Hello this is Peter Joseph of The Zeitgeist Movement
and I felt the need today to take a moment to publicly
express a few concerns regarding the incredible explosion that has emerged
accross the world born out of the "occupy wall street" initiative
that began a few weeks ago in New York city.
While the mainstream media continues to more less ignore,
criticize and downplay the enormous growth,
potential and effect of this global action against the financial system is having.
I think if you put every single left-wing cause into a blender, and hit power
this is the sludge you'd get.
It's like Woodstock meets Burning Man,
meets people with absolutly no purpose.
The independent media has been shining
as the bigger and free speach journalism more than ever.
And the interesting thing is the more the mainsteam media
continues its Status Quo preservation tactics,
the more public attention will seek out and support
the independent outlets for the power and interests
in the occupy movement is simply not stoping.
As of october 16th, over 1500 cities in the world
are now activly taking part on what is likely the largest
global action ever seen and I suspect many others
seemingly different economic protests currently occuring worldwide
would eventually unify with this global occupy movement as well.
And while "peaceful protest" has been stapled of this action
police brutality and violent outbreaks
are unfortunatly occuring in pockets
and this is something of deep concern to me
It's one thing for all of us to give lip service to non-violence
in such a situation and it's another to be educated
and strategic in your work to restrain it.
I speak not only to participants here,
but also to law enforcement and hence the goverment
and financial powers they represent.
In the case of violence occuring within an occupy movement,
it's critical that if you see any person begining to act
in a violent manner, you work with others to stop them in a peaceful way
or make sure others are separated and not triggered into it.
There's an important book that I recommend called "The Crowd:
A study of the Popular Mind"
which takes great care to discuss mass reactions.
While many of us might think we can be completely objective
and independent in our actions, the fact is we are
deeply influenced by the effects around us.
The mob mentality can take all almost subconsciously.
This is very important to recognize within yourself and others,
in order to be vigilant on both fronts.
On that note, it's also critically important law enforcement
understand these dinamics as well.
If you, the police, expect the crowd not to be violent
then a concerted effort to withhold your communication of it, is required.
Just as a single rue person can trigger an entire group
to jump on board with violent acts,
so do violent actions coming from you, the police.
The more you show violence, the more likely it will generate it.
And needless to say, there are many more protesters than are police
and your weapons will be absolutly meaningless
if these mobs ever work to turn against you.
It's in yourself interest and protection to stop reacting
in abusive manners. Every time you hurt or abuse another human being,
you plant the seed of permission for them to hurt
and abuse you and others.
You have nothing to gain by using force and everything to lose in the end.
Now, all that aside there's a quick point I would like to make regard to demands and transition.
I don't pretend to know what will occure
as this movement continues to grow,
but unless an informed, relevant set of demands are made,
its effect would be minimal.
It's here I will speak with respect to the values of The Zeitgeist Movement
along with my personal views on how
we could possible transition into a more human,
sustainable balanced society.
While many within the occupy movement promote various reforms
of the current economic and political system, others such as
The Zeitgeist Movement seek a complete overhaul.
It's not the purpose of this video to expand upon
the complete train of thought present in The Zeitgeist Movement's
observations and proposals, but suffice it to say
we seek a system based upon resource managment
as the starting point of all industrial decisions
coupled with a recognition that the efficiency enabled by
our modern understandings in science and technology
will be what can provide and meet the needs of the entire
human population and create true sustainability.
The manifestation of these elements are what comprise
what we often we refer to as a "Resource-Based Economic Model".
To understand the basis of this train of thought more clearly
I do suggest two books as well:
One is called "Critical Path" by Buckminster Fuller
and the other is called "The Best That Money Can't Buy" by Jacque Fresco.
From there the readership begin to see
that our current financially-based economic model
is intrinsically flawed, and no regulation of this system
will likely solve the real problems we face at hand.
And if this view is accepted, the view that we need
to employ a completely different socio-economic model
to meet the needs of the human population
and become truly sustainable on the Planet Earth,
the question of course becomes: How do we get there?
In my personal view, the occupy movement could be the seed
for a transition out of the current paradigm into a new one.
By its natural evolution, the occupy movement has characteristics
that are very revealing with respect to the true nature of the problems at hand.
The fact that is act of complaint has occured without borders
or in certain cases without even respect to the political system itself,
rather targeting the financial system, shows an amazing new awareness.
My first suggestion is to unify the regional movements
into a global entity through representatives,
where each major region has a personal link to each other.
I believe this is starting to occur already.
The meetings need to occur with these representatives
to plant more concerted actions to reinforce
the global unity and presence.
Second, a decision needs to be made as to
where your main focus is.
To kick by reform the current system or
to work to basically remove it as a whole
and obviously there is gonna be a transitional phase
incorporating both as well.
Either way, these global representatives would need to prepare
a world occupy conference at a set location for the media to diggest.
Where reform issues are presented, hence pushing recognition
by the political establishment and the public.
In the case of reform this is where each regional group
gains recognition and organizes themselves to be able
to engage their country specific govermental bodies.
In the case of complete revolution and the interest
to remove the model itself and install a totally new system,
as advocated by The Zeitgeist Movement, a more radical
undertaking is required, a parallel government needs to be created.
Rather than work to get a seat at the proverbial table that exists,
a new table needs to be created
and the representatives of each region are brought in
along with legal and technical teams associated,
much detail could be explained on that but let's leave it there for now.
Eventually this will create a virtual global institution
that begins to prepare the new social system, as the
old system continues its operation and inevitable failure
if you understand what the system is
and how it can't resurrect itself at this point.
And once this model is defined, a massive public awareness campaign
is commenced as the new governing body and its work is announced.
The tipping point will come once the public
begins to see the merit of the new social proposal
hence recognizing the governing entity itself and eventually
giving it priority over the prior political establishment.
Now, what I just turned out here is extremely generalized
and I'm sure it raises numerous questions.
I only want to express this as a logical train of thought
and broad strokes on how maybe true global revolution could occur
and hence plant this seed of possibility and organization.
There are countless people that had been talking about change
for a long period of time. My question to you is:
Are you really prepared to do what it takes
to actually get the change done.
If you would like to know more about The Zeitgeist Movement,
please visit thezeitgeistmovement.com and also know
that we have over thousand chapters across 70 countries at this time,
working in tandem to, again, create the type of social change I just described.
So, if you would like to become a part of the movement,
please go to the movement's site, clic on the country and go
and find a chapter in your region or create one.
Thank you for listening.