Food For Thought: What Is Money?

In a world where through cooperation, there would be more than enough for everybody, we are still sold on the concept that a form of authority has the right to own natural resources, and must distribute them around the world in proportional amounts with who possesses more or less pieces of paper.

“It is as if children are playing in a sandbox full of toys. One of them decides that the toys are his, and and then charges the other kids for them to be able to play with them.” – Franco DeNicola

As silly as the previous analogy sounds, this is exactly what we are doing, but in a much grander scale. We take ownership of pieces of land, of resources, of animal life, and even of human beings, and stamp a price on them. Not only aren’t we respecting and taking care of the natural resources we pretend to own, we are also being greedy with them. Only those with the privilege of what is called “financial freedom” are assured of having their needs met, and the more pieces of paper you make, the more luxuries and privileges you are granted!

This may sound perfectly normal to a mind who believes in ownership and the principle of working hard for financial rewards. But is there any wisdom to an economic system where 20% of the population consumes 80% of the earth’s resources, while the other 80% of the population gets by on the remaining 20%?

As much as we have become so used to the concept of money, it only has as much value as our minds can give to pieces of paper and digits on a computer. And this is precisely why society seems to portray it as so vital, and even fashionable, through both the media and education. Yet what is money, once we remove our beliefs about it? Is it the value our mind gives to pieces of paper and digits on a computer? Or is it just that: pieces of paper and digits on a computer? Does it exist to assure freedom and abundance for all of humanity, or is it a system assuring the benefit of the few?

As mentioned earlier, a group of individuals are “owning”, selling and destroying resources that were originally available for all of us to share equally. Is this natural? In fact, this is everything but natural. To the point where non-polluting, revolutionary free energy technologies are being suppressed, all while “revolutionary” anti-wrinkle creams or new promising ways to “save more money” are happily promoted.

(Source: The state of human development, United Nations Human Development Report 1998, Chapter 1, p.37)

“Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.” – Cree indian proverb

These critical observations may lead to many questions as to how our economic system actually works, and for what purpose. Some of us need more intellectual food in order to accept that life does not need to be this way. Therefore, let’s take a quick overview at our economic system. The moment we study how it actually works, it all pieces itself together.

The Federal Reserve

Where does money come from? Most people believe that money is created by the state, and that central banks are owned and controlled by it as well. However, this belief is simply unrevised and inaccurate. Since President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve act in 1913, the federal reserve banking system is no longer a government agency. It actually controls our governments. It is a private corporation that is owned and controlled by the bankers, and is consequently administered for their own gain.

“Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States.” – Sen. Barry Goldwater (Rep. AR)

When the government needs money, it has two ways of obtaining it. One is the taxation of the population, and the other is the borrowing of money from the federal reserve. In truth, the way the federal reserve bankers create money, is by simply writing numbers in their ledger books. They can literally create money out of thin air, and give it in the form of a loan to the borrower, whom is obligated to repay the money with interest.

“When you or I write a check there must be sufficient funds in our account to cover the check, but when the Federal Reserve writes a check there is no bank deposit on which that check is drawn. When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money.” - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Putting It Simply

The interest created out of this debt becomes the bank’s property, and when the amount of money that was loaned out is returned, it is destroyed. Just as they are able to create the money out of thin air, it can be dissolved the moment it is paid back. The bankers are essentially lending fictitious money, cashing in the interest, and then deleting the money.

As for the gold backing of our currency, the federal reserve subtly removed it. To further substantiate this point, in 1928 every Federal Reserve bill carried the notation:”REDEEMABLE IN GOLD ON DEMAND AT THE UNITED STATES TREASURY OR IN GOLD OR LAWFUL MONEY AT ANY FEDERAL RESERVE BANK.”. In 1934, every Federal Reserve bill carried the notation: “THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AND IS REDEEMABLE IN LAWFUL MONEY AT THE UNITED STATES TREASURY OR AT ANY FEDERAL RESERVE BANK.”. And finally, in 2001, each Federal Reserve bill carried the notation: “THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.”

“The biggest doomsday mechanism of all, however, is the Federal Reserve System. It will be recalled that every cent of our money supply – including coins, currency, and checkbook money – came into being for the purpose of being lent to someone. All of those dollars will disappear when the loans are paid back. They will exist only so long as the debt behind them exists.” – G. Edward Griffin; The Creature From Jekyll Island

Such a debt-based economic system can only be supported in a world where the power to the few enslaves the many. It is essentially aimed at benefiting the ones at the top of the hierarchy.

The heavily in-debt poor countries are a great example of how absurd these federal regulations are. Despite the constant repayments, their total debt is perpetually rising. In fact, they give back more in debt repayment than they receive in aid. 11 million children die every year due to conditions of extreme poverty, which is directly linked to their ever increasing debt.

“The history of third world debt is the history of a massive siphoning-off by international finance of the resources of the most deprived peoples. This process is designed to perpetuate itself -thanks to a diabolical mechanism whereby debt replicates itself on an ever greater scale…” – Third World Debt a Continuing Legacy of Colonialism, South Centre, Bulletin 85

Money is nothing but pieces of paper and digits on a computer, it is an illusory concept to which we give value. Yet it is this very illusion that is controlling the lives of over 6 billion human beings. It is this very illusion that makes it “okay” for a form of “authority” to own nature, in-debt the poor, damage our planet and profit from war, all while we ignore such crucial issues simply because we are too busy trying to make more of these pieces of paper.

What is needed is not a change of circumstances, another president, or a new system in which we can remain sheeps following orders. What is needed is a change of consciousness. A change of consciousness that can only happen once we dig within and ask ourselves the most fundamental question. If none of this has to be the way it is, then what is the purpose of life? Who am I? Why am I here?

Existential Questions: www.collective-evolution.com/2012/02/18/existential-questions-answered

Elina