Money is one of the most powerful tools for enabling cooperation ever devised, perhaps only rivaled by spoken and written language.
Like all tools, mass cooperation through money is a double edged sword. It's behind every war, every genocide, every enslavement. It's also behind every medical treatment, every piece of food in the grocery store, every act of emergency aid.
Without money, yes, we wouldn't have large scale devastation and consciously inflicted suffering. But we would also all still be living in huts and caves regularly dying of dysentery and starvation and would be lucky to see 2-3 of our 12 children make it to adulthood.
> It's behind every war, every genocide, every enslavement.
There are examples of war and enslavement that pre-date minted currency. Non-barter forms of exchange probably allowed for a specialist warrior class to develop though.
123pie123|3 years ago
zamnos|3 years ago
maxbond|3 years ago
https://youtu.be/XCSOsFe42P8?t=95
smabie|3 years ago
anonporridge|3 years ago
Like all tools, mass cooperation through money is a double edged sword. It's behind every war, every genocide, every enslavement. It's also behind every medical treatment, every piece of food in the grocery store, every act of emergency aid.
Without money, yes, we wouldn't have large scale devastation and consciously inflicted suffering. But we would also all still be living in huts and caves regularly dying of dysentery and starvation and would be lucky to see 2-3 of our 12 children make it to adulthood.
mr_toad|3 years ago
There are examples of war and enslavement that pre-date minted currency. Non-barter forms of exchange probably allowed for a specialist warrior class to develop though.