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The Best That Money Can't Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War

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The Best That Money Can't Buy - Beyond Politics, War, and Poverty. In the context of these troubled times, the title itself seems the epitome of Utopian thinking. Within these pages, however, are not the meanderings of well-intentioned dreamers, but straight-forward analyses of, and solutions to, many of the troubles that continue to plague the world, in spite of - and often, under the present scarcity-oriented distribution system of advantage, because of - the vast technological achievements of the modern age.

Even the term Utopian rankles Fresco, who sees stagnation in the notion of a civilization that feels it has "arrived" at some sort of ultimate state of being. Rather, The Best That Money Can't Buy takes Utopia beyond an unattainable (and undesirable) dead end to an exciting, dynamic, and perpetual quest not for perfection, but for the next step in social development, pulsing with all the vitality of the unquenchable human spirit. The Best That Money Can't Buy takes all the most admirable, humane hopes and aspirations of humankind, dovetails them with known and developing technologies, and comes up with a comprehensive design for the future that surpasses any that have been offered thus far. Fresco's work doesn't just break new ground; he fuses it into glass viaducts to provide fresh water to the whole world.

Fresco's unique, streetwise background in behavioral science eminently qualifies him to identify the roles of culture and physical environment as shapers of much of humanity's past and present situation - and the surest footing for establishing a new direction for civilization, based on manageable data and enhanced communication, rather than the vagaries of philosophical remnants of an age of ignorance, scarcity, and superstition.

Fresco even takes into account the tendency of some humans to establish a pecking order of advantage by, for the most part, taking them out of the loop when it comes to making decisions based on their inevitable prejudices, psychological limitations, and an inherent lack of a sufficient knowledge base to render objective decisions that favor all members of society equally. Instead, Fresco leaves the arrival at (not "making" of) decisions to computers. An intimidating prospect to some, no doubt, until one considers the major roles computers play in things like landing jetliners safely or transporting one's messages across thousands of mile.

Particularly notable is Fresco's prescription for a new incentive system based on personal achievement and satisfaction, rather than on the shallow, socially divisive, and ultimately environmentally disastrous value system based on a ceaseless quest for exclusive access to ever more consumptive material possessions. The environmental impact (or lack of) under Fresco's proposed "resource-based economy" is profound, as are the social benefits. Producing the highest quality, most durable goods for common use by all not only guarantees the most efficient allocation of natural resources and energy, but has the potential to eliminate the vast majority of social ills born of the inequities of distribution so highly touted by champions of the present monetary system as one of its chief motivators of "incentive

A resource-based economy, as envisioned by Fresco, transcends the need for property and proprietary "rights" that present monumental roadblocks to cooperative endeavor. One need only consider the millions lost to the AIDS epidemic due to the refusal of pharmaceutical companies to allow the affected nations to develop their own, more affordable treatments; or the 13,000 who die each day from water-related diseases while private industry privatizes access to fresh water, to realize the inherent failures of the present property-oriented system to meet the basic needs of the human family

Any new line of thinking is bound to find its detractors in those who have found a measure of advantage in the current social arrangement, or even those who haven't, but remain culture-bound due to societal pressures and influences - especially those who hold onto the archaic notion that money is a viable instrument for rewarding contributive effort and distributing goods and services on the basis of whomever "deserves" them. Fresco's proposals are certain to raise the eyebrows, if not the hackles, of anyone who holds onto the notion of the "dignity" of work - a dignity which business, above all other spheres of human activity, has always been willing to forego in the name of faster production and expanded sales. Indeed, much of the psychological stress we see today is the aftershock of seeing one's usefulness rendered impotent by advancing technology.

The net effect of the Machine Age has been to elevate humans beyond the drudgery of arduous, dangerous work. Fresco simply extends this trend to the next level. While Fresco's work may appear threatening in its tendency to strip the human animal of its functionality, the trend is not of his making - but the proposals to manage technological change for maximum social benefit with minimal environmental damage are.

Good fences don't make good neighbors. They make selfish and uncooperative ones that in this age, where even one's thoughts are subject to copyright, can be a detriment to the information sharing essential to human betterment and progress. Fresco's thinking is not only out of the box; it's not even in the same warehouse. He cuts through the dilatory and inhibitive system of proprietary "rights" and leads the reader into an oft-mooted, but hitherto unrealized, distribution system in which all are not simply offered a chance for a leg up at someone else's expense, but afforded an equal footing simply because it's there for everyone.

The Best That Money Can't Buy is not for the faint at heart - but then, neither are the inevitable challenges of an increasingly complex world. Humankind can simply sit idly by and let a handful of elitists direct technology for their exclusive benefit, or they can themselves be the pioneers of a culture in which no one, and everyone, is elite. Perhaps bold works like this will dissipate some of the fog of scarcity thinking and embolden, and empower, more people to reach for that next level of understanding.

Global peace is so very important as a goal we must leave no stone unturned in exploring the possibilities of making it real. Too many of us are trapped in the box of complacency and denial. Any American citizen should have enough common sense to realize that business as usual is not working, never has worked and never will work to develop world peace. Any Economic paradigm built upon a class system is inherently flawed. Capitalism, deceptive though it may be, is built upon a class structure. Just ask the indigenous native, the Hispanics, or descendents of the slaves in The USA.

No human being is a second class citizen whether they are a citizen of a nation or the world. No human being will ever accept second class citizenship status. How can any rational human being in this day and time not understand this?

The use of monetary economics is, practically, as old as human civilization and although peace has endured as the most common dream of humanity it has never been actually attained. A popular definition of 'insanity' is doing the same things over and over expecting different results. Capitalism is the epitome of monetary economics. Communism, socialism, Fascism all use money to regulate resource distribution and are but variations of monetary economics. Monetary Economics is manmade - Not God given - and it is flawed like any other creation of mankind!

Capitalism is most compatible with a Plutocracy (a wealthy minority controls government) and it is rational because the wealthy are the most adept at monetary policy and practice. We know it is a ruthless affair. In a system that thrives upon competition, and Capitalistic competition is dog-eat-dog at best, the winners rule. A Plutocracy just inevitably emerges within such systems. A plutocracy is not what the citizens of the United States admit to desire. Such systems divide the general population, creates strife and gross inequities. Deceit, fear and violence are required to maintain order is such societies. At some point in all of our lives we have probably wondered, "There must be a better way to live1". There is . . . but we must escape the trappings of thinking within the box constructed and maintained for us by the gatekeepers of our Economic establishment and the media. "The Best That Money Can't Buy", takes us outside the box and revives our dreams of world peace with a virtual guide to world peace that was relatively impossible much of the twentieth century.

Democracy demands an economic system of different stripes. Democracy cannot thrive in a Capitalistic society. It is just incompatible. What is wrong with our systemic methodology for determining who gets how much of what and what is our best alternative for a systemic adjustment that makes everyone a winner and allows democracy to thrive? . . .

Jacque Fresco's work breaks it all down and lays out a virtual blueprint for the kind of society we dream about the most. Don't give up on your dreams of peace. Dreams are what makes our world whatever it is and whatever it is to become. If we can imagine it - we can create it! Believe that and prepare to embrace a new strategy for peace, the end of needless human suffering and an abundant world with no losers.

Remember what they said about: the Airplane, electricity, space travel, and breaking the sound barrier? Ignore the nay-sayers and make peace real.

C. Dickerson

A book like this was long in coming, but finally it is here! As a long time seeker to newer and better solutions to the problems our society is facing, I have never read such all-encompassing proposals as those put forth by Mr. Jacque Fresco in `The Best that Money Can't Buy'.

The ideas presented in this book are nothing short of groundbreaking and brilliant.Imagine a Society where Money is obsolete and no longer required, where technology is put full-force in service of mankind,and where all resources are declared the common heritage of all people.

This book goes against the competitive trends of Corporate Globalization which we are seeing today,trends which are slowly shrinking out the middle class and empoverishing vast numbers of people while an elite few are becoming ever-more wealthy.When the prime directive in our society is Profit rather than People, it is the inevitable result to have a constantly diminished quality of life, an erosion of our environment, and an increase in social unrest in all parts of the world.

Mr. Fresco has researched and studied this problem for the past sixty years, and this book contains a comprehensive blue-print for a new culture in which the development of humanity's full potential is put at the forefront, as well as an emphasis on the conservation of our Earth and it's natural resources.What is so revolutionary is the marriage of high technology with a people-oriented culture.A world For the people, By the people. The net result is a society where we are liberated from the oppression of constantly trying to survive, and are free to finally pursue the untapped potential that is in each one of us individually, and collectively as a species.

As Mr. Fresco has stated, `Our civilization hasn't even begun to get off the ground'.

This book is $25 directly from the Venus Project website, and it is disgusting to see this book cost as high as it does. The person on Amazon selling the book is part of the problem in our society, as discussed through the Venus Project and the Zeitgeist Movement, the education arm of the Venus Project. My rating is a FIVE star normally, but I listed a ONE star purely because of the greedy sellers motives. Even the movies are free on the ZeitgeistMovie website, promoting a resource based economy as an alternative to a corrupt monetary system.

This book is just absolutely fantastic! It provides us with all the solutions we need to live on earth in a way that we are all yearning to live. Fresco truly understands the human plight and has combined his lifelong experience in science and technology with arts and aesthetics to create a new direction beyond our wildest dreams. If his ideas came to fruition, I have no doubt that war, poverty, crime, scarcity and the like would be distant relics of the past.

If you have a desire to bring about social and environmental change in a positive way and on a planetary scale, this book provides the ways and the means to achieve that goal. If your mind is open to ideas that go farther than anything you've read so far, I say this book is for you.

The Best That Money Can't Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War by futurist and inventor Jacque Fresco is a seminal, ground breaking vision of a grander, more humane future borne of the advantages of science and technology as well as human concern for the well-being of other people and the planet. Individual chapters address how to help basic human nature evolve beyond enlightened self-interest for a better tomorrow in this wondrous, compelling, superbly illustrated, hope-filled, highly recommended treatise.

DO NOT BUY THIS HERE! $113 for a new one are you kidding? Do everyone a favor, especially Jacque Fresco and buy it on TVP's website and get it for 24.95.
Now for the review...

This book is full of great ideas to get us started on the path to making the best world that we can with what we have. Jacque spends some time discussing what is required of us in order to do this and then goes on to the various forms of technology that we could use to accomplish this. We know we need to change. The current system does not work anymore. This books presents some ideas on how we can change that.

First of all, don't pay a ridiculous price for this book. You can get it at the venus project dot com for about $25 (at the time of this post) as others have mentioned.

In our current social system, everything seems backwards. We have men driven by greed, power and social status making critical decisions that affect hundreds of millions of people in the name of "economic prosperity" or "profitability". We do not live in a democracy. We live in a fascist oligarchy. In a sense the American social structure is the same class based model that has existed for thousands of years throughout human history. All past and present forms of government have the same thing in common. They all engender a barter system to obtain resources. In our more recent case this is manifested as the monetary system.

The monetary system or capitalism are among the primary focus. Mr. Fresco identifies many of the symptoms imposed on humanity by the monetary system including: war, crime, poor health care, social stratification, slavery and many others. This is perhaps one of the most critical points of the book, because it illustrates the unnecessary pain and suffering humans are subject to by the system itself.

The rapid rate at which technology is advancing is accelerating the demise of human labor. (side note: If you're not familiar with the math behind technological advancement do some additional research into the law of accelerating returns.) This means that more and more human jobs are being replaced by robotics and software automation at an accelerating rate. A reliable prediction for the future would be that all labor intensive jobs will be automated. What work will then exist for the "working class"?

Mr. Fresco's ideas offer alternative approaches to sociological design. His approach employs the scientific method to achieve practical, sustainable and peaceful conclusions for an intelligent social design structure. These conclusions are arrived at after considering the most basic fundamental needs that we as humans have. I wish I could say that our government applied similar approaches to solving problems, but alas they do not, which is why this book exists. These are some of the many critical concepts that Mr. Fresco covers in this book. Compared to our current social system, I can see how people interpret this as a Utopian design. Mr. Fresco has publicly stated that there is no such thing as Utopia. The greatest tragedy of the human race is that it let profitability become the primary value rather than human compassion. The good news is that it's never too late to change.

There is much more to Mr. Fresco's work that is worth noting. His ideas have inspired a movement known as the Zeitgeist Movement. The purpose of this movement is to educate people about the ideas expressed by Jacque Fresco in this book. There are currently over 500,000 members of the movement worldwide. Millions of people have been reached through the work of Peter Joseph who is an author, documentary director and creator of the Zeitgeist Movement.

This is a glimpse into the future. A glimpse of what we could achieve if we simply changed our priority to human compassion rather than profitability. It is my personal belief that in the distant future, human's will revere Jacque Fresco and Peter Joseph as courageous geniuses who brought hope to millions and ultimately changed the world.

don't be taken advantage of by those trying to sell this book here for over $140. they are merely exploiting the false sense of scarcity with this title. it can be found at it's source for a reasonable price with the proceeds helping to fund the change of which the book speaks, at zeitgeistmovie dot-com /dloads

After reading the The Best That Money Can't Buy, I had to meet Jacque and Roxanne. Off to Venus I went! Without a doubt this is one of the most important books that any individual can read. Lets just hope that your mind is not in a straightjacket.