why it will not work

I recently watched (and re-watched) these documentaries :
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist (addendum)

I advise everybody to do the same. They remind me of a series of documentaries that I watched on our national broadcasting company when they still cared about informing the public. That program was called "De keuze of Dekeyser" (The Choice of Dekeyser), with Dekeyser - the surname of the man introducing the documentaries - being a Dutch translation of "The Emperor".

The documentary parts of the above videos are verifiable and therefore probably true. Very unsettling they are too, although those of us with half a brain probably know most of what is being explained already.

The utopian idea to reform our society in the latter half of the second video is also interesting. I do call it utopian (even though the video and the site linked to the video claim it is not). It also reminded me very much of the following novel : http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1164 (Iron Heel by Jack London). And that very novel explains the first reason why the idea will not work : "The establishment, our masters, will not give up the resources necessary for the idea to work without a fight".

And we are running out of time. Very quickly. We can not wait the 200 years it took "the brotherhood of man" in the book to turn the tide.

The second reason is even simpler. The idea is based on human goodwill. On our empathy. On our judgement to do what is right for all, not just right for one. Any biologist (the one I read is Richard Dawkins) will tell you that is not a stable strategy. That without at least some tit-for-tat (read : violence, war, ...) there will always be individuals trying to profit from a given situation.


So, my conclusion is that it can not work. Do not let that keep you from watching the videos and forming your own conclusions. The Iron Heel will take us down with them, but we at least might give them a run for their money !