Economics 204

A Reply in a Discussion with A. Haberland & Victor Escobar

October 31, 2024

I apologize for not replying sooner. I usually stay on top of things better than this. It isn’t clear to me what you have been railing against…

Nevertheless, paper money and coinage took the place of the barter system over the decades and a long long time ago. In those days, the economies were very localized and regional. Later, trade routes expanded the barter system and eventually the system was monetized, and weights and scales began to diminish. The meat market is about the only place it exists today.

What I think you are talking about is the economic systems of the world — all of which use coin and paper or bank balance sheets and credit cards.

Perhaps you are railing against the socio-political systems which have monetized their methods of governance. Hence, two main thrusts: organizing Labor into Unions and domination by unscrupulous cabals of syndicated oligarchies into the “Haves and the Have-nots.”

This overarching dispute comes from two historical European socio-political structure of Royalty and serfdom — systems which were subtly carried over into the America’s on what has become our two Party system…the Republicans — by whatever name they choose — who want to rule over the people and the Democrats -same name choices — who want to govern for the people. (Note: The two have reversed their roles over the decades, but in principle, they remain intact.)

The only economic system that I have come across is the Biblical one in which periodically, all debts were forgiven, slaves would be set free or unless they loved their owners enough and chose to become lifetime servants.

Think about it. Debts forgiven. Individuals chose to stay or to go. Businesses could carry on in perpetuity. No one could rule over anyone else by their monetary supremacy to dominate people, segregating them into classes…

Anyways, that’s all I have to say about that.