Originally Posted By: Revlgking
Monetizing means giving a dollar value to commodities, goods and services--things with intrinsic value.

Keep in mind that Fiat money, the kind created by the central banks, has no intrinsic value. It can be created virtually out of thin air--a kind of legalized fraud. BTW, except for actual gold and silver coins, how much value does our regular coinage actually have? I suspect it is very little.

The purpose of the electronic tradeBUX is just to keep track of the trades.

This debt-based system, invariably, is the basic cause of our economic-bubbles which go BANG!!!! leaving all of us with inflation and many people with soul-destroying debts. I believe it is also the cause of unnecessary wars, causing huge national debts which benefits only the money lenders.

Let us not forget Eisenhower's warning:
Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html
"Beware of the power of the military-industrial complex..."

The UniversalBarterGroup (UBG) is about democratic capitalism. It seeks to work with all moral and ethical forms of business, including banks and the national currency system. It is complementary to, not contrary. We want the poor to have meaningful employment and the opportunity to create wealth, not take it away from others who have created it. It is not about how we divide the pie; it is about making more pies. Read Matt. 25--the parable of the talents.

Ellis, you say that barter, "is not a new system." Of course it isn't. But the PC has added a new dimension as to what can be done. Using it we could set up what I call THE 4U UNION.

This union could include every class: the unemployed, the under employed, the under paid, and the unhappy (this could include the rich). Our motto could we: JOIN 4U--WE ARE FOR YOU. The goal would be to create meaningful employment for all who need it.


smile

On my new Kindle, I've uploaded Mind of the Market by Michael Shermer.
I saw him on BookTV at a CATO Inst. talk (wow, was that fun to watch -the lamb in the lion's den, so to speak), and couldn't resist.
Also look up (google) Michael H. Shuman (Smallmart) & (Local Stock Exchanges!).
He says all those local currency conferences are stocked with poor, 70 year olds. Is this true?

Currently I'm still working on my first purchase, an E. O. Wilson book, along the lines of his The Creation.

Kindle allows me to browse ScienceAGoGo also!

I even logged in twice; and seemed to reply, but couldn't post (?).
But I can browse the fora! Anytime, anywhere; and surf, read more, highlight, and browse for more books.

Wisdom of Crowds, anyone?

But BOT
Check out those 2 Michaels, above, via google.

An economic "solution" must be part of an overall solution to biological and social equity (climate change and poverty/war).

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Pyrolysis creates reduced carbon! ...Time for the next step in our evolutionary symbiosis with fire.