What’s a failed utopia?
Do we change from within or from outside factors? Is change possible from within the system or is a new system needed? If we choose to work from within the system, do we work from the roots or from the top? Or perhaps; from all these angles at the same time?
All these big questions sometimes make me feel like a change is impossible, but then meeting ordinary people living this economic crisis, it is clear that the existing system is not sustainable. Witnessing the fine line between prosperity and poverty, and seeing what multi-national companies are doing to the third world, people at home, and the environment, keeps reminding me of the necessity to change this system quickly, and not spend all energy debating over whether it’s possible or not.
It is a man-made economic system after all, and trading methods have changed before to suit the times, so surely they can change again to suit our present situation. Perhaps it is the free market ideology that is a failed utopia?
We all know we are in a globally fragile state, and historically this is when extremist forces have got to power. Trying to conserve a no longer suitable system will be detrimental to everyone and heighten existing conflicts.
There is a real need to educate and supply ideas to the public, which give hope for a better future, and inspire solutions. It is up to all of us to decide if we want it.
mb
Tags: Capitalism · Utopia? · Resource-based Economy · Non-competitive Economy
4 responses so far ↓
1 Helen Diemert // May 18, 2008 at 2:45 am
I’m eager to see your film work on the futurist theme.
I have been a strong supporter of both Technocracy and the Venus Project which I visited some years ago.
Are you in touch also with David Sanborn Scott? He is an articulate futurist as well.
Congratulations on your undertaking! We need visionary artists like you. Best wishes for your success.
2 isenhand // May 22, 2008 at 6:11 am
I am pleased to see more and more people have started to realised that we cannot sustain our current system and yes, I agree, our current systems has all the characteristics of a failed utopia. But what to do and how to more forward? We (as in NET, which has it HQ in Umeå BTW) have started designing an alternative socioeconomic system. For us, we view bottom up as the best way forward but even then I see it as difficult to change without some top down as well. Some people see that having an economic disaster as the only way we will change. I hope we can avoid that.
3 Robert Searle // Jun 19, 2008 at 8:45 am
RE. TRANSFINANCIAL ECONOMICS.
In order for real change to occur we have to change the basis of our present system. We need to have a more advanced financial system before we can go onto more “idealistic” approaches as indicated in the excellent Venus Project of Jacque Fresco.
I would suggest the answer to the above problem is TRANSFINANCIAL ECONOMICS. Though it is still subject to research, and development especially the super-flexible electronic inflation controls the basics of this subject can be discussed.
Click on my name to see my p2p foundation link which give a basic, and authorative account of it. It will blow your mind BUT IT IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE.
Comments always welcome
4 bongo // Jun 21, 2008 at 10:02 pm
The subject of money is at the heart of change.
Money-history&energy accounting.
The Technocracy Technate design uses Energy Accounting as the viable alternative to the current Price System. Energy Accounting-Fezer. The Energy Certificate/Energy Accounting system.
If a Price System is used… the same mistakes are repeated as to resource destruction… all choice being made on somethings ability to make money or not.
Dickering with the financial system will not work… as making tiny commune style alternative communities will not really help the situation we are in.
Larger thinking is needed that relates to bigger portions of the planet.
New systems should be designed that make sense and are attractive… and can not be controlled by special interest groups such as religious and political groups.
For that reason voting on morality and belief system issues including contracts of behavior can not be allowed (democracy).
Contracts in a civil society equal slavery.
The system currently used…. the Price System is already using that method.
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