Zetgeist 2 "ADDENDUM"

The word “Addendum” implies a small addition or expansion of a larger body of work. Clocking in at 2 hours and 3 minutes, Zeitgeist Addendum is a full-fledged sequel to Zeitgeist the Movie rather than a mere addendum. Zeitgeist 2 picks up where its predecessor left off by launching a detailed explanation on the mechanics behind the monetary system and fractional reserve banking. Using the American economic system for its examples, the brooding narration explains how the central bank issues notes to the government for deposit in commercial banks, who in turn loan a large fraction of these deposits to consumers. The explanation of money purely as an instrument of debt seems philosophically valid, if not a little cynical. Filmmaker Peter Joseph’s view of the monetary system as both a pyramid scheme and a form of organized slavery serves as a basis for the remainder of the film.
The second phase of the movie features a long interview with John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman”. Perkins outlines the role and evolution of the so-called economic hitman – a private or public sector agent who corrupts foreign leaders and economies to enable cheap access to national resources. Foreign leaders who do not comply with agents of the corrupting nation (typically from the West) are typically assassinated and replaced with a more “business-friendly” regime. Perkins cites the Iranian coup of 1953 and subsequent installation of the Shah as the first true economic hit while citing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and Panamanian president Omar Torrijos Herrera (who signed the bill transferring the Panama Canal from American control) as examples of leaders who refused to be corrupted and were subsequently killed.