"In Time" for an Equal Money System

Yesterday, I saw the new movie "In Time" at the theatre.  After seeing the movie, I heard several different reviewers discussing the symbolism in the movie, so we're going to discuss here how this movie reflects reality and how it demonstrates the need for a new economic system that supports everyone equally and effectively.

If you haven't seen the movie, here's a basic overview.  Spoiler Alert.

The plot centers around a young man (Justin Timberlake) who is living in a distopian world where all people have been genetically modified to only grow to the age of 25, after which they only have one year of time left to live until their body .

In this world, time is money, and in order to pay for food, rent, electricity, you have to pay with the days of your life that you have left.  Each person has a "watch" implanted in their arm which counts down the number of days they have left before their time is up - and in order to get more days, they have to work to get days/hours/minutes added to their time bank account.

A key theme in the movie is that the United States is split up into "Time Zones" - where people live in according to how much "time" they were born into.  In Timberlake's zone, people are dirt poor, living day-to-day, paying ridiculously high living costs, working in factories doing menial tasks to get enough time to live the rest of the day - but many of them don't make it - and their bodies shut down when their clocks run out.

In the other time zones, people are "Millionears" - they have millions of years on their clock, live in lavish houses, drive fancy cars, and can buy whatever they want.  These "rich" people own banks and businesses that deliberately raise the taxes and prices of products to keep the poor people struggling to get more time.

Obviously this movie is an analogy of the capitalistic system that we are currently living in.  In our system, the majority of people are living day-to-day, unsure if they will have enough money to pay for the basic necessities of life - which, if they don't have them, they will DIE.  Then there are a small percentage of people who are born into money, who never struggle to survive and to whom spending money is like shedding skin cells.

There were several lines in the movie that really stuck out for me - one where the poor boy asks the rich girl,

"How can you live with yourself 

watching people die right next to you" 

and she replies "You don't watch, you close your eyes" - this is the exact attitude that many people take when they justify our current economic system - they deliberately close their eyes to the abuse that capitalism promotes.  In reality, over HALF of the world's population - +4 billion people - are struggling on less than $2 per day, barely able to pay for food and clean water - even having to sell off their children into slavery and prostitution to pay for their other children to eat.  This is unacceptable - and yet we all participate in this system - so we have to consider how we as human beings can change this system to one that makes sure no one can shut their eyes and abdicate responsibility for Life Here.

The coolest scene from the entire movie is the scene where the protagonist has broken into the businessman's office to steal a time account that contains one million years.  The businessman says that the poor people will never stand up to the system because they all desire to be wealthy - even though the probability of that happening is close to nil.  This so reflects the mentality of the average American citizen, preprogrammed and brainwashed by the "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" belief system - where we believe that we still have a chance to be uber-wealthy by some strike of Luck - reinforced by the stories of movie stars and lottery winners - those fairy tales we tell ourselves at night of the few who "came from nothing to something" so we can justify going to our job the next morning.

**Out of the 6.8 Billion people who live in this world, 24 million of them are considered millionaires.  That's a 0.035% that you're a millionaire, or you'll ever become one.  And if you don't have a proper education or a wide skill set, the only way you'll become a millionaire is if you win the lottery - About one out of every three people in the United States think that winning the lottery is the only way to become financially secure in their life.  However, the likelihood of winning the lottery is about 18 million to one - with only about 247 winners per year in the entire US.  If you live to 70 and you play every lottery, you have a .0004% chance of winning in your lifetime - you're 20 times more likely to die from getting hit by lightning.

All in all, the businessman says it as it actually is in Capitalism:

"For One to live forever, Many must die"

- the system is supported by people believing they have a chance to succeed and make a lot of money in this world - when in reality the odds are stacked in favor of keeping the rich rich so they can keep Capitalism running as is.   And watching this scene, we have the opportunity to consider the implications of holding on to the Bootstrap Mentality = None of us will care about each other, because we all expect each individual to take care of themselves and only themselves.  Which is how we turn blind eyes to the 48 million people who are in poverty in our own country, in our own Backyards.

Now, the movie didn't provide a solution for the Time-Valued system.  All the "heroes" did was rob a bunch of banks to try and "fight the system" - common for a big time movie though, just providing a point for people to blame the "rich" or the people they perceive to be in control - fuel for the Occupy protesters to justify their non-movement.  I heard a reporter on NPR say that this movie was a symbol for how we should "live in the moment" and "be grateful for the time we have" - which may be the intended purpose of the film - but let's not let some light and love bullshit hide the transparency that is how a Capitalistic system is inherently abusive and is Devaluing Life in every moment that we participate in it.

This time, you have the opportunity to take a Stand - to do something that actually matters - that will assist each human being on this Earth to be supported and not have to Sell out their lives for Money.  And by making sure that everyone in this world has enough Money to survive each day, you make sure we all have enough TIME to enjoy our Life here on Earth.


Take that Step, don't Close your Eyes:
Watch this awesome series on the Equal Money System
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ml_KOCx-kA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL37A3C0DC0D81D7C4

Then visit www.desteni.co.za to learn more about the people who are Practivists for Life.

Will Halloween exist in an Equal Money System?

Will Halloween Exist in an Equal Money System?

Halloween is considered to be a fun and enjoyable holiday that is a little harmless fun for children and is a part of the American tradition.  However, very few people consider what it actually takes (from the Earth) to have one night of fun.

Each year during Halloween, pumpkins are sold across the US as ornaments to sit in front of American's homes.  These pumpkins last about 2 weeks, and are then thrown into the trash once Halloween is over.

Approximately 790 million pounds of pumpkins are grown and sold each year for this tradition -  an $84 million dollar agricultural industry which provides ZERO food for anyone - and has the sole purpose of making people "feel good" during a holiday.

Each year $2.5 billion on Halloween costumes - the majority of these costumes are made in China where factory workers get paid on average $0.64 per hour.

With about 30 costumes made per hour, workers get less than 2 cents for one costume - when they are sold in stores at $15-$40 each.

These costumes usually last ONE NIGHT - since they are poor quality, most people decide to buy a brand new costume each year (also since it has become tradition to have the latest craze in costumes each year).



And,  each year, Americans spend $2 billion on Halloween Candy.

(This includes 35 million pounds of candy corn - which is made purely of processed sugars and corn syrup.)

75% of Americans participate in the "Candy" part of Halloween, either by distributing it at their doors, or walking around with their children door to door to 'harvest' the candy.  A common tradition is for children to try to fill up an entire pillowcase full of candy by the end of the night. The average American consumes 1.24 pounds of candy on Halloween. **and the Average American household spends $44 on halloween candy just for the single night**


Rotting pumpkins, abuse of cheap labor, sugar-high children...  what exactly are we supporting here?!


There is NOTHING about the Halloween that we celebrate that is practical or considerate of what is Best for All.  It is a complete waste of time, money, and Life.  

In an Equal Money System, there will be no need for Halloween as a single night of fun and trivial expression - every moment will be spent in complete self-expression and actual FUN - in that all people are enjoying themselves together in LIFE.  

YOU will Enjoy being WHO YOU ARE!

Investigate the Equal Money System at 

www.equalmoney.org

Visit the NEW Equal Money Shop at

http://store.desteni.org/

 




http://www.halloweencostumes.com/blog/post/2011/10/13/ultimate-guide-to-halloween-statistics-infographic.aspx
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_50/b3912051_mz011.htm

How do we Transition to an Equal Money System?

There are many ways that we, as human beings, can transition to an Equal Money System, but in any case there are several common sense practical points that must be considered before and as we transition to this system that Values Life.

Structure of Equal Money
Throughout these points, we shall consider the Equal Money System to be a system that uses digital credits rather than physical currency - and this is so that all credits can be accounted for in each and every moment - and to remove all corruption that takes place through currency exchange rates.  This also removes any black market or forged currency markets, as any unusual influx of credits into a single person's account would be obvious and automatically corrected by the system.

Building Equal Money into a Digitized System
Therefore, before the Equal Money System is put in place, we will require a team of programmers who can build this digital system, with all the checks and balances that ensure that each person receives their monthly deposit on time and in the proper amount.
Each programmer's activities must be monitored and checked by another group of programmers so that the integrity of the system is maintained.  Each step of the program will be documented so that all people can see exactly what steps were taken to build the system.   
*We already have the technology to do this within our banking system and social networking systems- however we must build this new Equal Money System on the Principle that "What is best for all is best for each" so that no one person has an advantage over another. *

Creating the Physical Support for an Equal Money System
In an Equal Money System, the basics of survival must be made available to every human being (and animal) - therefore before and during the Equal Money System, we can have teams of surveyors - for example one that investigates the housing in a particular area - to make sure that housing is adequate shelter for people to live in.  This will be done with all of the physical components of survival for each person and animal.


Educating All on the Basics of an Equal Money System
In order for the Equal Money System to be effectively implemented, the majority of people must understand the basics of the System and through a democratic vote, decide to implement it in their respective countries.  Therefore, we will expand the campaign to educate mankind on the Equal Money System and how it will support all Life on Earth.
At the most basic and fundamental level, Equal Money supports each person with enough digital credits to afford for the basics of survival.  These would obviously include housing, water, food, clothing, education, and healthcare.  These basics of survival are vital and absolute Human Rights, and the education campaign will support everyone (no matter what their current education level) to understand this.

Supporting Countries/Communities/Governments to Vote for Equal Money
In our current system, countries and communities are separated by physical, cultural, and religious boundaries.  Around the world, we've all accepted this separation, which has the obvious consequence of war and frustration "between countries" and "between communities".  The Principles that build the foundation for the Equal Money System must be translated and considered for the needs of the people in each country.  This will allow for the people in each country to see how the Equal Money System can support them and how they can implement it, so that the majority can vote for the system to be put in place.  The more countries that implement the Equal Money System, the more effective the entire global system will be - and the more people who are supporting each other in Equality.


Changing the Starting Point of Industry
The operations of the industries that produce the basic necessities (Housing, water, food, etc...) will completely change - as they will not be able to base their operations on profit and must instead produce products based on What is Best for All.
The most effectively way to get these companies to participate in the Equal Money System would be to educate them on the Principle of Best for All - so that they can see that when they provide the basics of survival to each person equally, then they will be equally supported by the people to make higher quality products.  Also, these companies will be encouraged to participate as the majority of the people show that they will vote for the Equal Money System.

Initially, there will be people who refuse to participate in the Equal Money System, due their preprogrammed belief that Capitalism is superior and that competition is necessary.  However, once the Equal Money System is in place, and people are shown the practical common sense of making sure all aspects of Life are supported on Earth - in action, they will let go of their beliefs and fears and join their fellow Human Beings in the Equal Money System.

Is Education Compulsory in an Equal Money System?

In answering this question, we must be specific that we do not assume any emotional charge connected with the word 'compulsory' and that we do not therefore make the mistake of taking what we know of our experience within education in the current system and project that onto an Equal Money System.

So, firstly, compulsory must be taken to mean necessary as opposed to 'forced' in the way that children are 'forced' to go to school and 'forced' to pay attention and 'forced to memorize facts', etc.  This kind of forcing is akin to violence, and in some cases actually becomes physically violent when children are spanked/hit in the Principal's or Headmaster's office for not behaving in accordance with school standards. In other cases, children who do not pay attention are placed on medications, usually stimulants, in an effort to force the child's mind into an attentive and focused state.

Why children are not paying attention could be the topic for an entire article in itself, so for now, we will leave that question aside, however, suffice it to say that the current approach to education and the contents of education are obviously a contributing factor.

But the question here is whether education will be compulsory, or in our terms, necessary, in an Equal Money System. And the answer is a definite 'yes'.  See, it is through education that we, as human beings, learn how to navigate the world around us. Perhaps most significantly, it is how we learn to become effective in supporting ourselves to exist by learning skills that we can then apply to earn an income for ourselves. In an Equal Money System, it will be necessary that children learn the basic skills required to live effectively in the system. This is similar in a way to what is done now, however in the current system, because it is based on competition, the education system only benefits a few to become dominant and thus more competitive, with the majority becoming worker slaves with very little understanding of the system as a whole. In the end this hurts everyone because we have billions of people who lack even basic reading skills to be effective in the most basic jobs that are necessary to keep our consumer driven society functional.

Obviously in an Equal Money System, the focus will not be on consumption as a way of Life, because by eliminating the profit motive, and thus competition, it will no longer be necessary to convince the masses to consume more and more so that those who benefit are able to continue to increase their profits.

And in essence that is the basic point of the current education system, to produce a human being that is good at one thing: consumption; whether of food, physical products, or information.  In an Equal Money System, the purpose of Education will be to assist and support the Human Being to be an effective participant in Reality with practical skills that support oneself and that support the maintenance of a system that is Best for All. We will not go into those necessary skills here, because that is a topic for another article, however the point is this: in an Equal Money System it is obviously to the best benefit of all that each one is educated effectively on how to Live in the system and how to be an integral and Equal participant.

The fear that some have when looking at the words 'compulsory education' is that they have associated the phrase with their experience of education within the current system, which is, as we discussed, not in the Best Interest of All, but designed specifically to maintain the status quo of the few Elite who control the resources of the planet to remain in their position of influence and status. This allows them to continue to make more and more profits for themselves at the expense of everyone and everything else on the planet. So, the key to letting go of the energy associated with the words 'compulsory education' is to understand why one has been educated in the way one has and to realize that when Humanity's starting point is changed to actually support each one Equally, then not only will it be necessary to educate each one of us, but that one would most likely be grateful to receive such an education. The obvious outflow is that one will be able to contribute and participate as an Equal and thus have self-confidence, self-worth, and self-appreciation and not have to feel inferior to anyone else or feel the need to deceive just to get the basic things one needs to survive (as so many have to do within the current system).

And imagine, when people are educated effectively, those who teach others will be effective as well. And if each is Equal in their understanding of the system, and one does not have to worry about survival, then those who decide to teach the children of each new generation will obviously be the ones who have not only developed the specific skills to do so but who actually like to teach.  There are many teachers in the current system who teach not because they actually want to do so, but because it is one of the few, if not only, options available to them to earn enough money to survive. And when survival is the underlying motive, then one is not typically not effective at what one is doing. One requires a bit of 'freedom' so to speak to not have to focus on the side-effect of one's effort (money) but to rather focus on the actual thing one is engaged in, in this case, teaching children.  When teachers teach to survive, then competition becomes the underlying factor that guides decision making, and then people do things that are not in their and everyone's best interest.  For more on the consequences of a competition based system on Education check out the article Why Education will not Change the World. 

Yes, education will be necessary for all in the Equal Money System, and it will be done in a way that each will develop the skills necessary to participate fully in the system and to live and express themselves Here in Reality as Equals with Dignity.

- Cameron Cope


see our Destonians Wiki on with subjects like Equal Money and Equality for All
also visit equalmoney.org to find out more about the Equal Money System and to find out more about the release of the upcoming Equal Money Blog Book
visit Desteni to research guidelines for Equality and to know and learn more about how the system we live in works

Isn't the Equal Money System Fascist?

To answer this question, we must first decide what is meant by the term "fascist."

For example, there is the historical use of the term, typically used to describe the government and society of 1930's and 40's Italy and Germany (with their leaders Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini). However the word can also be used more generally to describe something that oppresses people and deprives them of their basic dignities.

Wikipedia describes fascism as a platform for rejuvenating a nation based on the idea of a nation as an 'organic entity' bound together through 'ancestry, culture, and blood.'  Furthermore, Fascists believe in strong leadership, collective identity, and the use of violence and force to maintain strength. Fascists see conflict as a necessary part of human progress, and espouse military service as the foremost way to promote a sense of unity between citizens.

Others define Fascism more generally to include the use of money, resources, education, and violence by the rich and elite to assert control over those in the lower classes.

Whether we define Fascism in the more specific or the more general sense of the term, we can establish clearly that the Equal Money System is not Fascist.

Firstly, the starting point of the Fascist is to assert their Nation, corporation, society, or exclusive member class above all else. This allows the Fascist to dominate and control all those who are deemed less than or unworthy to be a member of the ruling class or who happen to find themselves within another class/group due to their birth.

In an Equal Money System, the starting point is to support ALL LIFE Equally. The common sense being that All Life IS equal and thus to try and assert one group over another stems from a belief in lack or a fear of not having control over one's Life.  Doing so only creates conflict and thus the reality of having to compete to feel safe. Thus the reason one would form a special group, such as a Nation in the context of the current system, is due to the belief that unless one does so, one will not be able to survive. One of the main benefits of the Equal Money System, from a structural perspective, is that it eliminates the need to focus on survival, by eliminating competition as a way to secure the things one needs to exist in Reality. It does this by systematically providing each one with the things necessary to live with Dignity (shelter, clothing, food, work, resources, and the education to use all of these things to the best benefit of all).

Fear of survival is an outflow of not trusting that one will be taken care of and that one's needs will be met and is inevitable when one realize how our current system operates and instead of changing the system one instead decides to compete. This is reinforced by the acceptance of the belief by the Fascist that conflict is a necessary part of human progress, though what human progress actually means is hard to say. Human progress seems to mean the continual growth of the human as the dominant species on the planet and the drive within each to promulgate their genetic line to be the singular dominant line.  For some this belief may provide a sense of purpose and security in the feeling that one will continue on after death, but it does little to improve the lives of each one WHILE HERE ON EARTH.

Thus it is a backwards form of logic to say that one is here on Earth to compete for survival to be able to procreate to create a legacy that lasts even when one leaves the Earth through death. It is backwards because it defines all that we actually are aware of in fact, Life Here on Earth, in terms of some other thing of which is not physically Here (beliefs, feelings, hopes, etc).  And it is this type of logic that drives the Fascist ideologue to place faith in the "Nation" which is in fact an abstract concept and ignores the physical reality of each one participating Here.

The Equal Money System is in line with the Common Sense that what is relevant is that which exists Here Physically. Thus the physical reality and one's physical experience while Here is the focus, and any system of belief that places focus outside of the Physical reality to the detriment of what is Here is not in line with an Equal Money System or Common Sense.  The Equal Money System is designed to make Life on Earth work effectively so that there is no need to compete, to survive, and thus to dominate one another.  The Equal Money System works on the realization that all Life is Equal and thus one does not need to create belief systems about one's genetic line, ancestry or social class to justify why one deserves to or ought to dominate another.  Thus Fascism has no place within an Equal Money System as it is in fact non-supportive of Life and non-sustainable as a solution to the Effective Living of all who participate in the Reality of Earth.

- Cameron Cope


see our Destonians Wiki on with subjects like Equal Money and Equality for All
also visit equalmoney.org to find out more about the Equal Money System and to find out more about the release of the upcoming Equal Money Blog Book
visit Desteni to research guidelines for Equality and to know and learn more about how the system we live in works

Hunting for Sport will End in an Equal Money System

"If it Flies, it Dies!"

"If it Hops, it Drops!"

"If it's Brown, it's going Down!"

Yesterday, as I was walking through the parking lot at my university, I saw a giant shiny new pick-up truck, covered in the decals of birds and decapitated deer, along with the phrases "if it Flies, it Dies!" "if it's Brown, it goes Down!".  I see a lot of this across Texas.  It's a southern tradition for men to go out into the woods on the weekend, drink a bunch of beer, piss in a bucket, and shoot stuff.  And here in Texas, this is called a "Sport".  

Hunters - men who are dedicated to reliving what they believe to be the "historical role" of mankind - killing stuff to put food on the table - except nowadays half of the meat ends up on the wall as a body-less ornament.  My uncle is an avid deer-killer.  We visited every Christmas, and my aunt would hang lights and pine wreaths around the necks of their decapitated "dear" victims hanging all around their home.  One of them was a young moose, whom they named Gus, who always wore a pair of ear-muffs, so my uncle could make the joke "he didn't hear me coming".   

My uncle had his own "deer-lease", a plot of land that he fenced in and filled with deer, which he would then go out with his friends on the weekend and kill.  One time, he took out a book and showed me all of the pictures of the deer that were on his land - he had given them all names, and yet within a few months, many of them would be dead - replaced with a new crop.  This is not considered strange, in fact it is a huge industry in the United States.  Each year 12.5 million Americans go out on hunting trips, killing over 200 million animals.  Approximately 1,000 people are injured each year from hunting accidents and at least 100 die from fatal wounds.

Hunters in America spend $22.9 Billion dollars each year on hunting supplies and trips.

There are plenty of excuses as to why hunting should be allowed, mainly the idea that the animal populations will overpopulate towns and cities, destroying farmers crops and fencing. However, isn't this quite hypocritical, that Humans are deciding who gets to Live and who Dies - all the while making an entertaining sport out of the judgment.

If we look at the Common Sense, as what is Best for All, we can see that Hunting is deliberate abuse of animals - that Human Beings are holding on to what they believe to be their Human Right - the right to own guns and shoot animals - without any consideration for the animals themselves.  Animals are not Here for Human Sport.  They are not ornaments that we can slaughter and take pictures of ourselves with and then decapitate them and hang them up on the wall.  

Hunting for Sport will be outlawed in an Equal Money System - because it is a capitalistic industry that benefits NO ONE - and only supports the male ego to be violent and careless towards all Life in this World. 

Investigate the Equal Money System at  

www.equalmoney.org

where Animals Have Rights Too!

The Bastardization of FREEDOM as the Key to Capitalism

An advert for a credit card says, "The new Platinum Card identifies you as someone who appreciates Financial Freedom."

But what does 'Financial Freedom' mean and has it anything to do with REAL Freedom or is it simply an attempt by a profit driven institution to manipulate the psychology of the human being?

Freedom is one of those words, like 'Love' which entices the human to make decisions which are not Best for All but only serve to enhance the consumer experience. Financial Freedom in this context seems to imply that one can have anything they want and be 'Free' to experience an endless flow of money and credit to purchase and consume anything that catches one's attention. Of course, things are never as they seem.

What it really means is that one has the 'freedom' to become further enslaved to debt and to further increase the profits of the company to whom one becomes indebted. Here, 'Freedom' is the 'reward' for going along with the system and not questioning how we live and act as humans. It is the 'reward' for being a good little robot, this is indicated by the many 'rewards programs' that credit card companies offer. Promises of 'cash back' on 'select purchases' computes as 'free money' to the consuming organic robot, who moves from promise to promise looking for the 'promised land' of 'financial freedom' where the next big sale means even more goodies and more toys.

Meanwhile half the world starves on pennies a day, where each moment is occupied by the pangs of hunger and the pain of disease, living off the crumbs of a system that doesn't care for anyone within it, and only rewards those who feed it a constant supply of energy in the form of work.

Is this freedom? Working day in and day out, just to get money to buy the products of someone else's labor?  Does this system really benefit anyone, except the 1% of those who are at the top of the pyramid?

REAL FREEDOM would be simply breathing Here moving within reality without the need to constantly produce and consume, but rather just BEING HERE with EACH OTHER, not seeing each other as either obstacles or opportunities on the way to making another dollar.

Only a system that provides for each one equally would give that REAL FREEDOM because the moment another has more than what they need and even one person goes without, then there will be conflict and and a system of competition will flow from that.

Of course as long as we are all entertained and accept out little place in the system, we believe that we will never be on the short end of the stick, but that day for each of us is closer than we would like to believe. All it takes is to look self-honestly at how each of us live and our relationship to this world that we 'occupy'.  Why are we here?

Are we HERE just to consume and convert every square inch of reality into something to be bought in a store?

Is this just the way things are or is it our acceptance of the system that allows it to be so?

Wouldn't things be different if we would accept this simple point and agree to a new system where we ensure that each has Equal Support thus ensuring that we have Equal Support?

--Cameron Cope