Greed

[TrustNo1]

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if all money was abolished? No trading systems, no money, no limiting of items, just everyone having what they want, when they want. Sure essentials like food, water, paper from trees would be limited to sustain human life but things like computers, TV, cars, houses, all these things for free. What would it be like? Would humanity take a giant leap forward technologically because research wouldn't be limited by grants? Would we destroy ourselves because weapons would be obtainable by anyone?

Let's all just sit back and think...

[Osiris-RA]

Well...

if people got arrested they couldn't get bailed out for a sum...lots of folks in prison...

hmm...I dunno...could work...i have a feeling there's a loophole somewhere.

[iLemon]

Money is motivation for a lot of people, so without it we might not have technology.
In Geography we did this case study about an island that was isolated from the rest of the world, I cant remember the name of the island but it was around World War 1. The inhabitants didn't know there was a world outside the island so they lived there for all that time. They didn't have any tech, there was no crime, they all worked together for food and other needed supplies (without paying for anything), and they were all happy

[Beal]

Computers, cars, houses, choclate bars all have to be made by someone. If we didn't have to strive for financial gains wouldn't you prefer to do something more meaningful with your life than work in a factory?

I know I certainly wouldn't want to work where I work if I didn't need to money. I'd probably spend my days travelling, others might just want to play video games, some might want to go fishing.

Then with no one left to build our computers or cars, supply would run out. If you didn't have one or yours broke you'd be looking to aquire a new one. Meaning you'd have to trade for it. We'd be forced to use a primitive and inneficient barter system.

So what would the solution be? Have the government make sure everyone has a job? Well sir, then you've crossed the line into Communism!. And history has shown us how well that works

[Three PhDs]

If everything is free, then everything is worthless junk.

[yasureubetcha]

We could abolish money, but we'd never abolish greed. It would always be natural for each person to take what he/she could, and be darned to the other guy.

[Anubis69]

I'm not a communist, but i know some folk who are avid socialists, and some of the things they say are very true. They say socialism is the way forward, cos lets be honest, democracy isn't what it used to be. It's just 2 wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch! In the end, it could well end up with your "No money" society. But it's gotta happen gradualy, not like Russia which went straight from a feudal society to communism.

Money is motivation for a lot of people, so without it we might not have technology

I said that to the above socialists and they said somehting along the lines of that people do what they enjoy. People like to do Rocket Science and work for NASA, which i guess is true, but without the money, the stress might just seem a little pointless.

I have to admit, if there was no money, i probably would travel as well. There's so much of this world i have to see and money is the only thing standing in my way.

[melpomene]

You can abolish money but greed, power, and desire will always exist. If there ever was such a thing as a pure minded innocent society it's not going to happen again. At least not on a wide-spread scale. The very nature of humanity prevents it. Let's face it, man has lost his innocence. We have varying opionions on when that happened. -from the Garden of Eden to the Industrial Revolution- but the fact is, as a whole, there is no innocence left. And purity of heart is like...(and I'm not being crude here. It's not a dirty word) Virginity. When you've lost it, you can't get it back. You can lie to people, lie to yourself, but it's gone. And that's where the human race it right now. Small communes have been able to survive in peace. But the 'peace' often isn't what it's cracked up to be and they all inevitably fail. Some break up naturally, (people leave, marry outside the community, start working for money...) Other's not so naturally (murder/suicides) but they all fail. In fact, money is probably one of the few equalizers we have left. I'm no big fan of the power money brings but at least it brings powers other than brute force into the equation. And socialism isn't removal of money but redistribution of wealth. If people cease to make money, the system fails. I'm a huge fan of trading goods an services, but that's just another kind of money. I seriously doubt that as you see the world people are going to be laying out meals before you and offerring you thier excess bounty. If thiers anything all these years of recorded history has taught us, it's that whether people grow, build, or steal thier living. Whether what they trade has Ceaser's likeness, or Washington's, or can be rode with a saddle. Man never has enough. 'A person' may be generous but 'people' are greedy. And there's never going to be 'enough' to go around. So until we rid ourselves of our very nature. I suggest we keep the money around. Because in my humble opinion, you turn earth into a commune, and your a lot more likely to end up with yet more footage of murder/suicide's than the elusive Utopia.

[Three PhDs]

I have to admit, if there was no money, i probably would travel as well. There's so much of this world i have to see and money is the only thing standing in my way.

How would you travel? Without economics and the exchange of worth, companies like Boeing, Airbus, British Aerospace, American Airlines, United, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa etc etc etc wouldn't be able to exist. Without money and economics, we'd all have to make our own clothes, grow our own food, build our own house...

[Anubis69]

How would you travel? Without economics and the exchange of worth, companies like Boeing, Airbus, British Aerospace, American Airlines, United, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa etc etc etc wouldn't be able to exist. Without money and economics, we'd all have to make our own clothes, grow our own food, build our own house...

The old fashioned way. Cycle, walk i really wouldn't care. Obviously i couldn't reach places like Australia by bike in your no plane company AU!

[Oma Desala]

I will trade you 2 cows for 1 pig, 5 chicken, and some beans?

[MarshAngel]

I don't think you could have a society without money; not as long as you're working with humans as we know them because contrary to the constitution all men aren't created equal, equally conscientious, or even equally deserving. I've wondered about it a lot but I don't see it it working. I think the key is to redefine money and revalue things not get rid of it.

Imagine if instead of money, we got credit for things we did that are considered positive and beneficial to society and individuals as predetermined by a set of rules and voted on by everyone. There would be a cap on how many credits any one person can get and a minimum number of credits everyone must begin with and there would be different kinds of credit that would allow you to get different things. For example cleaning up your neighborhood would win you more credits than simply showing up at work on time.

.. I don't know if this would be better than money but it would certainly be something I'd be interested in seeing in action in an experiment. I'm sure there ar ebig gaping holes but there are big gaping holes in our current system as well.

[blingaway]

Imagine if instead of money, we got credit for things we did that are considered positive and beneficial to society and individuals as predetermined by a set of rules and voted on by everyone. There would be a cap on how many credits any one person can get and a minimum number of credits everyone must begin with and there would be different kinds of credit that would allow you to get different things. For example cleaning up your neighborhood would win you more credits than simply showing up at work on time.

Very interesting idea. I can see a war starting over what constitutes "beneficial to society" tho. As the US stands right now, the right-wing religious conservatives would mobilize their vast and righteous army and force Church-Going onto the list. Which wouldn't be so bad I guess, as long as I'd get equal credit for sitting at home sipping coffee and minding my own business.