Futurist 7 - The Venus Project

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Discussion:

Stefan feels that the documentary is the kind of futurism that his dad's generation would envisioned, that is mostly of flying cars and sleek buildings. However, he likes the part about the new social structure that Jacque Fresco proposes, where designs are displayed as holograms and environmental issues are automatically monitored and adjusted by technology, leading to more community and less politics.

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I observed two design principles that Jacque has that differs from Buckminster Fuller.

1. Jacque says that all his designs are 'transitionary designs', meaning that they will evolve and that he doesn't know what the future will be. Wherelse Bucky's designs are expressed more conclusively.

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2. Jacque designs toilets with wet plumbing, but Bucky says that we shouldn't mix liquid waste with solid waste as they become grounds for bacterial infestation and the spread of disease. Bucky propounded that human excretement should be vacuum packed and harnessed for their methane gas that can be used as a domestic and industrial fuel.

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Perhaps with today's technologies, it is now less of a problem to have wet plumbing. For instance, modern digestors can breakdown sewage rapidly into water and carbon-dioxide, thus minimise the risks of spreading diseases.

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What impressed me most was when Jacque said that we need a policeman to guard something, because there is a need for that something which the thief don't have and cannot get. If we make things in abundance and available to everyone, then there is no need to steal. So, there is no crime and no policemen needed. As an illustration, he said that if there are plenty of trees bearing lemons and peaches abundantly, you won't be able to sell them. 

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Extending this thought further, if everything is in abundance, then we won't be able to sell anything too. Which means that money will become obsolete! 

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Bucky said, "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. "

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Joo Hock said that Bucky said "Do more with less" - for instance new metal alloys are discovered with much more strength per given weight, then previous metal alloys. Such that, Bucky said there is no need to mine for metals anymore. Those above the ground can be recycled.

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"Then why is this not happening?" Stefan asked.

"Because of the need to make profits and to hoard money and speculate", replied Joo Hock.

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So will we see a resource based economy and an eventual demise and obsolescence of money?

Stefan said that while it is a good idea to have a resource based economy, there will always be a need for money to get some resources (like gold) that will still be scarce. "But then, gold has very limited industrial purposes", I said. "Yes, but that doesn't mean that I am going to give them away", Stefan replied.

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I feel there won't be a sudden demise of money but perhaps a gradually diminishing importance of money when basic goods become free. For instance, basic housing, food, utilities, telephony, broadband and even television becoming free, but for more luxury you have to pay. Then we can really enjoy life and live a creative one.

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Stefan said that unfortunately for some people, when they reach that state, instead of using the time to improve themselves like reading books, attending courses,...etc, they just sit around doing nothing. I think that is because we are so accustomed to working in  a fix paid job. There are many people whom I know that will feel terribly nervous about not working and 'doing nothing' at home. 

I think many people are too caught up in their daily mundane chores. They have lost touch with their true self and have forgotten how to live their life. They have been conditioned into a structured regular job or a series of compulsive and pre-planned tasks. They have become 'human-doings', not 'human-beings'. I remember the time when I was a kid in Singapore, life was much laid back under the kampung roofs, tropical breeze and coconut trees. People tend to find something they like to do and didn't feel lost idling when they didn't have a job. This is common as official unemployment was very high then. 

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I know of one who would collect selected dead tree branches and make lamps out of them. He will sandpaper, polish, lacquer, wire them and insert a light bulb at the end, and they were pieces of art! Others will do gardening, or will have their routine to take strolls and end up in the kampung football field to watch a friendly match, then walk home leisurely for dinner. Life was much slower - no mobile phones, no faxes, no internet, also (commonly) no jobs! :) Many people had hobbies though.

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Chris asked about something she read in Stephan's book "James 5" regarding 'reputation' which she is interested to know more. Stefan explained that 'repuation' can turn out to be yet another currency of the future, which money cannot buy. Online reputation rating is already here as in e-Bay ratings, but currently they have some weaknesses at the moment. Also online reputation ratings are not transferable across different websites or e-portals. But he reckons it will improve and 'reputation' will become more valuable for online trading, as unlike off-line reputation, online ones are more quantifiable.

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It's getting late. So the meeting ended. Around 10pm.

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