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22 Feb 2002 @ 02:22, by Mark Smollin

Money, money, money! Does money care? – No. Does money have any value? – It use to. Does money determine the value of anything it is attached to in price asked or fee paid? Nope! Money is one of our inventions as a method/medium of exchange to standardize trading between disparate services or goods. Sounds like a great idea on the surface. My sense about the incentive to establish a monetary system was to lubricate trade, but that money was not conceived as an economic determiner itself. Well, it certainly is different now.

If all the world's economists were laid end to end, we wouldn't reach a conclusion. -- William J. Baumol

I would say we’re in trouble based on this quote, but then we already know that.

This is my post as inspired by Shakti, to further air this taboo of conversation, and one which needs some frank dialogue and creative ideas on how to remove it, or control it for positive result. Our attitudes about money are soiled through connection to human traits and issues I hope to disclose. This may be quite long if it is going to be thorough so I will post it in the "Subjects" section of the site in its entirety. This is my first attempt to deal with this huge monster and it is finally posted because I ran out of gas to spend anymore time on it.

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5 comments

22 Feb 2002 @ 02:30 by jazzolog : End to End
Maybe the economists look at the planet as if it's an orange---just squeezin' and squeezin'! Endless supply of juice? How many economists choose to sleep through that part of the show? If we laid all the sleeping economists end to end, at least they'd be more comfortable. ;-)  

22 Feb 2002 @ 06:57 by shawa : Out of the closet
I´m really happy that this monster is out of the closet. It´s a hot issue. And a real common denominator. Thanks for taking it up!  

22 Feb 2002 @ 08:12 by invictus : Changing the flow
Excellent post, mmmark. You know, I tend to think that the way to get money to change directions is to make people who have it care. It's that simple. We need to make the ones with the resources feel like they can bring the world a little closer to the one they want it to be. As simpleman said in Shakti_Ma's latest news log, we have to find out what people would change about the world, and what is stopping them from doing it. Get people to feel empowered; then they'll be interested in pooling resources towards a better world, whatever that world may be.  

23 Feb 2002 @ 01:52 by ming : Economy
I think economy is a good thing. But what is wrong with our economy is mainly that somebody managed to grab and own the greatest prize in the global capitalist system - the monopoly on creating money, and the power to tax everybody else for using it. That ownership is on private hands. A few dozen people controlling trillions of dollars. What we would need it a free economy.  

24 Feb 2002 @ 14:56 by simpleman : MONEY TALKS
Inspiring artical, really has my mind racing. It's funny(ironic), that a tool we see as being so powerful is like a weed, strangling the life out of us, and nature. So, how do we control this weed, how do we cut it back, and keep it from taking over the garden. Your artical deals with many aspects of money, all very interesting and real. If we were able to find the ONE aspect that seems to be leading the way, and somehow change it, would the rest not follow the way? I believe that ONE to be the value(label) we put on MONEY itself.

For instance,
If we paid the janitor more than we pay the CEO, would everyone want to be the janitor?
If we paid the garbageman more than we paid the govenor would everyone want to be the garbageman?
If the gap between the highest paid vs. the lowest paid were re-examined and somehow brought back to a more reasonable level, would this not be leading us in the right direction?

It seems to me, that when we DE-REGULATED the way businesses were run, we said it was ok to allow this kind of gap. Not that I am in favor of regulations, but if they were intended to control the weeds I have no problem with them.

Anyway, these were just a couple of thoughts of many when money is concerned and I would really like to no everyones reaction to them. Also, I want to add that the use of occupations here was for the intention of making a point, and apoligize if it offended anyone.

To Mark, great log and great artical.  

Other entries in
3 Oct 2008 @ 02:43: What 4
31 May 2004 @ 00:13: Memorial For America
24 Dec 2003 @ 18:22: Seasons Greetings
2 Dec 2003 @ 15:12: Shared Purpose
8 Jun 2003 @ 00:27: Namasté = Respect
22 Jan 2003 @ 20:59: Doers & Democracy
10 Jan 2003 @ 14:47: NEW STYLE THINKING
22 Dec 2002 @ 13:22: Wonderful Winter Holidays To You
4 Jun 2002 @ 02:13: Relationships
16 May 2002 @ 04:02: Thanks For Telling Me

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