Let's assume that there is nothing on our planet called "money".
The only stuff that is tradable is/are goods and services.
Yes, I'm aware that someone would come up with something like Bitcoin in a society where there was no money. Yes, I'm aware that in a "barter only" society, for anything to happen, there must be a "double coincidence" where someone at a Coffee Bar wants to purchase some freight services (my current job, and method of making my house payment) in order for me to get a double espresso. This "double coincidence" is unlikely. Therefore, we need something very much like money.
Let's assume that people in this society make stuff, or they work for other people who ensure that stuff is being made.... They trade their labor for stuff. Skillets or fruitstands or cell phones or chicken wings are traded for backpacks and laptops and Ford F-150's and Big Macs.
Let's assume that everyone, in this cash-less society, has some kind of skill or value.
Let's assume that, unlike the totally insane stuff mandated by the Federal Government, the only stuff being made in this imaginary society is stuff that people really do want. (This rules out almost everything that our government produces, BTW. Wars, bureaucrats, congress, Cash-For-Clunkers, tens of millions of welfare babies, prisons for Drug War victims, Homeland Security assholes, military invasions of brown people, bailouts, etc., etc., et.,)
Ok, to my point.... some people in this society make fruitstands. Some make skillets. Some serve beer. Some people can only plow. Some people do computer programming, while a few mow yards. Others are good managers of the resources of others. In this imaginary society, everyone is always trying to match his strengths against what society needs, just in order to improve his own selfish self.
For instance, if we really don't need another person writing Libertarian Blog Entries in this imaginary world, most people are getting out of the Libertarian Blog Entry business, and doing something else....something worthwhile, something profitable. That's what would happen in a world that is free of government interference and subsidies and price supports, right?
But let's assume that, in this world, there is an all-powerful government agency that sets the exchange rates for goods and services. These government munchkins are the ones who decide how low you can go with your goods and services if you ever found yourself in a tight spot, and needed other peoples' stuff really fast.
This government entity has decided that no one should be allowed to exchange one hour of their labor in producing skillets, coffee, shoes, or Libertarian blog entries for less than..... 1/2 of one sheep, 1/4 hour of computer programming, two hours of rocket science. Let's pretend like no one can swap one pork roast for less than 12 hours of plowing behind a pair of mules.
Would you ask yourself about the motives about the people who put those rules in place?
Hell yes, you would. You would ask yourself who in Congress was getting paid under the table.
I already know who is getting paid under the table. I can tell by the way they all vote.
Wake up. Please, wake up.
The only stuff that is tradable is/are goods and services.
Yes, I'm aware that someone would come up with something like Bitcoin in a society where there was no money. Yes, I'm aware that in a "barter only" society, for anything to happen, there must be a "double coincidence" where someone at a Coffee Bar wants to purchase some freight services (my current job, and method of making my house payment) in order for me to get a double espresso. This "double coincidence" is unlikely. Therefore, we need something very much like money.
Let's assume that people in this society make stuff, or they work for other people who ensure that stuff is being made.... They trade their labor for stuff. Skillets or fruitstands or cell phones or chicken wings are traded for backpacks and laptops and Ford F-150's and Big Macs.
Let's assume that everyone, in this cash-less society, has some kind of skill or value.
Let's assume that, unlike the totally insane stuff mandated by the Federal Government, the only stuff being made in this imaginary society is stuff that people really do want. (This rules out almost everything that our government produces, BTW. Wars, bureaucrats, congress, Cash-For-Clunkers, tens of millions of welfare babies, prisons for Drug War victims, Homeland Security assholes, military invasions of brown people, bailouts, etc., etc., et.,)
Ok, to my point.... some people in this society make fruitstands. Some make skillets. Some serve beer. Some people can only plow. Some people do computer programming, while a few mow yards. Others are good managers of the resources of others. In this imaginary society, everyone is always trying to match his strengths against what society needs, just in order to improve his own selfish self.
For instance, if we really don't need another person writing Libertarian Blog Entries in this imaginary world, most people are getting out of the Libertarian Blog Entry business, and doing something else....something worthwhile, something profitable. That's what would happen in a world that is free of government interference and subsidies and price supports, right?
But let's assume that, in this world, there is an all-powerful government agency that sets the exchange rates for goods and services. These government munchkins are the ones who decide how low you can go with your goods and services if you ever found yourself in a tight spot, and needed other peoples' stuff really fast.
This government entity has decided that no one should be allowed to exchange one hour of their labor in producing skillets, coffee, shoes, or Libertarian blog entries for less than..... 1/2 of one sheep, 1/4 hour of computer programming, two hours of rocket science. Let's pretend like no one can swap one pork roast for less than 12 hours of plowing behind a pair of mules.
Would you ask yourself about the motives about the people who put those rules in place?
Hell yes, you would. You would ask yourself who in Congress was getting paid under the table.
I already know who is getting paid under the table. I can tell by the way they all vote.
Wake up. Please, wake up.
1 comment:
Most supporters of minimum wage are ignorant, stupid, or both. The others are union members who want to reduce competition. If a guy willing to work for five dollars an hour outperforms a union slacker getting $25 per hour, then union workers will be fired. Bump minimum wage up to $10 an hour and fewer companies will hire newbies, and the unions win.
Post a Comment