[Book] The Wealth of Nature: Economics as If Survival Mattered

[jprussell]

I outlined this post back in December 2021, apparently, but I never got around to handling it. "Luckily" this week I was struck with no idea what to write, so I went looking in my drafts folder in desperation and decided this would work. It's my thoughts on JMG's The Wealth of Nature, which packs an exceptional amount of helpful, smart thinking into a pretty neat package. As always, I'd love to hear what you think.

Comments

[scotlyn]

Also, yes, you are absolutely right that we do live in "a world that has decided to solve all problems with money" and which has also decided to remove from "most of us... the built in non-monetary options our ancestors had."

So, I agree. It is tough to roll all of that back and regain the freedom of one's own ability to trade, serve and thrive, without the pernicious mediation of money.

I certainly have not achieved it!

So, what have I done? I have deliberately set my own business prices extremely low, am very strict about paying the appropriate tax on every penny, as the "dues" to Ceasar for my use of money, I have paid off all loans, I raise some food, I give many gifts, and many gifts find their way back to me, and I am thankful for the ample blessing of enough. These are only beginnings... not accomplishments... but what I hope is to become a little bit contagious in helping other people to be more cognizant of their powers and competences, so that they can swap them in for dependencies upon systems run by strangers.