Futurist and Legendary Creator Jacque Fresco travels from Florida to London to discuss The Venus Project, his candid conversation with Albert Einstein as a young boy, what happened with Peter Joseph and The Zeitgeist Movement, how the Great Depression developed his mindset, and what he would do if elected President of the United States.
Easily one of the most popular interviews from London Real to date, Jacque Fresco is a character like no other. His career achievements read like that of a fictional genius from a super hero film. Note: one of the good ones. He’s a self-educated industrial designer, social engineer, concept artist and futurist. Other descriptors include work as an inventor (X-Ray Unit, Drafting instruments), psychological consultant, guide dog trainer & KKK sect dissolver (no really, listen in at 24:00)
We rarely have the opportunity to listen to someone presenting such extraordinary ideas. He’s philosophical, unapologetic in his view on social conditioning and passionately serious about his work. Not afraid to go against the grain, Jacque has used controversy to reel people in.
"I spoke at Princeton and I titled the lecture 'Man Can't Think or Reason', that made everybody angry and they all wanted to come." - Jacque (04:10)
"They say people invented language to communicate. That's strictly B.S. Bad Science." - Jacque (05:50)
All societies with kings and queens they’re all bullshit societies they manipulate people’ – Jacque (102:00)
You’ll have to forgive him if his stories rattle off a little. At the time of recording, Jacque was 96 years old. Today he’s 97, having celebrated another year as futurist and legendary creator of The Venus Project.
With London Real Jacque talks about The Venus Project, what happened with Peter Joseph and the Zeitgeist movement, shares some fascinating stories including his chat with Einstein well as his overarching message. That we can’t restructure society and harness technology to create a sustainable world – UNLESS - we can challenge our behavioural conditioning enough to make real changes.
Life with no money. Or, Resource based economy
For many around the globe, Jacque and his team through The Venus Project (TVP) have provided a blue print for an ultimate alternative way of life. To do away with money and live in what’s termed a ‘Resource Based Economy’. That is, combining technological capabilities with science, to create a life that gives mankind the ultimate freedom. Freedom to explore his/her own existence, while at the same time, restoring the natural environment back, as near as possible to its original state.
For Jacques, TVP is at its very foundation about education.
“The Venus Project is about what shapes human behaviour.. A person who is very creative has been exposed to a great deal of situations.. The Venus Project encourages you to work with your children. To give them the best of knowledge you’re able to give them.”
Life in a Venus Project City
- Cities are designed around fostering creativity, learning and the pursuit of self-knowledge
- Computers & technology are designed and automated to serve the needs of man and preserve the environment
- You would not be required to work
- Self sustaining in every way using the sun as well as Geo-thermal energy (heating at the earth’s core) to power the cities
- Environment outside of the cities would return to natural state
- Hands on learning only & make everything available to people - like a public library
- No leaders, no politics, no military, prisons or police
You can learn about TVP in more detail on their website and download some great information and free e-books here.
The Venus Project split with the Zeitgeist Movement – What Happened?
When word of collaboration between Peter Joseph of The Zeitgeist Movement (Zeitgeist The Film is a must-see. Also, TVP features more heavily in its’ follow up film; Zeitgeist Addendum) and Jacques and TVP began, much positive buzz and approval was generated. People were excited these two substantial movements combine to challenge the thinking and corrupt nature of our current system.
Understandably, when this collaboration ceased at the start of 2011, many supporters were left wondering why. With some excellent probing from Brian, Jacque talks about the split.
‘He got the book [Jacques recommended book: The best that money can’t buy] and he flew out right away and spent many hours with me and he said “I got the idea now. I’m going to run it my way.” I said: “You can’t do that, I’ve spent 75 years working on this. You have to study more.” “So I split with him, because I’ve been working on it for so many years, and doing away with my own beliefs in order to understand what shapes human behaviour.’
Adding,” He needs more exposure. I said to him ‘Come on down and I’ll work with you on it’
It seems another issue for the separation was when TZM presented itself as the activist arm of TVP.
“…He made a great presentation in the opening. It was one of the most successful Internet presentations. And they said ‘Jacque why did you leave it? Why didn’t you work with him?’ Cause he said that he would use TZM movement as the activist arm of TVP. But he never consulted me (on) what the activist arm would do.”
Despite this, when asked if Peter has an open door to walk through should he want to learn more from him in the future? Jacque replies easily “Oh he always has that.”
And there you have it.
While the door between TVP and TZM is not completely closed, it does leave one wondering about what it would take for these two brilliant minds and their prospective causes to find a way to collaborate in the future.
Will we make it to a resource-based economy? What’s stopping us?
Jacque isn’t really of the opinion that we’re any closer to a resource-based economy than we were even 30 years ago. When asked if he thought our society could make the transition from a capitalist economy to a resource based economy Jacque replies ‘That I don’t know. We may kill each other. I don’t know’.
What about a revolution Jacque to kick things off?
According to Jacque we have a long way to go as a society even before revolution would be effective. ‘No. The public is not well enough informed. In Syria if they threw out their Government, they don’t know what to put in its place. This is the problem. All the revolutionaries don’t know what to do. Neither did the Communists (49:50).’
After so many years researching and advocating TVP, Jacque is not about to slow down. The most importing thing for him going forward is to train people in his unique way of thinking. On how they can approach and challenge others who have a different way of thinking.
“If you don’t talk to people nothing will happen. When you hear about TVP if you just keep it to yourself you’re going to get involved in nuclear war and environmental destruction. I don’t know what people will do, I can only recommend what they will do to make things better.”
Listen carefully and you’ll find a little gold nugget in almost everything Jacque says. Listen even closer or ‘turn up the frequency of your consciousness’’ if you can.
Even if this isn’t your usual area of interest, if only for a short while it’s worth taking the time out to challenge your own thinking. For a minute you can wear your own futurist hat & think: If you were to redesign society and the world -- What on Earth might that look like?
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"Creativity is taking known elements and putting them together in different ways." - Jacque (01:55)
"There are no good or bad people, people are shaped by culture or subcultures that they're part of." - Jacque (02:49)
"I spoke at Princeton and I titled the lecture 'Man Can't Think or Reason', that made everybody angry and they all wanted to come." - Jacque (04:10)
"They say people invented language to communicate. That's strictly B.S., bad science." - Jacque (05:50)
"When I was a kid I men Einstein and I said, 'Do you believe in God?' and he said, 'Which one?'" - Jacque (07:08)
"So for the Venus Project that means you didn't invent anything?" - Brian (08:36)
"Today they say this man is good, this man is autistic, this man is gifted. All bullshit." - Jacque (14:39)
"Are there leaders in The Venus Project?" "No there are people that are studying various aspects of it." - Brian & Jaque (18:37)
"Is there an ideal world The Venus Project sees one day?" "There's a better world, never ideal." - Brian & Jacque (22:48)
"Was there a pivotal incident that caused you to feel that way?" "Yes, my Grandfather." - Nic & Jacque (28:33)
"I saw an interview with you and Larry King in 1974." "Larry King was a nice guy he was honest." - Brian & Jacque (30:57)
"You said modern civilisation wasn't sustainable and now 30-40 years later it is." " Unless we go to war I said." - Brian & Jacque (32:39)
"In your lifetime in what way have you seen the world deteriorate, anything that really shocked you." "The first depression, 1929, the market crashed." - Nic & Jacque (34:22)
"All of us are prostitutes when we work in this culture. The minute we do to work in any industry when you punch that time clock you're in a dictatorship." - Jacque (33:17)
"What do you think of the Zeitgeist Movement and what do you think of Peter Joseph?" - Brian (37:10)
"Your work was featured in two of the Zeitgeist movies." "People said to Peter Joseph the system is corrupt what can we do about it?" - Brian & Jacque (38:28)
"Would you consider making amends with Joseph?" "I can't let anyone go off in their own direction." - Brian & Jacque (40:37)
"So to summarize you want to keep your ideas your own?" "No, not true." - Brian & Jacque (43:55)
"He said he would make the Zeitgeist movement the activist arm of The Venus Project but he never consulted me." - Jacque (44:35)
"Are we any closer to a resourced-based economy (RBE) now than say 30 years ago." "Not really." "Do you think the transition can be made from capitalism?" - Brian & Jacque (49:25)
"You're 96 years old, you've done so much work in your life, what's left for you to do?" "To train other people in this way of thinking and teach them how to approach people with a different way of thinking." - Brian & Jacque (54:07)
"Is there anything you have been completely wrong about?" "In the old days yes." - Nic & Jacque (57:30)
"What if we elected you President this year, what would you do?" "I'd declare all the world's resources as a common heritage of all the worlds people and get them to join and become one nation." - Brian & Jacque (59:20)
Music by: Kevin MacLeod & The Edenites http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-to-london/id528293203?i=528293272
http://thevenusproject.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacque_Fresco
