the zeitgeist movement as a replacement religion

This is a re-post from http://cktwo.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/zeitgeist-movement-a-replacement-r...

It has now been 2 years since the inception of the original Los Angeles zeitgeist movement chapter (from a billing perspective). In couple weeks, this meetup group will either shut down or shift focus towards a broader idea. Apologies to those who have recently joined, but you can find “authorized” chapters in your local area at thezeitgeistmovement.com.

We’re also roughly at the 1 year mark of the new LA chapter, which is the main subject here. I would have reported on this when it happened, but when you read the details, perhaps you’ll understand why I had no faith that tZM members were anything but mindless followers. The great William Cooper once said “what happens when you broadcast the truth is you piss everyone off.” This is somewhat valid.

Last December (2010), shortly after I attended a S. Calif ZM social “mixer,” my subscription to the state newsletter as well as my ZMCA.org password were both deleted without notification. This too might have been a good time to publish some facts. But with the renewal fee from Meetup.com due shortly, it’s ironic that money is the final impetus for this message. For those who have already heard this story, you can skip the next few paragraphs but I think it’s worth considering again, especially in light of the recent divorce between tZM and the Venus Project.

At the end of ’09, a request was made to share the organizer’s password to the LA chapter website. There was no functional need for this, but I had no problem with it and complied by giving this password to Eva (the current “official” LA chapter coordinator). Little did I know what would transpire over the next few months. Briefly, She proceeded change the password and lock me out numerous times. Each time I inquired, she gave me the new password, but never explained why it had been changed. Several other changes were made to the site with no discussion whatsoever.

In April, I emailed members of the LA chapter, reporting the split between tVP and the Earth 2.0 project. The tone of my message was of disappointment with the tVP – blasphemy within the movement at that time. Soon the password changed again. The other admins’ privileges were reduced. Also, members’ communication became restricted, subject to the approval of the new admins (Jason and Eva). This time, when I inquired, I got no response. Instead, Eva arranged meetings with several members, both online and in person, excluding me from both. After nearly a week, I regained admin access, but still no response from her. Instead, she demanded of Meetup.com tech support that her admin rights be restored, which was refused. Faced with having lost the organizer status she basically tried to steal, she forwarded my Earth 2.0 email to Jen (US chapter coordinator), much like a grammar school tattletale, in an attempt to show that I was inadequate as organizer. She and Jason succeeded in convincing Jen that I was somehow causing problems within the group and that a new coordinator was needed. At this point, she proceeded to set up another website for LA, which to this day remains the “official” chapter website.

I used to say that I was utterly astounded that Jen simply went along with the testimonial of a few people, ignoring the other 200 members in the LA chapter. But in reality, I’m not. So many people in this current system are clearly in a state of lack. In many cases, it is financial. But in even more cases, the lack is emotional and is often manifested in a headstrong need to be a hero. And in fact, this was Jen’s chance to be just that – to use her “power” as US coordinator to remove the evil and corrupt Cal from the reigns of Los Angeles and install “new leadership” with integrity. Sounds grotesquely familiar, doesn’t it? I should add that some members attempted to get everyone together and actually communicate about this problem, but the “politicians in power” conveniently never showed up.

My point here is that this emotional lack results in an attachment to group think. Churches are an obvious example of this, as are employers, sports teams, nations, and countless others. But since tZM members have supposedly seen “the light,” or irrelevance, of these mainstream institutions, they are some of the neediest people on the planet. And the Zeitgeist Movement “brand” fills that void perfectly.

What are your true motivations in the movement? Are you a “yes” man or company woman for tZM? Is your position as coordinator a replacement for the corner office or the luxury car you can’t afford? Do you want to meet and hang out with Peter Joseph? Are you a Venus Project groupie? By these definitions, the coordinators of LA, California and the US are true “executive officers” of the movement (and they didn’t even have to interview). For them and others, the movement is essentially a religion.

If you support a movement to eradicate scarcity in the world, it is because there is scarcity in your own life. You see how your own situation would improve in a resource based social system. And it is your obligation to seek solutions to live an abundant life right now, instead of whining to everyone else about how they should help you change the current system. This typical form of activism, after all, will be as irrelevant as politics, law, and advertising. Real activism is truly “being the change” you wish to see in the world.

As I stated earlier, the meetup group will cease to be specifically affiliated with the zeitgeist movement. For those familiar with the 2nd film, (or with Thomas Paine), My country is the world…and my movement is to do good.