I have a feeling that this post might receive some negative backlash and it might upset some of you. It truly is not my intention to ever offend anyone for the sake of being offensive. These are just my observations and I am more that happy to engage in discussion in the comments as long as its kept respectful! I respect anyones freedom of speech, expression and right to disagree with me. Here it goes...
About a week ago I was on Twitter, where have my fair share of things to talk about, when I saw that this one fellow had retweeted one of my posts about REAL MONEY (silver and gold.) So I felt compelled to reach out him for a little chat!
It turns out that he had no prior insight to the importance and history of our noble metals being money. So after seeing that he was clearly interested and wished to learn more, I proceeded to talk about freedom and liberty as well as how this fiat system is impinging on our ability to be free. Fascinated, he asked many more questions including what my political views are. I told him that I am a voluntarist and an anarchist and explained why. He then asked me if I had heard of the Venus Project and my views on it.
The Venus Project was something that had not been on my radar for a number of years. When I had first been exposed to the concept, I had not had an understanding of economics and liberty. So since that time I knew that I might feel differently than I once had. Before I formulated answer for this young man, I made sure to research who the the Late VP's founder Jacques Fresco was and his vision. I did not want to respond in haste. According my findings, this is my stance on the Venus Project....
What Mr. Fresco suggested is a collectivist model in which the people in that system would completely abandon their individuality, personal liberty and right to property for the "greater good." It would essentially be an ultra socialized Society.
So far, I have ZERO issues with this vision, however there is but one caveat! Those that join this collective must do so on their own volition! It must voluntarily choose to join and never be forced to.
I, for one, would never choose to not be in a social organization like the Venus project because of its dangerous and uncanny resemblance to a communist society.
As a naive young adult, the features and technology admittedly had some appeal on the surface. However, there are some philosophical differences between Mr. Fresco and I that can not ever be reconciled or compromised with.
It is problematic for my own convictions that Jacque Fresco himself, denies the existence of FREE WILL. If the VP's own founder does not recognize and acknowledge the Nature of Free Will within an individual, then I'm sure he has no moral qualms about forcing the world into his proposed vision. You cannot respect that which you do not acknowledge the existence of. In this case, I believe that Venusian's are philosophically unable to respect personal liberties.
There are also economic factors to consider as well. I'll try to explain this in a very simple and concise way because it is quite complicated.
A system like the Venus project, If actually implemented in society, has a high risk for failure because of its it's Blindspot to the marketplace. The most efficient systems are those that analyze the demand of products, goods and services and provide for them as such. Societies under communism are always stifled because of its lack of a free market. A communist society is extremely disadvantages because it relies solely on central government to dictate what the demands and provide accordingly, as opposed to noting what is actually in demand.
How is the Venus project to see what should and should not be built and where resources should go if there is no free market? Historically communist societies always either evolve into capitalism or collapse because their economies are FAR weaker. Because rulers at the top arbitrarily choose what every single person is going to produce which is often extremely far from the reality of the actual demand for those products. It's clunky and inefficient. Do you see what I mean?
The Venus Project claims to be Anarchistic, yet its heavy use of centralized planning will inevitably lead to authoritarianism.
This is just my opinion. Thoughts, comments or rebuttals are more than welcome! I just want to learn! :)
~Hratch
"most efficient systems are those that analyze the demand of products,"
communism does this, its a command economy. Everything that is made is literally made because somebody wants it. Unlike capitalism.
Communism has many examples where it worked well. Just look at the USSR under Lenin, it industrialized overnight.
I mean they even invented Tetris, one of the most popular games of all time.
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Communism was brutal thing to live under by nearly every standard. An estimated 94 million people died at its hands in the 20th century, which far exceeds what the Nazis were able to achieve. Families were ripped apart as each member was repurposed for specific tasks. Soviet Union was so great that it had to keep its citizens from leaving or communicating with the outside. That aside though, communism is far superior because, well... Tetris!!
If your ideas are so great, than how come they have to be forced upon the population, only to fail 100% of the time in the end?
If people do not join it voluntarily and are rather forced, than it is immoral any way you slice it. There is nothing a commie can say that can convince me that such a horrific concept should be tried once again. I rather not starve to death...
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also I just remembered, the United States has a higher percentage of the population locked up than the highest amount the SU ever did.
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communism is a stateless classless society. That number is propaganda.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-anarchy-works
here are a few examples of it working and saving lives.
They do not need to be forced on a population. They do not fail 100% the time, and the ones that do fail do it because of stronger militaries in capitalist countries causing transitional states to go bankrupt or be killed off.
" I rather not starve to death..."
do you know how many people starve to death a year under capitalism?
Enough food is produced to feed them capitalism is the only thing stopping them from getting it.
"The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 795 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in "
Capitalism
"Soviet Union was so great that it had to keep its citizens from leaving or communicating with the outside. That aside though, communism is far superior because, well... Tetris!!"
remember that time the US literally slaughtered communists and overthrew tens of governments just to keep its power?
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I love the idea of the venus project, because i believe in the heart of the man behind it. Its a great idea, and I think in the end worth pursuit and adjustment in a learning process toward something better. Ubuntu is another project U have been following with similar takes.
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There are some interesting aspects to it, especially with the technology. However I believe Jacque Fresco to be misguided big time. The free markets can make all of these dreams come true and better than what is proposed.
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If you haven't yet already read the utilitarianism concept by John Stuart Mill, I suggest that you read it as the Venus project appears to be the same idea but with different packaging. I personally could not live under such a political model willingly.
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I shall certainly look into that! Thanks for your input my friend!
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I looked into the Venus Project a few years ago at a time when I was really interested in the ideal of self sustainability and permaculture. The idea of a Venus society reminds me of the movie 'The Giver'. All individuality and passion had to repressed in adults by a daily injection. I love the freedom my individuality brings - even in an economic slave society like ours we are still relatively free to think, create and do as we wish.
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