In the long-running thread--well over 100,000 clicks--about the philosophy of all religions, Amaranth asked me about the latest news from the Family Life Foundation--flfcanada.com--regarding BarterWold.com
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I sent her the following links
http://www.barterworld.comand
http://www.universalbartergroup.com ==========================
She responded: "Interesting to see how bartering is becoming the upscale thing."
Amaranth asked me: "Have you ever heard of time-dollars?
http://www.timebanks.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-based_currencyhttp://www.transaction.net/money/timedollars/"This last one links to Toronto dollars. I have not followed that link, but I know a little about Toronto Dollars, and it sounds like an interesting proposition."
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I responded: "Yes. Since the late 1960's I have been writing about and promoting what I now call CCC--complementary and community currency."
It was after that that I became aware of the Guernsey Island experiment in 1816. Does anyone know how many other such experiments there have been? Until the British conquest in 1769, the French in Canada used playing cards and the New England colonies used colonial script. Check out:
http://www.micheloud.com/FXM/MH/canada.htmhttp://www.kamron.com/Liberty/colonial_script.htmBy the way, long before the invention of paper money ( Perhaps the Chinese were the first to invent the idea.), all forms of currency were initially local, and in kind. Here are just a few examples of the kind of things used: animals, animal skins, grains, metals (especially iron, bronze, silver and gold), tobacco, oils, alcohol, shells, salt, spices, whatever--things that were accepted, locally, as having a common value. What we call fiat money is a relatively modern invention. The latest invention is the use of computer blips. Does anyone know who were the first to come up with the idea of a currency based on monitized barter."What I am advocating can also be called creative community capitalism (CCC). It is meant to work in cooperation with governments and our chartered banking system and paying all legal taxes. It is not in any way an underground economy.
IMO, this is the best way to solve the problems caused by our current and debt-based and inefficient disaster-capitalism system which has destroyed the happiness of so many people who dreamed of owning their homes. It could also be a way of helping those who lose their homes in natural disasters not covered by insurance.
"In addition to the above, check our the work of Toronto author, Naomi Klein.
http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine"THIS IS POWERFUL STUFF:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3Pb_StJn4Check out her dialogue with Milton Friedman.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3Pb_StJn4=============================================
"At the above I found quite a numbers of audio and visual quotes on economics. For example, Milton Friedman presents his case for what he calls the "free" market. He also uses the term, "competitive capitalism".
"BTW, in his comments he admitted that capitalism is not a "sufficient" cause of democracy. "But" he says, "capitalism is a necessary part of any democracy." Friedman, a strong advocate of monetarism admitted that both communism and national socialism used a form of capitalism.
"MONETARISM--A definition
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http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client...nition&ct=titleMonetarism, a right wing approach, tends to say: Leave the economy to the market place and things will right themselves.
"KEYNESIANISM--offers a left wing approach.
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http://www.history-ontheweb.co.uk/concepts/keynesianism51.htmThe key propositions of Keynesianism?--named after John Maynard Keynes: Here is an example:
1 of 6: There is no natural tendency for capitalist market economies, which now dominate world economies, to correct economic shocks and maintain an equilibrium at full employment. Before Keynes it was well known that there was a regular pattern of boom and slump but it was assumed that economies quickly righted themselves without government intervention. Keynes denied this.
"MY PERSONAL APPROACH?: As I have indicated elsewhere, as an intuitive economist, I take what I call "a feathers approach" to the political economy, not just a left wing or right wing one. After all, feathers are essential to the welfare of the whole bird.
"And don't forget the essential tail feathers. Without them, wings--indeed the whole bird--could not function. Without tail feathers flight is impossible no matter how strong the wings happen to be. They balance the wings and enable birds keep on course in those long migratory flight in search of food.
"Take note that tail feathers are, humbly, located right over the anus--another essential part of the bird.
"COOPERATIVE AND COMMUNITY CAPITALISM
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"Perhaps this is the essential function of democratic forms of government: Be humble tail feathers and promote a democratic form of capitalism, what I call cooperative and community capitalism (CCC).
"This helps keep the wings in a state of balance and thus help the head (made up of all social leaders, including educators, spiritual leaders, business leaders, whoever) do that which is needed by the body of the whole bird, including the smallest feathers (our precious youth)."
