THE CONTINUAL DESTRUCTION

OF LIFE-SUPPORTING BIODIVERSITY,

CAUSING EXTINCTION SPASMS

AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESTABILIZATION

ACROSS THE GLOBE.

AND WITH ALL OF THESE DECLINES,

WE HAVE THE NEAR-EXPONENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH,

WHERE, BY 2030,

THERE MIGHT BE OVER 8 BILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET.

ENERGY PRODUCTION ALONE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE 44% BY 2030

TO MEET SUCH DEMAND.

AND, AGAIN, SINCE MONEY IS THE ONLY INITIATOR OF ACTION,

ARE WE TO EXPECT THAT ANY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET

IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD

THE MASSIVE CHANGES NEEDED TO REVOLUTIONIZE AGRICULTURE,

WATER PROCESSING, ENERGY PRODUCTION, AND THE LIKE,

WHEN THE GLOBAL DEBT PYRAMID SCHEME

IS SLOWLY SHUTTING THE ENTIRE WORLD DOWN?

NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT YOU CURRENTLY SEE

IS GOING TO BECOME NORMALITY

DUE TO THE NATURE OF TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT.

THE JOBS ARE NOT COMING BACK.

AND, FINALLY, A BROAD SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE.

FROM 1970 TO 2010,

POVERTY ON THIS PLANET DOUBLED DUE TO THIS SYSTEM,

AND GIVEN OUR CURRENT STATE,

DO YOU HONESTLY THINK WE WILL SEE ANYTHING LESS

THAN MORE DOUBLING, MORE SUFFERING,

AND MORE MASS STARVATION?

-THERE IS NOT GONNA BE ANY RECOVERY.

THIS IS NOT SOME LONG DEPRESSION

THAT WE'RE SOMEDAY GONNA PULL OUT OF.

I THINK THE NEXT PHASE WE'RE GOING TO SEE

AFTER THE NEXT ROUND OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

IS MASSIVE CIVIL UNREST

WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS STOP BEING PAID

BECAUSE THE STATES HAVE NO MONEY LEFT.

-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 NO END.

WE DO ALL WE CAN TO AVOID THAT CONDITION.

-IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE

OF A GREAT TRANSITION IN HUMAN LIFE.

-THAT WHAT WE FACE NOW IS THIS FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE

OF THE LIFE WE'VE KNOWN OVER THE LAST CENTURY.

-THERE HAS TO BE A LINK

BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND THE RESOURCES OF THIS PLANET --

THE RESOURCES BEING, OF COURSE, ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE,

THE HEALTH OF THE OCEANS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

THIS IS A MONETARY PARADIGM THAT WILL NOT LET GO

UNTIL IT'S KILLED THE LAST HUMAN BEING.

-THE "IN" GROUP WILL DO ALL IT CAN TO STAY IN POWER,

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND.

THEY'LL USE THE ARMY AND NAVY AND LIES,

OR WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO USE TO KEEP IN POWER.

THEY'RE NOT ABOUT TO GIVE IT UP,

'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER SYSTEM

THAT WILL PERPETUATE THEIR KIND.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ]

[ MUSIC ENDS ]

[ "I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE" PLAYS ]

-* TAKE A STRAIGHT AND STRONGER COURSE *

* TO THE CORNER OF YOUR LIFE

* JUST REMEMBER THAT THE GOAL

* IS FOR US ALL TO CAPTURE ALL WE WANT *

-* MOVE ME ON TO ANY BLACK SQUARE *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YOURSELF *

* MOVE ON BACK TWO SQUARES

* SEND AN INSTANT KARMA TO ME

* INITIAL IT

-* WITH LOVING CARE

* FOR YOURSELF

* 'CAUSE IT'S TIME, THIS TIME, IN TIME *

* WITH YOUR TIME, AND ITS NEWS *

* IS CAPTURED

* FOR THE QUEEN TO USE

* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YOURSELF *

-* DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT DOO DOO *

-* DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

-* AHH

-* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY

* I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE

* TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY

* SO SATISFIED

* I'M ON MY WAY