swfchan: The Venus Project Essays - Beyond Utopia (Part 2 of 2).swf (info)

Text

The following is a
audio reading of one of
Jacque Fresco’s Essays.
Beyond Utopia
(Part 2 of 2)

Today we have developed the necessary
technology to surpass the fondest hopes and
dreams of any social innovators of the past.
The fact that previous attempts at social
change have failed is no justification for us to
stop trying. The real danger lies in
complacence. The only limitations to the
future of humankind are those that we impose
upon ourselves. It is now possible to relieve
humanity of many of its unresolved
problems through the humane application of
technology.

Many years ago an attempt was made in the
U. S. to understand a social and economic
system different from our own. A film called
"The March of Time" had this to say about
Soviet Communism: "We believe that the
American free-enterprise system will function
better than the collective system. However, we
wish you the best of luck on your new and
unusual social experiment." The failure of
communism to provide for human needs and
to enrich the lives of its citizens is not unlike
our own failures. Both failure and success
are inherent in the on-going experiment that is
social evolution. In all established social
systems it is necessary to devise different
approaches to improve the workings of the
system.

Science is replete with examples of
experiments that have failed, as well as those
that have been successful. In the development
of the airplane, for example, there were
thousands of failures before the first workable
model was produced. In the field of
medicine, Dr. Erlich attempted over 600
different approaches to controlling syphilis
before one was finally proven successful. All
of the technology we use today, such as
computers, cellular phones, the Internet,
aircraft, and automobiles, are in a constant
state of improvement and modification. Yet
our social system and values remain largely
static. An inscription on one of our
government buildings reads as follows:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
Attaining visions requires change. The major
reason for resisting change is that it tends to
threaten the established interests. Actually, the
fear of social change is somewhat unfounded
when we consider that the entire history of
civilization has been, in a sense, an
experiment. Even the American free-enterprise
system, during its earliest stages, faced a
multitude of problems much more severe than
they are today. These included long work
hours, exploitation of child labor, inadequate
ventilation in industrial plants, lack of rights
for women and minorities, hazardous
conditions in mines, and racial prejudice.
Despite its many problems, it was the greatest
social experiment in history in terms of
diversity of lifestyles and individual freedoms,
innovations in architecture and technology,
and overall progress in general. It is
imperative that we continue the process of
social experimentation in order to transcend
our present limitations and enhance the lives
of everyone.

The future does not depend on our present-day
beliefs or social customs, but will continue to
evolve a set of values unique to its own time.
There are no "Utopias." The very notion of
"Utopia" is static. However, the survival of
any social system ultimately depends upon its
ability to allow for appropriate change to
improve society as a whole. The paths that we
choose will ultimately determine whether or
not there is intelligent life on earth.

For more information visit
www.thevenusproject.com
www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

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