Sandwichman wrote:

> The core idea is that the objective world of buying and selling that
> we experience is an artificial construct based on the zero-sum
> notion that "what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours."  So
> absolutely more for you is less for me, even if exchange makes us
> both relatively better off. In a gift economy, though, more for you
> is more for me because there is a social obligation of generosity.


Bruce Sterling's short story, "Maneki Neko", [1] draws an entertaining
picture of a gift economy and the hysterical hostility with which it's
regarded by those deeply inculcated with (or indentured to) the
currently conventional business and political ethic.


[1] Full text at http://tqft.net/wiki/Maneki_Neko.
    Save the page and insert double spaces between paragraphs with
    your favorite text editor to make it more readable.

         Tsuyoshi blinked. "Look, I don't know anything about all
         that. I'm just living my life."

        "Well, your network gift economy is undermining the lawful,
         government approved, regulated economy!"


-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
[email protected]                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework

Reply via email to