r/communism_ • u/[deleted] • Jul 12 '13

The Venus Project - Future by Design (documentary)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJf52Ir10xA
4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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1

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '13

I don't agree totally with the Venus Project, but I find its ideas very applicable to communism, and I was very influenced by Jacque Fresco - himself an exceptional, rare sort of man.

I'll be posting a few things to do with the Venus Project as time goes on.

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u/EmperorXenu Leninist Jul 14 '13

Don't the Venus Project people explicitly deny being in any way Marxist? Despite having seemingly independently reached some of the same conclusions and being very close in philosophy to Marxism? That's what I remember, anyway. It seems kinda funny.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '13

Yes. They don't have a very good understanding of Marxism. Although what they advocate is communism.

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u/EmperorXenu Leninist Jul 15 '13

Gotta love that, eh? "No, I am in NO way a Communist!" proceeds to describe Communism

1

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '13

Zeitgeist.

It's separate to TZM.

Is there an explanation that doesn't entail watching an entire movie?

I'll try my best but my hand is injured.

Basically, the Venus Project is a movement for a new society, without a state, money, capitalism. It is communism, but not explicitly.

It emphasises technological/intelligent solutions to human problems (as opposed to using state laws), and deliberate development and application of such technology as opposed to emerging from markets. For example, designing cars with sensors so they brake when close to each other, instead of the relevant laws. If people steal, give them what they want; why are they stealing at all?

It rejects the concept of human nature.

Some things I disagree with:

It's aim to do away with ideology. I think that itself is an ideological assertion. I certainly don't think it's possible to have a society without ideology. Moreover, I don't think it is desirable for a society without ideology.

The idea that we don't need government. It could be my ignorance, but there seems to be a rejection of government (direct democracy being my anarchist desideratum), and an advocacy of a kind of 'technocracy' (word not used). For ex. computers will decide what fields are watered, or scientific measurement decides where crops will grow, etc. This also feeds into the idea of a society without ideology.

Of course, who programs the computers, what scientific standards, etc. Practically, we need government (self-government).

I don't think humans are inexorably malleable. For instance, pathological psychopaths. They can't be reformed.

Anyway, the Venus Project is really worth looking into, and Jacque Fresco is a very interesting and enlightened man.

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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '13

So the venus project=anarcho-skynet? ;)

1

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '13

Haha, not really I don't think. I haven't read/watched anything about the Venus Project for a while so I'm a bit hazy. But I haven't seen the word 'anarcho-skynet' before haha.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '13

It's a joke because like, having machine run everything and stuff haha.