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Defining Money and Productive New revisions Jan. 2008 page 3A and page 5 INTRODUCTION: This article was co-written by two members of Livable Income For Everyone (LIFE). Variations of this article, will eventually be part of a book on Guaranteed Livable Income. It was written based on the fact that economics is taught as a science and not as personal opinion. When you disagree with particular points presented, please counter with other evidence-based information. ------------------Defining Money and Productive--------------------- "[Danny] DeVito's wounded reply is one of the funniest lines [David] Mamet has ever written: "'Everybody needs money! That's why they call it money!'" Very few people in the world live without using money to get the things they need to stay alive; people without livable incomes have decreased health and life expectancy. (Richard Wilkinson, The Impact of Inequality, 2005, Unhealthy Societies, 1996) More people around the world are examining and promoting the concept of guaranteed or basic income for this reason. However, even though more people agree with the concept of guaranteed income, many people worry there is not enough money to implement such an initiative because they believe that money comes from production. For example, in a recent online discussion about guaranteed income, Tim Rourke of Citizen's Income (Toronto, CA) wrote: "A Citizen's Income will be paid in real money, the real currency of the country which is accepted in payment of taxes. It is going to be paid for by taxes, meaning from the actual wealth of the country, its capacity to produce goods." (October 21, 2007) Because people have the idea that money comes from production, and that this is "real" money, as opposed to 'unreal' money issued by governments, it is essential to define and examine the meanings of money and, more importantly, production, since people assert that is where "real" money comes from. When we make this examination we find two choices: that money can be created (as a law) and used for "illth*" activities that are wasteful or destructive (the current situation); or that money can be created (as a law) and used for health activities that are essential, beneficial, and enhance life. What we also find is that the traditional definition of productive is profoundly anti-woman and unscientific. Advocating that the money supply should be based an unscientific definition of productive, only digs us deeper into the same economic rut that ultimately will destroy our environment, our health, and our relationships on all levels. |
