Let me first state this is not my
usual topic and I'm not a conspiracy nut. We recently watched the Zeitgeist Addendum movie on Netflix. Mostly it prompted me to think of our lifestyle in
the terms the movie discusses, Monetary based economies and Resource based
economies. Truthfully, Zeitgeist Addendum does contain a lot of conspiracy
based theory and is mostly about bashing the worlds existing Monetary system. I
was not completely enthralled with it but I watched and listened with an open
and questioning mind. I came to the determination that some of it made some
sense.
Zeitgeist Addendum in general
summation proposes we move away from a monetary based society and into a
resource based society. We should all know and at least sort of understand a
monetary based society as it is what we have now. What is a resource based
society though, I didn't know. As far as I can tell all the examples of a
resource based society are futuristic with none currently in operation. A
utopian ideal of living in harmony with nature while utilizing technology to
its fullest potential. The best and most well-known example of this in my
opinion is Star Trek. I personally have also thought to look to history and
believe that many native cultures were resource based societies. In particular
I look to Native Americans as living this way.
The basic definition of a
resource according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary is
1a : a source of supply or
support : an available means —usually used in plural
b : a natural source of wealth or revenue —often used in plural
c : a natural feature or phenomenon that enhances the quality of human
life
d : computable wealth —usually used in plural
e : a source of information or expertise
So I looked at our life in terms
of each individual system. First the
monetary system. Our monetary resources are currently limited and we have debt
just as the movie states. Contrary to the movie I do not believe this condition
is fixed, permanent, or in any way guaranteed to be unchanging or worsening. We
do not do great but we are functioning ok in this system as it currently
stands. Ok being tiny income and low debt by comparison to others. The monetary
based economy seems to thrive on comparison.
I had never contemplated our
situation in terms of our resources. Why? We still live in a monetary based
economy and society so it is how we most easily relate to the world but in many
ways we are already living a resource based life. I found when I contemplated
living from a resource based view point that we are wealthy in ways I had not
expected; For instance in a monetary system my house would be of value only in
terms of its potential resale value or equity but in a resource based system my
home has value in just being shelter for myself, it has additional value in
being able to shelter others in return for services or monetary gain, it
provides my garden which allows us to provide food for ourselves and others,
and it is my hope that in the future it will help to provide us with the energy
it uses.
I came to the conclusion that our self
sufficiency lifestyle places us somewhere in the midst of both these systems.
In fact they are symbiotic...without one the other would not exist in our lives
and without both we wouldn't have the things we do. We have a home. It can be
made energy efficient or even go completely off grid and be energy independent.
We have 1/2 an acre of land. That land can produce food and medicine from a
garden and fruit bearing plants. It can support chickens, rabbits, and goats.
We have access to technology that enables us to expand and learn things we
would have never known existed. We are learning new things all the time. In
fact it is my personal goal to learn one new skill every month in 2013. That
same technology gives us access to others who have knowledge to share and
similar ideals. It offers social relationships with folks we could not have met
any other way. Our knowledge and skills can provide us with a means of
enjoyment, self-improvement and possibly even trade.
If you are like me, you sometimes
feel so out of place in this world you just don't fit. In some ways I am the
square peg that doesn't go in the round hole. I prefer my quieter, slower small
town life. I prefer to shop at the thrift store rather than the big box store.
I prefer to buy local rather than half a world away. I'm slow to jump on the latest and greatest
trends and products. Does this mean I don't value technology or world
trade--heck no--in fact I recently bought some lovely crochet thread that’s
made in Brazil on Amazon and I plan to buy more. It does however mean I often
view the world more from a resource based perspective than a monetary one. This
makes me different from the majority. However, I am no longer quite so
backwards because I'm interested in making my own stuff, recycling, organics,
growing my own food and using energy wisely. It seems it has recently become a
popular ride at the carnival of life.
Earning your "living"
or place in society will not end. It is one of the hardest things to do in a
rural environment. Especially one that is based mostly in a monetary system.
Yet it is possible to have a sustainable livelihood in a rural area without
commuting or working from home (via technology) in a resource based system
where everyone contributes and receives the necessities in return. Contrary to
what the movie suggests I believe that people will always have to trade
something...whether it is a skill, a product, labor, technology or some other not
yet recognized form that is given value...for something else whether its beads
and trinkets, modern currency, energy credits, or replicator rations in order
to exist as a society. Food does not
come from nowhere and technology changes or requires maintenance and repair so
there is and likely always will be "work" to be done. Even on Star
Trek they all had a job to do. While I cannot deny the necessity of having a
monetary income I have begun to learn to value our resource based "assets".
Looking at the economy this way has helped me see my family and our position in
terms of all our worth rather than merely seeing worth through our monetary
value and capabilities and from this perspective it is easy to see we can
contribute to our local community in so many more ways than I ever thought
possible.
The contemplation of these two
economic systems and our life style will no doubt continue to lead me to
reevaluate a great many things. There was one pivotal moment after thinking
about all this for a couple days when I realized that we are actually living
and operating in both systems simultaneously at this moment in time. It was
strange to fully realize that we are in the beginnings of a transition. A
transition deeper reflection tells me has occurred before as we moved from a
resource based society into one based on monetary systems. I believe things are
slowly changing and swinging back the other way; perhaps we are the beginning
of that new way and a part of that change. We are living part way between the monetary
and the resource based ideals, part way between the traditional and the
technological, part way between the old and the new, between the death of one
way and the birth of another. There is no way at the present time that I know
of to jump entirely into a resource based society without some catastrophic
failures in both systems but we can certainly grow into one.
Sources and sites
A Google search on Zeitgeist and
resource based living will lead you to many, many hours of links with
everything from debates to conspiracy theorists making accusations on all
sides. It is worth the investigation if you do it with an open mind, skip over
the junk, and confirm your own facts. Just to get you started here are some
links.
Resources for resource based living
Technocracy resources
Linking resource based living and
technocracy together
And finally a skeptics opinion on
zeitgeist
Wifeofaprepper
As always you can join the Facebook group, like
the Facebook
community page, and visit the website. All of these are
conveniently called “Kaya Self
Sufficiency”. I hope you have enjoyed this post and I hope you are getting
better at providing as much as you can for yourself and for your family, group,
or community.
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