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Posted - 2008.10.08 05:53:00 -
[3]
 Originally by: Sirial Soulfly
The problem with utopian theories (like the venus project) is that they never work.
I thought the movie did a very good job in identifying the effects. The root cause for both the effects and why Soulfly is right could probably be the fact that as a species we are rarely able to work together towards a set of goals unless we are in deep trouble as a group and our survival is in peril.
The problem with that still is that there is always someone, or some group (historically speaking) that amidst the social unrest is able to push forward its own agenda and manipulate the outcome towards its own benefit.
What I didn't understand from the Venus Project idea, which is not in itself very different from the society depicted in Star Trek NG for instance, is what would bring about accountability for one's actions ? e.g.: a surgeon, in a no monetary-no laws system, asked to perform heart surgery, comes in drunk from a party on the "drunk safe Venus Project like highway" and instead of unclogging your artery does a perfect vasectomy on the patient (optimistic scenario) ... then what... ooops ???
Anyway, I think the majority of people would love to live in such an Utopian society but on one condition: If it were to be handed down to them fully ready and functional. Even then it would be an extremely fancy toy which we'd manage to break in record times because at the root of all our problems is that we were raised incrementally, pre-programmed over generations to a set of values which in the end can do nothing else but hit us in the face.
Our limited life span and the way we procreate as a species paired with the frailty of our offspring in the early stages of life is probably the first thing that pushes us towards selfish and appropriation acts. It's always about survival, it's always about better us than them, always about "What have they ever done good to us so why should be do anything good to them ? ". And I am not even debating the morals behind this, it's just the way it is, and might be one of the many reasons why Utopian projects will never work.
Anyway, long story short, I did enjoy some aspects of the movie... the problems are there, but the solution ... wish it were possible. /Me shuffles through the rack to get the Start Trek episodes where the Tolan, the Nox and the Asgard societies are depicted. Maybe one day..., who knows, but there is one thing I am sure of: this is not the right track we are on to get even an inch closer to some of even the modest of human fantasies.
Anyway for those of you that want to take a closer look, here's the linky: Venus Project
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