Why I don’t like the Thrive movie
I first saw the trailer to the Thrive movie about 6 months ago. There was a lot to like about it, and I found a lot of it 'chimed' very nicely - with my inner ‘truth-o-meter’ - but there was also a funny clanging alarm claxon sounding in the background, the source of which I couldn’t quite recognize at the time. Now where had I heard that one before?
This week a good friend, who I’d met on a personal development weekend a few years ago, but from a very different background to me, excitedly posted a link to the film on my Facebook wall, encouraging me to watch it, telling me I’d love it!
What came next wasn’t very pretty. Despite our (relatively high) levels of personal enlightenment, our awareness of our shadows, egos, projections and emotions, we both struggled to come to an amicable agreement about the film. We battled!
And - with hindsight - here’s why. (We are friends again now.)
The film is a ‘hotch potch.’ Intentionally or otherwise it is a mix of good stuff, in with bad stuff, in with good stuff. Like a sack of good healthy Peruvian seed potatoes, mixed up with half a dozen GMO Monsanto creations...
Nice picture borrowed from my good friend Martha Cuffy's Facebook wall. It's probably legally Facebooks (or Monsanto's) so a sincere thank you to them.
Thrive's a clever film, there’s little doubt about that. It was clever to persuade (manipulate or trick even?) not one but NINE of the leading inclusive generous bio-diverse enlightened compassionate and loving thinkers in the world to participate. See link:-
http://thrivedebunked.wordpress.com/
But the film uses fear, to attack fear. (As we all can do, when we stray from grace.)
It is a film, supposedly all about love, created from a place of confusion, shame & fear.
And some of the maker's agenda, projections, confusions and fears pollute the film and make it toxic. Strong words I know, but I’ll stand by them.
Specifically (and boy oh boy there are loads of people angrily DEMANDING 'specific' answers and clarification from the nine who have very clearly and unambigupsly distanced themselves from the film) here is what offends me. And I am going to say this as lovingly as I am able:
I don’t know if there really are ‘free energy-field tesla’ inventors being silenced, or if there really are many “energy from nothing” geeks, all over the globe, along with their patented demonstrator “free field energy with no downside whatsoever” black boxes – I just don’t know.
I do know I have never actually seen one or met one, despite being the sort of chap these people (if they existed) would probably chose to trust and bring their inventions to me. I have a reputation for being critical of group-think, open to conspiracy theory, critical of the establishment, of government, of big energy and of elites. Open and trusting to new ideas.... mostly (!)
And I also know that there is plenty of stuff going on in the world that I do NOT understand. It really IS possible that “Men in Black” equivalents - 'secret agents' - have been confiscating these “free energy black boxes”, and zapping the memories (at least) of the innovators.
And I also know it’s also unlikely. My love of physics, engineering, science and maths is sufficiently advanced for me to know that the harnessing of energy on the same scale as humankind has gotten used to, during the energy glut years, is no small technical challenge. It’s a vast one, with no instant quick fix, no Tommy Cooper "just like that!" from under his Fez.
We aren’t talking about extracting enough energy from the air to power a mobile phone (which is totally possible) – or boil one kettle - (maybe possible one day.)
But hang on a minute Dave! While I have this inner argument - between my inner Cambridge educated scientist – and my humble happy blissed out ‘I know nothing’ hippy self – what are those big shiny panels on your roof Dave?
Yeah yeah they are my solar panels, what’s that got to do with it?
Well don't they already magically generate enough free clean abundant energy and power for my needs (not my greed) ?? Just a few large flat panels of some clever silicon-based crystalline material, and it is aleady harnessing the energy field of all that free solar radiation, and converting it into real-time real-use electricity - that I can use to power this laptop, boil a kettle (slowly), and charge my mobile. Don’t they???
So why am I being seduced into believe that one day there will be a NEW improved better model - of “free energy from a black box” – when there is already a perfectly good one on my roof – working – happily – economically – cleanly – harmlessly - magically - without a single FBI agent in sight.
My conclusion is simple, but subtle. Right here right now there are people who wish to play down the power of locally-owned locally-managed community renewable energy. Off grid power. At their most obvious, they write for the Daily Mail. But they also exist, in much more moderate, subtle, palatable, plausible and likeable form at the heart of government in Cabinet, in the CBI and the Boards of global industry, in top Universities, in the BBC and world media, in the FT, Guardian, and top newspapers, in the Arts and in the House of Lords and representatives. And in the USA, they are to be found making films like Thrive.
These loveable rogues don’t want solar in their exclusive village, they don’t want wind near their holiday cottage, they want their children to work in a bank, not in the green economy. They don't want to use their (fast) car less. They don't want to curtail their globe-trotting, or cut back on their consumption. (Or their film-making.) They don't want to insulate their old homes. They aren’t sure whether global warning is serious. They dislike hippies and they are damn sure that we will need to fight someone somewhere, in order to keep playing happy families (doctors and nurses) at home and in our peaceful village.
And the latest line of confused thinking from these people, to justify their existence. (They are incidentally often generation upon generation of total fossil fuel energy addicts. At some level they believe their fortunes privileges and future well being will all depend on their continuing to excavate / raid and appropritae other peoples fossil fuel, uranium or other resource. (Crazy people!)
They think that if they tell people there is a ‘Free Energy Black Box’ - one that the state has suppressed (shock horror!) - then we will keep believing in them, and keep on buying their power - in the meantime, until these new boxes are stacked up high on the shelves… ..one day… but not yet.
The false promise of abundant 'free energy tomorrow' gives us an excuse not to act to change anything (or cut back on real waste) today...
But guess what. These Free Energy Black Boxes (renewable energy) already exist. They are abundant.
The healthy demand for local renewable energy today is being suppressed - today - in the media - and by Thrive movie!
Connive might have been a better title.
Comments