Where Does Money Come From?
Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:55 pm
(Note: This essay is a complement to the idea of using Hours as a medium of exchange)
Our current monetary system is created to try and satisfy those with an insatiable greed for wealth and power. It needs to go. Some time ago after pondering the value and utility of money as a means of exchange I received a modest inspiration to suggest a system of exchange based on hours.
There was one glaring oversight in my proposal that suddenly became obvious (of course an answer was supplied in another little moment of illumination). That oversight, where does money come from anyway? More importantly how would the money supply be created in a system based on hours?
In our current system money is created by debt. You go to the bank and borrow money. They make up an account and ‘deposit’ the money you borrow. Nothing has actually occurred except a notation on a computer. They didn’t have money to loan but simply made it up out of thin air. Not only are individuals beholden to this fraud but also governments and institutions all go into debt to fund their projects. It is one of the biggest cons in history and the root of wars, environmental destruction and the worst humanity in general. Well enough of that.
In an economic system based on hours I propose that a basic monetary stipend is awarded each person just for existence. Here’s how it might work. We would have to agree on the length of an average workweek. I happen to like 20 hours. So at age 15 kids would get a bank account into which ½ of the basic weekly starter wage or 10 hours would be deposited. This would give youngsters a three-year period to experiment with finance.
At 18 everyone would be get the workweek average deposit of 20 hours along with voting and driving rights. When people went to work and began receiving more than the base social allotment their automatic allotment would stop. They would have become self-sustaining individuals. I feel sure this event would become a societal coming of age. (This would also help offset the cost of training new workers. Also don’t forget that the basic allotments would all be spent in local economies.)
That’s all well and good but have you ever considered our mothers? To be a good mother is non-stop work. It is perhaps the most valuable work in the world considering women are primary in creating the future of society through nurturing the next generation. I propose that Mothers automatically get an additional weekly basic allotment added to their basic social allotment for every child. This will help to eliminate childhood poverty. Besides they earn it!
Now in a world driven by selfishness people will be shocked by the concept of ‘free’ money. It isn’t free. Everyone has the right to a basic piece of the pie. Period. Some will complain that people will become lazy. That is always the viewpoint of those who are infected by greed. In a world where people are encouraged to develop their talents the basic allotment is simply a starting point and safety net when necessary. Using our talents will always be far more satisfying and spiritually rewarding than laziness.
Welles
→ Download a PDF of this essay here ←
Our current monetary system is created to try and satisfy those with an insatiable greed for wealth and power. It needs to go. Some time ago after pondering the value and utility of money as a means of exchange I received a modest inspiration to suggest a system of exchange based on hours.
There was one glaring oversight in my proposal that suddenly became obvious (of course an answer was supplied in another little moment of illumination). That oversight, where does money come from anyway? More importantly how would the money supply be created in a system based on hours?
In our current system money is created by debt. You go to the bank and borrow money. They make up an account and ‘deposit’ the money you borrow. Nothing has actually occurred except a notation on a computer. They didn’t have money to loan but simply made it up out of thin air. Not only are individuals beholden to this fraud but also governments and institutions all go into debt to fund their projects. It is one of the biggest cons in history and the root of wars, environmental destruction and the worst humanity in general. Well enough of that.
In an economic system based on hours I propose that a basic monetary stipend is awarded each person just for existence. Here’s how it might work. We would have to agree on the length of an average workweek. I happen to like 20 hours. So at age 15 kids would get a bank account into which ½ of the basic weekly starter wage or 10 hours would be deposited. This would give youngsters a three-year period to experiment with finance.
At 18 everyone would be get the workweek average deposit of 20 hours along with voting and driving rights. When people went to work and began receiving more than the base social allotment their automatic allotment would stop. They would have become self-sustaining individuals. I feel sure this event would become a societal coming of age. (This would also help offset the cost of training new workers. Also don’t forget that the basic allotments would all be spent in local economies.)
That’s all well and good but have you ever considered our mothers? To be a good mother is non-stop work. It is perhaps the most valuable work in the world considering women are primary in creating the future of society through nurturing the next generation. I propose that Mothers automatically get an additional weekly basic allotment added to their basic social allotment for every child. This will help to eliminate childhood poverty. Besides they earn it!
Now in a world driven by selfishness people will be shocked by the concept of ‘free’ money. It isn’t free. Everyone has the right to a basic piece of the pie. Period. Some will complain that people will become lazy. That is always the viewpoint of those who are infected by greed. In a world where people are encouraged to develop their talents the basic allotment is simply a starting point and safety net when necessary. Using our talents will always be far more satisfying and spiritually rewarding than laziness.
Welles
→ Download a PDF of this essay here ←