by Gregory James
“Owned & Operated” is a new documentary about the struggles we are facing as a global humanity. For the most part, it’s a decent film — especially the first hour. The way it incorporates hundreds of different sources to corroborate the overall feelings sweeping the globe is certainly nice and refreshingly unique. And the tone of the film in general is appropriately forceful and motivating. I agree with many of the points made (but certainly not all) and suggest it’s viewing with your critical-thinking cap on.
Unfortunately, like most all films of this type today, “Owned & Operated” overlooks a great opportunity to assert some very key points. Most especially, it expresses nothing about the vital importance of Self-Work as individuals — of coming into an applicable Realization of the Authentic Self — which is tantamount to the discovery of a healthy society. Nor does it discuss the FACT that problems with our governments stem most-principally from an affliction of psychopathy (marked by character traits of insatiable avarice and total lack of empathy) in key players of the ruling elite — not just ordinary greed and corruption.
At minute 49:18 of the film, there’s even a short blip from Cory Doctorow — Canadian-British blogger and science-fiction writer — insisting that it’s just too sad and dissatisfying a prospect to face the fact that our governments and corporations are “owned & operated” by twisted, evil people! Well, Cory, science-fiction isn’t the same thing as actual science and reality. We don’t get to refute the science of ponerology and it’s reality just “because it’s fundamentally a council of despair.” That’s why it’s called FACT!
Without an acknowledgment of these points, we cannot begin to move from our place of oppression and entropy to one of a healthy, functioning humanity and economy — no matter the basis of that economy. What most people still do not understand or will not look at is the Truth that psychopathy in positions of power has permeated and metastasized throughout our culture to such a degree that society has become morbidly complacent and effectively stripped of its natural Rights and much of it’s power. And if we cannot do the Work to face facts objectively and Realize our True Potential as Authentic human beings — ridding ourselves of this abject individual and social ignorance and egoism — bringing real change that could ever matter will be, at best, an unrealistic and highly unlikely prospect.
That’s why all these so-called movements, including Zeitgeist and the Venus Project (which are presented in the latter minutes of the film as viable ideals) are never really able to disclose or present any kind of applicable transition between where we are now and what needs to be done to realize these fantastical ideals. I agree these ideals — of a living in harmony in a resource-based economy, without the need for money, in magnificent futuristic cities — are really special and lovely, and I’d love to see them in place as much as most people. But without a fundamental change in the quality of humanity, wherein each individual actively takes the responsibility to Work, Awakening to the Reality of the True Nature of the Authentic Self — to effectively enter into a new paradigm (not just a new idea) — which also involves the personal constitution to reject the current establishment by becoming immune to the pathocratic control system and engaging in noncompliance — the world will not significantly change for the better, and films like “Owned & Operated” will amount to little more than another over-hyped, fluffy distraction, keeping people blindingly hopeful and without viable direction.
With this in mind, watch and enjoy the film — and take from it the very valid points the film does make. Just don’t get caught up in quixotic hopes that, just because we’re all mad about the way things are going, that suddenly it’s all going to become a utopia — it isn’t. Awareness is important, and the film may well help in that respect, however awareness and disillusionment alone will not solve the problem, appropriate action is required. And so-called solutions are presented in the film, unfortunately, what is needed to get from here to there is starkly absent.
I too am dismayed by TZM/TVP’s lack of transition or securing a sanctuary unbound by centralized laws that hinder their logical notions toward a Resource Based Economy. What better way to show instead of say with a sanctuary as an example? Their lack of organizing their members for forming a larger community that could resist malign forces during a post-collapse disappoints me. I laud the education about the problems they share, but they provide no transitionary paths to their ideals. This unfortunately leaves people in cynical ambivalent entropy about the system. What are they waiting for? The hammer to come down with government puppets declaring martial law to drag them into concentration camps? There are even those that are suspicious of this aspect of these movements, as a way to paralyze people into doing nothing as a strategy of the psychopathic elite…. Economies are collapsing before our eyes! Either have mass non-compliance with the centralized fiat currency itself, or start a community with it’s own local values not controlled by this unsustainable system that would have hyperinflated a long time ago if not for the US bullying the world into using the petrodollar.
“What are they waiting for? The hammer to come down with government puppets declaring martial law to drag them into concentration camps?”
Very well said, Joel! I often wonder the same thing. If history has shown us anything, that’s probably exactly what people are waiting for – never mind that history is supposed to show us HOW TO AVOID MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES!
I watched this movie the other day and was left feeling like I do when I read a book in anticipation of furthering my pursuit of Truth…cheated out of time!!! Movies like this sprinkle a little Truth in, here and there, to hook you, and then leave you with no Real solutions. Truth is: “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” ~ Lao Tzu – This is the inner Work that is required for a shift the paradigm and a change in the quality of humanity. WE must BE the CHANGE…..via a RADICAL CHANGE OF MIND, by letting go of our obstinate subjectivity and wishful thinking, realizing our ignorance about the Reality of our reality, and seeing the Universe as It sees Itself…objectively with acceptance and love. Thanks for sharing this review, it reminds me that I am not alone in my thought processes!
Material like “Owned & Operated” is fed to the masses peppered with truth, and people get hyped and feel “satisfied” in their mind because they can relate to what is being presented. But they then feel like that’s enough somehow; like so long as we know the evil is there, so long as we know we don’t like it, that will do to keep the monsters at bay. It Won’t! Legitimate Self-Work and appropriate action is necessary.
Indeed, we need to BE the change. Bernhard Guenther wrote a great piece on this; I highly recommend it, and will probably repost it here at SupremeBoundlessWay when next I have a slot for another guest. http://veilofreality.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/being-the-change-you-want-to-see-in-the-world/
I watched this movie the other day and was left feeling like I do when I read a book in anticipation of furthering my pursuit of Truth…cheated out of time!!! Movies like this sprinkle a little Truth in, here and there, to hook you, and then leave you with no Real solutions. Truth is, “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” ~ Lao Tzu – This is the inner Work that is required for a shift the paradigm and a change in the quality of humanity. WE must BE the CHANGE…..via a RADICAL CHANGE OF MIND, by letting go of our obstinate subjectivity and wishful thinking, realizing our ignorance about the Reality of our reality, and seeing the Universe as It sees Itself…objectively with acceptance and love. Thanks for sharing this review, it reminds me that I am not alone in my thought processes!
Your review is probably more informative than the film (which I haven’t watched) because you grasp the essential problem – ‘Unfortunately, like most all films of this type today, “Owned & Operated” . . . expresses nothing about the vital importance of Self-Work as individuals . . . nor does it discuss the FACT that problems with our governments stem most-principally from an affliction of psychopathy . . . in key players of the ruling elite’
That is the single most important piece of knowledge with which people must arm themselves in order to change the world for the better. The truth is that the vast majority of us, if left to our own devices, are perfectly capable of living in relative harmony while working out most of our problems; but we, as a whole, have a blind spot for the biggest problem of all which is the overwhelming and malign influence of the psychopathic controllers of our society.
A general failure to so much as recognise that problem for what it really is means that it is being neither addressed nor understood. Consequently, it remains unlikely to be solved, especially when the search for answers is deflected into a cul-de-sac by the propagation of cunningly constructed alternative visions which appear to consider everything except the parasitic, predatory nature of the psychopath.