Money : the true fiction

take a 500 rs note in ur hand (or any other note for that matter) and think what gives this piece of paper it's value ... does the government ... no ...

1. you can take this note; give it to a shopkeeper in exchange for 'goods' -- why will the shopkeeper do so ?? -- coz he can again do the same ...

2. If you sell some thing for 500 and i sell same for 400 someone with knowledge of both will prefer 400 one ... this keeps value of money in regulation (kinda)

will elaborate on the 'keeping in regulation' part later

but it's clear that money has value coz people BELIEVE in it


Money as the new religion

If tommorrow all people on this planet were to think of the cash as pieces of paper (which they are) and the money in their accounts as electronic bits (again they are :)) THERE WOULD BE NO VALUE FOR MONEY ... so this is a system of FAITH

Money is the new GOD; it is omnipotent at least :), it exists only because people believe in it and it provides as an object of DEVOTION (people spend their entire lives building their careers, houses and capital)


Money as power

This people's faith is the VALUE of money and this value is it's power : you can give out pieces of paper or transfer bits and you get a car using fossil fuels to pollute the planet just so that you can feel proud to own a car (and you can justify it by saying it's used for travelling distances); you can get food preparations of the seven continents ; you can enjoy art music opera; you can buy a gun and shoot people


Money's power as refuge

Today a man doesn't have much in control. He HAS TO go to school. He HAS TO take employment in some form or the other under some mega machine (corporation/business) (small businesses, if they survive, still follow market laws more than one's own life/lifestyle - which btw has reduced to 'making profits'). He HAS TO be ambitious and try to be successful.

Man has lost so much control over his life that he has become passive :

-> His work is something that happens to him (although he is apparently doing it) -- may be more clear wud be if i said -- his job is something he GETS -- he pleases his boss - becomes 'creative', 'hard working' bla bla ... ... the only relationship to his work is money (well u can argue about 'enjoying' your work - well so can a prostitute ... a different wording of this point wud be ... well are all prostitutes (well most of us) although non-sexual -- and that reminds me - if sex wasn't supposed to be 'bad' or guilt-arousing maybe this comparison wud be easily digestible and u wud see people as prostitues :) :)

-> he 'falls' in love (like being struck by a lightning -- you have like no control over it )

-> he 'has fun' -- watching tv, drinking booze, drugs, sex, even travel is supposed to 'provide' you with the neccessary 'entertainment' or 'differentness' ('having fun' provides justification for work which with time becomes obsessional work)

-> etc. :)

Having money provides with a sense of power (and having a family too) which helps, together with 'having fun', in repressing the powerlessness one feels - so much so to be totally unaware of it.

Man today is a slave of his own wants (which he calls needs), wants which exist solely in (desparte) attempt to please him and repress his state of powerlessness
and

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Money's value

Let's suppose everyone has some money that they have and it's neither created nor distroyed ... only 'circulated' -- the cost of things wud be 'simple' demand and supply based and assuming non-varying demand and supply, no change in cost -- and not a very 'growing' society; but self-sufficient and also happy (actually not very unhappy :) ) assuming everyone started with almost same amount ...

Now suppose that a very rich guy now has an extra 1000 rs outa thin air; where does that get it's value ; assuming 'fixed' value pool; it derives it's value from that so let's say M money has value V so (M + magic 1000) also has value V so the value of money associated with M decreases (the rich become more rich) - but V can also increase proportionally provided people do more work :)

So what's happening ... is there magic money ?? ... YES ... loans ... that money is created outa thin air ... and both things happen ... decrease in value of 1k rupis (inflation) and people working more and more ... omg ... there's the problem of socitey hunh ? ...

"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws." -- (Mayer Amschel Rothschild ??)

and if this is not enuf there always interest to repaid for loans .... interest for money created outa thin air ... kool ... let the poor work their ass off just to earn living and the rich get interest on their money .... and best of all earning interst thru mutual funds, real estates and all ... one doesn't even notice the inherent exploitation of the poor (poor just here invokes pity :), everyone is exploited ... even the rich .. coz as i said ... the power of money just represses ... )

Ok, so much for the new GOD; i must now become an atheist sufi :) .... (want to put some rumi's poetry in but don't think anything with money/poverty)

“Poverty is my pride.”

- Prophet Muhammad