Korean Job Discussion Forums

[some waygug-in]

[mises]

Zeitgeist was one of my favorite words to use. Now, it is associated with trutherism etc. Too bad.

[bacasper]

[mises]

Dunno.

I often buy books from an online bookstore in SF. With every book they send, they include a copy of Zeitgeist and sometimes others. I guess it's a nice thought? I'll get around to watching it one day.

[some waygug-in]

[Triban]

The original Zeitgeist was utter shit and untruths; this one seems to have more facts, as it is dealing with the economy.

[bacasper]

The beginning's explanation of the fractional reserve banking system is very good, although I have seen a very similar presentation before (Zeitgeist 1?). The economic hitman stuff is fascinating in its delineating the three stages of foreign intervention:

1. The economic hitmen
2. The jackals
3. The military option

I haven't gotten past part 4 yet.

[thoreau]

[sqrlnutz123]

Overall I thought the first one was better, although having read the book, I did appreciate the piece on economic hit men.

[some waygug-in]

Being a Christian, I disagree with the parts about religion, but the economic and political stuff is right on.

[Dev]

Zeitgeist 2 is a very educational film for those who want to understand how the world works.

I loved the explanation about money and how the banks literally create money out of thin air. The money you borrow with your credit card doesn't actually exist.

I am skeptical about the utopia that the film suggests we create by abolishing the monetary system. Without money or some other system of ranking people, how would you control 6 billion people? I don't see how it's possible that 6 billion people would have the freedom to just jump on a magna train and go wherever they want on a dime's notice.

Also, people have a competitive nature. Look at sports or entertainment and it resembles a pyramid. There are say only about a dozen top tier male actors who earn ridiculous salaries. Then there are second tier and newcomers and at the bottom, a massive group of wannabies. People love this structure. It gives them dreams of rising to the top.

Man seems to always be in competition with his neighbor. He wants a prettier wife, a faster car, a bigger house... The monetary system suits this need.

I guess you could harness his ego to do good like see which guy can build better houses for the poor or who can make the best medical advances.

However, man is pretty selfish currently. Do you think he can gain as much pleasure being a giver as opposed to a taker?

[Jeonmunka]

Frankly I think the money system we've got is the best of all evils. What makes it bad is greed and super spending by politicians. Apart from the blow outs caused by certain people at certain times, and corporate and individual greed the monetary system works damned well. Better than we work for green dollars in a communistic agricultural system that would be necessary for that.
I know it sucks, but I think it sucks because people abuse the system.

[El Macho]

The original Zeitgeist movie was pretty well debunked as "agitprop". Can't say I'm inspired to watch any updates to/about it.

[Senior]

[wintermute]

Just some random thoughts:

Money is used as a medium of exchange for goods and services.

"The international banking elite" suck enormous quantities of money out of the system through interest and inflation, without providing anything in proportionate return.

This puts pressure on individual members of society to work harder and longer to pay their share of the burden, forces the economy to continually expand in order to service the debt, and leads directly to the rapid destruction of the environment to fuel this growth.

The only hope for a balanced, sustainable society and economy is to somehow break away from this system.

Unfortunately, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Whenever I hear reports of this or that group suggesting the earth should have a lower, more sustainable population, I can't help thinking that the depopulating should start from the top, not the bottom. You'd need to get rid of a much smaller number, and would make a much bigger difference.