Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008)

Waste of time

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

As an overwhelming response to the critical and massive success of Zeitgeist many scholars and like minded thinkers showed interest in Peter Joseph's documentary.For Director Peter the idea of part two emerged after intense dialogue and interactions and interviews with many people. Peter added stories and experiences of John Perkins and Jacque Fresco and deliberated solutions as to what one can do to support his movement.The documentary is divided into four sections1) How federal reserves prints money (out of thin air - just like that they print new currency) on request of the Federal banks, who roll over 90% of currency as loans by taking security deposit from those who takes loans. Thus they always maintain 100% funds with them, even after giving away 90% as loans. They receive repayments of loans with interest. So basically bank multiplies its own wealth. The loser are debtors who are taking loans from this banks and pay high interest rates.2) Narrated by John Perkins on how USA works to control other countries by lending countries money through World Bank, IMF etc. and when a country is in debt - they negotiate exploitation of natural resources. If the country does not cooperate with USA, through CIA US government organize a civil war within a country or assassinates the leader through plane-crash or accident. The examples are given of several Latin American countries and Iraq (Sadam Husain did not cooperate)- to exploit their oil reserves; and Afghanistan (Taliban did not cooperate) - to exploit their poppy cultivation (90% of world)3) Deals with Jacques Fresco - who believes that there can not be democracy under capitalist system. He presents the scenario of technological innovation providing better life to people than Politicians who only serve corporations and make the people work like slaves under them.4) The last section presents solutions and action points - like don't believe in mainstream media news (controlled by corporations), Boycott Banks, don't join military and support Zeitgeist movement.Compared to part one, the part two is less impressive.The scenarios of Federal Bank rotating and multiplying paper (so called money) by fooling people is interesting. John Perkins take on how USA overthrows governments - too makes an interesting viewing - as this could have happened scenario. Jacques Fresco's thoughts on future seemed too scattered and half baked - was not convincing for me.The solutions and action points were too one-directional and hard to implement on a large scale among world population.I felt that there was more enthusiasm to immediately come out with Part 2 and provide some feasible solutions to the world. Since this documentary is of 2008, one can comfortably say that nothing much has changed since then. Rich countries / individuals are becoming more richer and poor are becoming poorer.One can see this documentary once, just to know some interesting details of first two sections.I will go with 5.5 out of 10

I found this documentary truly excellent. I've seen all the other reviews on here saying how "eye-opening" it was. I agree to a large extent. It is very educational on how fundamentally flawed and ridiculous our monetary system is. Its hard to believe some of the stuff about perpetual debt but it does make sense, as shown by the worldwide economic collapse in recent years, and how nothing seems to have changed even after this. What this film does is explain how the current worldwide economy is unsustainable, unjust and horribly corrupt. I think people know there is poverty and suffering all over the planet, but assume that eventually there will be peace and happiness and abundance. Why? If we sit idly by and don't change anything, we will continue towards oblivion until all our resources are gone and everyone nukes the s*@!out of each other. War is such a futile exercise. This film made me realize that unless you actually get up of your couch and stop supporting the huge corporations, and stop believing the propaganda that is spoon fed to us, then millions will suffer in the third world for eternity and society as a whole will be held back immensely so the elite don't lose their status. Watch this.

For someone who comes from a country (Panama) that has also contributed to US comfort with its resources for decades (as this film states... and yes, it's true), this is the first time in my life that I've heard (and seen) someone admit that Gen. Omar Torrijos was killed by the CIA. Back in 1981 I had read the so-called "Santa Fe Document" (which I believe was a report created for Ronald Reagan, who had already been chosen as the next US president by the plutocrats, a text that also gave "solutions", as killing leaders, attracting talents via scholarships, or overthrowing governments), so I was not much surprised whenever a Latin American leader died. They were being killed like flies. I remember quite vividly the day Torrijos died, and how I thought, "They did it!" So this documentary was very revealing in that sense, and touching indeed. It does give enough information for one to make personal conclusions, based on what we already knew (in case one reads alternative info, instead of listening to news from CNN, Fox, etc.), with Jacque Fresco adding a funny dimension, John Perkins playing the prodigal "s.o.b", and J. Krishnamurti as the prototypical guru (even when he claims that there are no gurus, but our own reasoning). The documentary adheres to a movement, and that is its main short coming, but in the end that is what inspired the previous exposition. One may believe or not on the Venus Project, but that does not matter: what lies beneath, the reasoning behind many of its proposals are true more often than not. Cynic rejection without further analysis, without admitting that in the end what we do is to protect our little privileges, will not last forever. Recommended.

Great movie, very motivating. In the end, however, has some hope for the human race. It is up to us to take it. This movie is a good guideline .... I believe that as Jacque Fresco said there is no perfect system or a perfect society but definitely a lot better than this today. Alternative energy solutions are the perfect start. It is not difficult is not complicated it is easily applicable. Peter Joseph has made a great job with this film and i do not see him as the Messiah because of some ideas in the film, but as the Muse definitely yes. Of course, most ideas are not original, nor his, but the movie as the sum of quality ideas about improving the human race on the planet that inhabits."there are no teachers, no priest, no guru, no students, followers, etc". JK