Perhaps this document: Capitalism: Reject or Retool?: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41870:
from INFORMAVORE"S SUNDAY No 490 can help you in this problem. Peter On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 6:50 PM, OrionWorks - Steven Vincent Johnson < orionwo...@charter.net> wrote: > From Mauro,**** > > ** ** > > > … The problem is in the way money is taken as a value**** > > > in itself, when it should be considered just a convenient form**** > > > of replacement for other, real values.**** > > > The way money is valued, that's where the real problem lies. In fact,*** > * > > > we're in a really stupid state of affairs, come to look at it and**** > > > understand how it really works. But unless people are willing to look*** > * > > > at these things in the face, so to speak, without any kind of self**** > > > delusion, caused by dwelling in cloudy and vague ideas(where they**** > > > personal interests and ambitions also play a role, of course), nothing** > ** > > > will really change. People should start to feel ashamed for being part** > ** > > > of this state of affairs. That's what must happen first, and only then,* > *** > > > real change will be possible.**** > > ** ** > > I couldn't agree more, Mauro. **** > > ** ** > > I've made similar arguments. I shall now rant in more detail. (You have > been warned!) ;-)**** > > ** ** > > Initially money (or currency) was initially represented in the form of > precious stones and metals. There was always a limited supply of gold ands > ilver, so the intrinsic value was kept relatively stable throughout the > ages. Back then, most forms of currency literally represented the intrinsic > value of what it was constructed out of. People across the globe always had > faith that pieces of gold & silver would maintain its value, and they were > right.**** > > ** ** > > However, in contemporary times, that has not been the case for quite a > while, such as when the United States went off of the gold standard, and > oh, what a bru ha-ha that caused! In place of the gold standard modern > civilizations have attempted to maintain intrinsic value through a series > of complicated policy controls. They also try to make the representation of > currency extremely difficult to duplicate in order to discourage rampant > counterfeiting which, if left unchecked, would dilute, or cause rampant > inflation.**** > > ** ** > > Alas, the devil is in the details as to who actually controls the > intrinsic value of contemporary currency – and there lies the rub. Whoever > controls those knobs and dials assumes control of the world. In > contemporary times, there seems to be an on-going battle for supremacy > played out between federal governments versus big private businesses.**** > > ** ** > > Certain aspects of Big Businesses seem to believe that if they can > accumulate as much currency as they can in their private piggy banks, by > default, they will control the intrinsic value of currency. If enough of > them accumulate the stuff they will end up making currency scarce. That > means all the currency they have accumulated over the years is perceived as > even MORE valuable. However, to maintain the illusion of scarcity, big > businesses have to be assured that the federal government will not do > something apocalyptic like print up additional currency and then hand out > those notes to "needy" portions of the population via through various > government sanctioned programs. That's where various forms of > institutionalized bribery come into play with the objective of eliciting > appropriate kinds of money policy behavior from governments.**** > > ** ** > > Likewise, it would seem that certain aspects of Big Government believe > that if they can tax more individuals and private corporations that in turn > will siphon off the ills of excess inflation-producing currency. By default > that would also cause currency to become scarce, and more valued. I hasten > to add however that I've never heard governments explain it in such terms. > They would, in fact emphatically deny that THAT is what they are doing. > However, by default, the more governments taxes, the less currency would be > left in consumer & corporate pockets to spend. By default, that means the > remaining currency becomes even more valued. In theory, it would seem, > taxation can also counter the effects of inflation.**** > > ** ** > > What seems to have been lost in the translation is the fact that both > Businesses and Governments are essentially BUSINESSES. Both systems have > devised varies ways and means of collecting currency from customers. In > return they all attempt to provide useful products and services for their > "paying" customers. Customers, in turn, must decide if they are getting > their money's worth. When it comes to assessing the value products produced > from private businesses, if you don't like what you bought don't buy from > them anymore. Buy from a competitor. When it comes to assessing the value > of government services, vote the senator (or president) out of office, and > attempt to install another more agreeable puppet that will do what you want > him to do for you. The only appreciable difference is the fact that the > business known as the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT can legally print up more currency > (which, of course scares the BiJesus out of private corporations), whereas > any other private or state business caught doing the same thing will be > strung up by the short hairs.**** > > ** ** > > I suspect contemporary society will have to come to better terms with how > we perceive the value of currency. IMHO, what has become an abomination is > the fact that we continue to worship money, destructively so by continuing > to propagate the illusion of equating currency as *still* the equivalent > of pieces of gold and silver. Currency has become a deity in its own right. > There has been little educational attempt to understand the fact that > currency should do nothing more than represent the intrinsic value of > products and services rendered. This is a subtle point, so I will > reiterate: I think, too much of society (and governments) still perceive > modern currency in terms of pieces of gold and silver. I think we need to > understand the fundamental fact that virtual currency ITSELF should not > possess any kind of intrinsic value *in itself*. Currency should instead > only represent, by proxy, the value of products and services rendered > between all parties involved.**** > > ** ** > > I must confess, however, that how we might go about making such a > transition, where we stop valuing currency for the sake of currency itself… > well that will not be an easy undertaking. I'm still trying to figure that > out myself.**** > > ** ** > > Regards,**** > > Steven Vincent Johnson**** > > www.OrionWorks.com**** > > www.zazzle.com/orionworks**** > -- Dr. Peter Gluck Cluj, Romania http://egooutpeters.blogspot.com
