Ben McLeish talks TZM for the coming documentary 'Perspectives on Contemporary Britain'

My name is Ben McLeish. And, well there's two things I do really In my sort of day time life I work in the technology- and information-industry, in the library wells, specifically. And what I do in my spare-time is to operate in a distributed, global movement called 'The Zeitgeist Movement' - broadly speaking seeks to change the sort of fundamental value system that our global culture is based on from one of sort of over-consumption and unsustainability to one of actual sustainability and of technological progress. So I run those two side by side. remains a second again and imagined one would pay me not to do the other this movement is essentially social movement it's not it's easier to uh... it's not a political movement you recognize politics has option uh... in addressing the issues that we talk about uh... it's volunteering social a grass roots and from goods centers on actual sustainability we seek a reorientation of to major elements of society one that is a very very simple ones when stand we need a society that functions on physical level that actually has advanced intelligent automated to the to the most agree the karen systems enable efficient transport efficient energy usage efficient land usage that part of our understandings are that we need to sustainable city systems very uh... in venus project called by buckminster fuller like many other futuristic city planners so that's the sort of the first level is we understand that think we think about waiving winding type it in fact one thing this is the and we need to live on its me to continue for the moment and as well as possible and we understand also that it divided society whether or not poor people people suffering to become nor'easter educated am isn't really a functioning society its wartime will actually negatively impact those people who are you can see from uh... works by people like uh... which wilkinson and uh... take pictures from university in that comparison of the ratio of difference between the top ten percent and the bottom ten percent of people in society according to that read as well the most divided societies in that sense uh... are the ones with the most stressed about the highest rates of motor incarceration incarceration length under of prisoners number of prisons obesity levels and even thing like innovation levels correction in more equal society's fun you know if it's not absolutely in societies where the course are not as poor as another cited within walking toward the ratio to them do worse than the ones that are said even if the lowest ten percent orion but absolute does not fit correlates we understand that the the basic values uh... as associations of our society aunt indian transition as well human beings actually require certain things uh... we require foods required closing we need someone stay we need if you like around tonya have we'd need clean out to brief you need clean water to trade soon really any makes sense to release start redesigning a new system based on those things and then we can build out and see what other wonderful things we can get which and cell we proposal i specifically propose resource based economy an economy where we first understand in order to have function in society and that is a global we are one human rights will brothers and sisters in a very literal genetic sense uh... we need to do point technology to absolutely says man evident the monthly systems comes when it was very useful for awhile have not been income people ranking and antimony uh... and still understand history chains that we've all this economy and other because now it isn't serving us anymore and that was the goal to begin interested insure that there was enough labor said there are enough resources so that we have the system so that people are k and now that we have technology that can really wants to make great on of what we do and really do it and great deal that used to require money that doesn't and now that money is obviously being abused in this sort of debt for more deaths consequences on the environment and on hold people's evidently there's no one we have to move to london sustains life so with those basic understandings we seek at transition house calls the soul of mishmash accidentally interconnected system we have now into a global unified what we call resource based system i wonder why i think it is a case movement for the way that we really differ is that i have not yet release of all sides because we have more than a half million members goes read really right back to the recalls often people say expertise aren't even greedy men to change and soviet influence law schools analyst or in the case of presumptive electric a greenpeace is incredibly important work they still around the nation's they still don't see i think to this to the merits of the same degree readings that in fact the session economic system its fundamental level is the problem and if you really have to provide and i also don't seem really anybody talking about if only global level uh... the understanding that in fact released patchwork things that we pick petition for this for fall which all problems are all in fact at some level have been greatest them happened a common indeed increasing socio-economic stressed about time so that's what i would say on organizational level is another word we don't have stomachs leadership structure doesn't really exist high for example and fairly prominent icebergs in the movement but i wasn't elected uh... and reports when it's so i don't get told what to say or do i and pipes me category on a very good level of investment said structure the moon is actually very much like the internet in that it is a distributed collective that have chapters which you have location based chocolate and have a four freezer and we have effects where people come together but these are all within a framework an individual global i'm content they said we have have three hundred four hundred parallel events around the world in different time zones and haven't seen that kind of special interest and for up one side really addressing going right back addressing the root causes of the century problem understanding amongst understanding how politics must understanding how the environment works in the sense of how it affects us and on the other side the way that we choose to communicate that information halloween inform each other and keep up-to-date with each other i think we're we are sinking pretty much as quickly as everybody else into the steps spiral image is exacerbated by more bailouts and from two thousand eight so now it's become very very clear a lot of people that when we talk about bailing out it isn't actually bailing out what's happening is that money family is being so that the selected from social life system so if that's healthcare which is pretty much can be privatized in the next few years rhetoric kathleen slowly uh... or if that pensions which i've devaluing as more that he's created which means more inflation which means the uh... or there's no way for me to get an education anymore uh... and just extend that went down the shore level recently we've hey exponentially more than exponential increase in the cost of for example people who graduated this you have twenty five grand theft and people who so you're saying the inability to be educated now on the basic fiscal level and there's definitely going inherit huge meant that and i also see that's there's a gradual shift away from thinking that we're in highlands so that the kind of ireland mentality and what we're limited when not your the world greases bailout what effect does in some way i think this gradually move by uh... when we talk about british society british economy uh... we're actually having a factory and the world states whether that's the world economy in terms of ministry economics or whether it's the state of whether it's an interesting stockton x spend hours the really excel eration may have begun with delivers thatcherite dogma for example back that not all of the government's and behavior towards life systems towards in in these kinds of things was the height of privatization time some good things that happened during that time and a lot of the values of response by that was very much you know you get to signal that's selfish and in again and hyperbole mission where it's going to get comfort in a little bit more tricky way that i thought she was born salt basically i was born in and print corporate has very very quickly and then i think deceleration towards not being able to work out what was going on and what the direction of the government action was operating under a severe called old man for political rhetoric if you like sportster seen the opposite of what it was doing more citizen in the delivery capitalization thanks thatcherite reaganite years i think what's happened now after days to graze segments writing physically extremely small ministry and is that the social systems now breaking down in offices when when people realizing that's it doesn't matter who i vote for someone to be done no control over afterwards he changes their mind who breaks that promise and that in fact that is almost entirely separate that whole process completely separate to and what the nation declines or indeed the world requires inuit song operates as a purposes sightseeing and now that we're seeing the abrasion pensions actually have in fact on the people who are now retiring this kind of gradual tendency towards proper break down whether it's access to education health camel clean water these kinds of things that you see gargi cd findings it's some of the people who or to be paying taxes so that cuts cuts also that spent a lot of friends at live outside and one thing that school was pointed out is commonly one tabloid press no it's not all that things on the b_b_c_ things at the garden independent a pretty good newspapers all of the b_b_c_ the rear and things like greg palace um... uncovering of need two thousand action be installed they were without when for example mackney however it is showing the overall effects of the holy is quite uh... sort of infotainment degenerates simplification country it's crime nikon believes anything it's very simple we also have an astonishing tendency towards celebrity really rival in this celebrity vacation this education what isn't even people who are papers just reality tv stuff they are ordinary people as that would mean is this being sold as-is extra so i see that taking over next week rounding out a lot of what the media get to the basis of what is unusual what is needed commodity what he's actually factions so i can see a sort of uh... uh... emerging of the entertainment industry and the newspapers but i don't know serious right now very positive things not low-fat i still think the bbc you know it's not perfect has some astonishing journalistic people like uh... jeremy taxman newsnight note this e questions cost that forcefully or indeed that many times in a rather speculate a how much more you know that uh... annoyances speculate that more than speculate tell cellulite the uh... bodies get what they say and i think i think when you look act almost busters about websites i don't know if i know that uh... what everyone says how season it will of figure less offender the calls of them they are just that white cops it is interesting if you keep carrots some of what we consider to be the real leading i think it has some of the school you can see that as strange basket journalists just like anybody else pop microphones victims culture they all informed by the same zeitgeist as everybody house and said the general biases that off sort of and apart whichever newspaper you're writing dancing to persist within very steve he was actually questioning the fractional reserve landing system yet so that might be the first limit to why there is a sort of uh... a quite narrow themselves it might be pre programming of that particular mindset warranty the filter and on the other side it's it strange as well uh... bills the debate never really gets down to the calls i don't see them and afognak points back weekend even lines beyond a very short time future but is a very concrete example of somebody is a very good job listing is well rather than does some very good argument so george moldy uh... went to france in kanata quite surprising to see how friendly uh... now you have slightly different reasons and others any human being who is really looking at the basic effects of nuclear accidents whether they have one studio where they have monson fifties would understand that that kind of long-term damage must be avoided or at least in fact there is basically the same the media on one side are in fact mostly hateful uphold the status quo and the status quo right is nuclear there are huge best-dressed the energy industry generally is hugely vested in eastern isn't spend that's partly economics and it's also partly at the fact that you are staffed ninja companies you are in that system and that featured a million educates the people and of course the people that stood out what they think papers uh... and what they believe is accurate that did this seems to be either of programming or the waves it does come after me even the most liberal and most understanding and they say she achieved people like mom's as well victims at them i think that they are limited very much like a prisoner's identified the is not a bad prison if not taken eight mile walk everyday confident that environment the physical constraints of you've being prison bean actions have their limitations to very good slots in society as open his eyes and i care about this being published this elephants in the in the meantime it's all available again on the website along with our editors so we become the b_b_c_'s burst of animals to the family estates file and starts week with their requests and this one goes out to the following christians and jews system thing really when you finish smashing up the world and blood leaks are subject to the money dispositive have all plan phantom and obviously we're in an extremely religious world i think it's the same in every country some countries are more secular in terms of its own dominance discourse that's and what i see it moments really is the while many religions espouse wonderful virtues ideals uh... the real life being employees by people against people is clinton's uh... econ offering is a human being in the world in my view correctly if you believe that ninety percent of the best and and said that's the sort of the fact that i see that's quite different to the central values that uh... despised by many religions especially if you compare the eastern religions of the western there's some wonderful philosophical points family means the human that calf for others and want you know the golden rule all of the stuff is when it comes to actually operates construction being human system what does it actually do what his relationship you apart from maybe foster uh... a sort of a vague sense of hope or meaning about your life because you weren't just creative as it was assertive by accident high-powered many religious friends i have a uh... seven religious family they and his people high myself i'm a former christian when i really drill them for white is uh... that they believe what they did i really spend allen's getting down to the nuts and bolts and why in the face of the evidence that we have contradicted huge damage stacks heat always comes down to well i don't want to feel that it's a random world uh... and yet because that somehow fosters a feeling a lack of control i see that lots of sort of religious beliefs uh... aboard the beneath the comfort it operates with individual level aldrich into foster this kind of sense of well-being and the sense of wonder at the pics of the world that we can explain that's usually lumped in but in the way that it's employed on a social level i think it's very much used strong sense of belonging religion and that color lessons uh... a large number of people into me group you know whether that's a a particular church a particular denomination whether it's a particular it's to appeal to the masses to lie to galvanize votes which is done very much and in germany still is that you know that's a deal with the within the still call themselves a christian uh... even if they may be operation without christian values in the real institutions to sort of galvanized and control basically on one level despite the wonderful value has been as center i think really the the transition in practical terms to a new model that doesn't use uh... economics away is now is going to be through a combination of social pressures it'll be increasing in terms of how the entrance exam when it does for them being a nation that's quite small they are very small nation wallace and sixty mines and was surrounded by we relied very heavily on high-tech intensive agriculture or indeed and imports and exports mostly imports really in terms of our fears and i do think that we're gonna see in some sense the poisoning of our food is an issue and on the other side the price of the food is gonna keep going up and on the flip side the realize a c_ we are very very much dependent upon uh... the land mass that isn't part of our country for the imports about food and of course changes in buying sounds like an amine that uh... company starts suffering as well now that's going to be prolonged because the whole goal of things like supermarkets and hyper markets is to state sheet that you and i like the competition so that will go on longer has people become more cost conscious about what the combined uh... is that i think that's right now but it's going to happen anyway food more generally environmental collapses the stock really registering on people uh... you will serve to create a timesheet will depend the natural you how the machines to create because and this is going to be a a sort of uh... increase collapse as we start life that you'll start seeing mister and that's when you gonna stop seeing and people start going off the grid so you're gonna see us anything cheaper than a little as will becomes more yoga also had the same time see through the same technological innovations that solar an even local wings farming at become efficient enough in terms of its cost too uh... to harvesting abilities gets so cheap that the society will just simply select through first of all needs and price one with a clean system over the other and then you can see some very interesting things happen you don't have uh... a reliance on abortive companies to incredible polluters and he really heartening people forget oil and coal and all that is running out of the stove a group of companies that can see there and three monopolize the market and handset that pricing they do debbie harry connick would attack in the community so i think it's going to be done right now its time increased prevention people really gets feeling the social pressures thus the psyche isn't functioning for them anymore answer could do it must be one on the technology ficient beating health are present technologies in new york face to be a huge problem uh... with uh... whole species this was a huge problem and elections will want and lost on what would be done about the whole chip problem and was so serious that if you're looking asked on the new york architecture they'll have steps to go out uh... that some of that but that brings up from the ground that's because of all the dancing bilby architecture and the problem and change that because the motor vehicles and that the problem and i didn't take politics in fact no politician sold so in there that is a common example it did get sold by the recipient futura issues are going to be sold almost accidentally through online court to actually sell society's problems if you really look at fourteen points and what they're doing and and what the the disgraceful way they've behaved in parliament yelling at each other obtain brain like some kind of man that crap speaker recently schoolchildren exceedingly feet now if we replace every politician with actual technicians with people who are really dedicated like old teams and think tanks about how to solve specific issues that yes you could use politics but as i see it wandering into a period and taking the name of a man you do not unit four years is really opting out of doing something it's the opposite giving some it's opposite being involved in your society advocates put there obviously and i find astonishing means and is prepared to make you feel like you're in control like you have the same all of our political parties are bound to the same economic goals approved by and funds as a background background funds look at the uh... barackobama race this gentleman you social media in an extremely powerful a to sort of hardness microfiche it's you one you'll ability to run for president or prime minister it is your wealth that puts you jobs not your ability to solve problems that could be somebody who could deliver you run on that platform boats lacking the money that you do and therefore of course being beholden to those uh... private money possesses who have fun with you means the economy to see the dull that you actually want to do you have to pursue bacall of phoenix was money possesses that from the g i'm sure that over the people in a lot of the christians alumni relations over the river as well as you cases not stupid people but they all the they also not that to do what you think that fading off a priori and completely selected for setting a compromise say hi to think it's going to be a mixture of grabs a realization of people that's the socio-political system does not operate the way they think it doesn't like that this is somehow found me and on the other side is going to be m with problems being solved in the process to technology people start realizing the technology is in fact time they'll realize that the the problems that they see the really big problems i think it'll go away so what we do about uh... what can we do have a please uh... list strengths was collapsing with information from some activity from point wallets and getting out of the system century defined by the way they did subtraction uh... into having to uh... operates with there are many ways that we can do this i think the most pressing up is innocent joining all movements join any movement that understands what the record and we do need amass i hate to say awakening from sort of fogged in of what is being pushed it does is important uh... into really reevaluation insane hang on wouldn't it be better to do this produce medium right things read into this information reception start learning about your actual central i was like twelve you know i don't have that for my party or terrible things at all the cuts that will happen because of the tories forty it's completely the logic of monetary system it happened anyway doesn't matter who it happens to be the republic of the local other things that i've come to see a very important delivering on four t_v_ diesel c_d_'s and one five nine eight forty nine why even better can even buy the materials there's so many free podcasts and set me that is talking about information is most likely they don't stand but the monetary paradigm is a problem that's why this stuff is free and this normal corporate media that is complete the holding very much like politics is the pages in the outbreaks of various products so that's one of the things as well as change applying so i'm not by from you know mass-produced poisonous supermarket where trying by local also very simple get out of cash and now it's really hard first-time it's worth really concentrating on getting rid of credit staying on the the black side of the of the spectrum when it comes to backgrounds third expose yourself appetizing to raise your children with the sense that advertising very much did to that creating adoption a certain point habits there's a reason why mcdonnell's has wonderful players and ninety eleven and and read science and unity happy meals for children there is a reason for that is talking to child market doesn't know how to fend for itself and doesn't suspect andy chance of wrongdoing or malpractice within the advertising and and promoting commerce arena but it's very you know create your own compost growth and stability or go on on another level collapse of social events in your community if and when we do start moving through real difficult times when there are again contracts and water shortages unita general sense of community spirit and to work together and not fifteen minutes free-for-all at night so a lot of people think well him take-it-or-leave-it another development abides information time in but we do need to realize if you bring uh... they are contingents possible we tossed singular organisms we called ones people still talk about different races appears as if they achieve we are human rights this one uh... the have a common future as well as a common heritage we have we have this loss we all on this tiny planet in huge unforgiving uh... space huge unforgiven taxes we do need to preserve human life we have to get involved intentions we have to make sure that people uh... surface and not outlooks often that we are ok all of this information doesn't just pertains awards unmask uh... logic of society it's about you it's about how you will be doing in twenty or thirty years the yes man back in two thousand ten outgrowth of the new york times what was the only good news where it was the war is over and again uh... energy crisis all environment protects and insisted on over new york and multiple use the look on those people's faces as the red is wonderful stories and you could see them breaking into tears hands really just sandwell season didn't isn't that ones