Unrelated Question for Discussion

[Chopper WeeD]

Question: If money could grow on trees, would the government make it illegal to do so?

[jdavia]

Originally posted by Chopper WeeD
Question: If money could grow on trees, would the government make it illegal to do so?
My reasoning is all trees don't grow in different climates. Say in my area in Arizona, I'd say yes. Because that tree may not grow here anyway. Since many laws are nonsense, This one wouldn't have to be enforcd, so why not.

But money does seem to grow on trees when you have plenty.

[DaiWelsh]

They would probably provide tax breaks to people with more than 1000 trees.

[havik]

If money could grow on trees, we wouldn't have any more trees left to know what a tree was.

Havik

[Chopper WeeD]

I would say yes Because what ever they cant get a tax on they seem to be illegal

[khaki]

if money grew on trees... i'd be broke all winter anyway.
k

[jdavia]

Originally posted by khaki
if money grew on trees... i'd be broke all winter anyway.
k
Haven't you heard about the squirrells and the trees? You are supposed to hoard for that time. Shame on you

[khaki]

guilty as charged, jdavia.

Aesop tells of the ant and the grasshopper.
I hate to admit it... but I'm a bit of a 'hopper.

But if i catch what you are suggesting... I should hit-up the squirrels for a loan?

Thanks for the advice (gotta get a hold of one of those evergreen money trees though. That's the long term answer, I think).
k

(thanks for this thread Chopper. I really needed a distraction right now)

[lora_3677]

HA HA, a little off the tree thing here, but khaki triggered a memory.. when Y2K was going on, instead of preparing for the worst with the fanatics, I decided I'd just keep a list of people that were hoarding food and hit them up. ha ha. plus the fact i knew the world wasn't going to end at midnight 12/31/99.

on to the point of discussion.... if money grew on trees, i'd plant an orchard.

with that thought in mind.. if i planted a chinese maple, would i get yen??:D

[jdavia]

I knew that the trees wouldn't fade away, but I wish they would, if all this happens.
So many money trees would be planted that there would be no place for else any of tne things it could buy.
Water resources could dwindle and become as expensive as gold is today.
Cities will be built over the tree tops.
Floating barges will then become a major source to grow trees.
In time there will be so many barges that the waterways will become blocked.
ON and ON ........

The cost of your computer will rise 1000% or more.
Oil will no longer be needed for fuel since other fuels that are too expensive to use today will be considered cheap.
No one will want to work since they can grow their own money, The banks will close, no more loans, Etc.
Hey! what's going on here! Am I dreaming or going crazy.

[khaki]

oh jdavia...
too grim :(

"positive" distraction, p l e a s e.

suddenly sadder...
k

[lora_3677]

'positive'.....
how about... no one has to work, so we can play in forums all day!!!

[khaki]

I think that my boss would say that I play in the forums all day already Lora :rolleyes:
LOL
but... all work and no play makes khaki a dull girl.

sometimes sad... but never dull!...
k

[lora_3677]

khaki that may be true, but even if we do play in forums all day, think of all the knowledge we gain by participating and in return making us better employees!! hee hee.

[khaki]

D'you use that line too Lora? LOL!!!

That's so funny!

Actually my boss is cool... and he knows better (I work from home a lot and I think that he monitors this forum in order to keep tabs on me when I'm not in the office. lol).

I actually learn a lot here (really!) and I have an R&D description to my job title because I learn, test, and apply what I learn here and elsewhere to our specific needs at work.
(of course I also sometimes work until the middle of the night... so it's a fair trade-off for both sides, I guess).

Hey... I just want to say that I'm really glad that you joined the forum. It's nice to have another cool girl in here.
Oh... and guys... you know that I love you too (so don't start pouting. lol).
So jdavia... feeling a bit less fatalistic yet? (you really started to spook me y'know).

Okay... wrap it up khaki...
;) k

[lora_3677]

well... you know... GIRLS RULE!!!!!! ha ha.

actually, I was shocked a few weeks ago to hear a report saying that the IT world is predominently male (which we never would have guessed, DUH!) and that they didn't understand why more young women didn't go into IT. They are starting classes and 'computer clubs' for 'girls only' to promote and encourage them to develop their skills and try to even out the score in the workplace, i guess.

anyway, (i ramble too sometimes, can you tell.. ha ha) i have always loved computers and everything to do with them, but after they pointed out that fact I have really paid more attention and it's right... hmmmmmmm

so... we are among the few and the proud, the female IT'ers. LOL!!!! And, btw... i love the forums and have already received some great advice!!

[jdavia]

I had to tell it that way. The trees that are native here in Arizona all have thorns, and don't grow very high.
Will the money have thorns too?
Yours will be so sweet with that Maple smell and taste. In either case might stick to you like PeterRabit in the Brier patch or being tarred and feathered.

But it would be nice the other way around.

[khaki]

okay... so it's just a matter of time before the "comments" start about girls yakking away on the forum (as if there aren't a whole bunch of guys who do the same exact thing... and I will name names if I have to. LOL) so let me just offer one more thing about something you said:
i ramble too sometimes, can you tell.. ha haLora... I beg you to please ramble at will. I need to either shed or share the reputation that I have for the that "crime" here.
Just because some of these guys fully express themselves and communicate with 1 simple little " :D ". I require about 2 paragraphs for the same thing
:rolleyes: . Plus... if we hide here in the General forum (as Chopper was wise to realize)... we are more likely to be spared the abuse.

Anyway... I love all you guys/girls.
And please please p l e a s e pray for our guys who are in harms way.
I'm so scared sh*tless hearing all of the reports. :(
k

[Chopper WeeD]

WoW, these forums are so cool, you guys are so cool. There are some awesome arguments there. When I'm at a party and its going dull, I'm going to start a debate on the same question and see how that goes.

Besides, its much better than debating on religion which seems to come up at every party.

If the tree was illegal, i would still grow it :D

[jdavia]

Originally posted by khaki

Remember the "Pet Rock" and "Cow Bong", I might sell money-tree seeds. Look at all the attention it'd getting here.

[lora_3677]

It was a very good topic to start. Everyone loves money, whether they are willing to admit it or not (some freaks are out there saying they don't need money to be happy... which could be true, but it helps get whatever you need to be happy. ha ha)

Khaki, Concerning our troops: We are doing great. the reports are scary, but we are doing great!!! I totally support our troops and their leaders. I have several friends and acquaintances that are in the military. It disgusts me to think that people can't lay aside their own feelings for a few weeks/months and remember that what these guys are doing is what has given them the freedom to have their own opinion.
I hopefully won't have to eat my words, but we have the military intelligence and strength to help the Iraqis out of this lifestyle of oppression.
My husband was listening to a report that said most people get about $2 a MONTH to live on and everything else they need (food!! clothing, etc.) that have to depend on their government to supply. We are so spoiled and lucky.
I can look at my own life and see a million things that I consider needs that are really luxuries... like this computer for instance!! along with the cell phone, satellite, auto washer/dryer, dishwasher, car, tons of extra clothes, MAN I AM SPOILED!!!!! :rolleyes:
anyway, I agree with you, girl.. we need to keep them in our prayers and make sure they know that they have our support.

Later y'all, see ya monday
:D

[starrwriter]

Originally posted by Chopper WeeD
Question: If money could grow on trees, would the government make it illegal to do so?

In Hawaii where I live there is a tropical ornamental plant nicknamed a money tree. They're not worth all that much, but the government taxes each tree as an agricultural asset on farms that grow them.

[havik]

Well, there's your answer then. Geez, they need to make money on everything don't they. :D

Havik

[Code One]

If there were money tress they would ALL be mine and ALL of you would hate me for it, Muuuhahahahaha . . .


Code One

[jdavia]

Originally posted by Code One
If there were money tress they would ALL be mine and ALL of you would hate me for it, Muuuhahahahaha . . .
Code One
BANG ... BANG

[Code One]

You missed . . . and hit my money tree, but thats ok I have more . . . more for ME!!!!!!!. . . muhhhhhahahahaha!!!!!!!


Code One

[Code One]

Lora says: Everyone loves money

Well I don't love money Lora because money is the root of all evil. Money is the reason wars are started and funded, money keeps sweat shops open and Al-Qida members learning, it funds education for microbioligists who design viruses like aids and small pox to kill people, money buys drugs and sells them to desperate mothers with starving children, money causes families to fight and brother to kill brother, money designs weapons and tempts nations to use them, money brings upon emotions such as greed and envy, which breeds hate and serial killers. Money pursades mothers to abort their children for the sake of not having enough, money provides children the ability to mutilate them selves with breast implants and nose jobs, money gives phillip and morris a reason to sell their ciggarets and motivates them to add ammonia and other harsh chemicals to make them just as addictive as herion, money starves nations and feeds the fat and prosperous, money turns women and men into con artists who prey on the elderly and steal from the widows, and sick. Money breeds gamblers, pimps, prostetutes, drug dealers, hit men, terroists. Money kills and will always kill when people associate money with love . . . no one should love money or beg for it or pray for it, or want for it. I admit you can not live with out it due to the way society has designed it's self forcing us to want money, to need it to survive or get out, so I will earn my money to drive my car, and to heat my house and to feed my belly and to clothe my back, but I will never love money, not for making me a slave, and not for destroying my Earth, my people, my animals, my trees, not by funding mine and your death and destruction, I can not love my enemy but I can atleast tolerate it. Like I tolerate blah . . . ;)


Code One

P.s. Do you hear what Im saying?

[pyro]

Originally posted by Code One
Well I don't love money Lora because money is the root of all evil.You have a warped view of money. It is not the money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money.

[khaki]

khaki wrote on 03-28-2003 03:56 PM:
too grim :( and now...
way too grim for me :( :(

(well... at least I am now "tolerated". And while I appreciate that you edited-out the comments about me in the other post Code One, could you please not attach my name to "negative" things that have nothing to do with me? You may have some justifiable reasons to think that I am negative, but I am afraid that you are missing the overall picture. I have over 350 postings here... and the great majority of those are very positive and helpful. I can't tell you how much it saddens me that you are now encouraging people to view me as a negative person. I think it's very unfair. P-L-E-A-S-E stop targeting me. :( please)

[lora_3677]

look what you started, chopper. ha ha

code one:
It is written that the love of money is the root of all evil. I can't and won't argue that point.

I do hope to clarify my own viewpoint... I too am 'enslaved' to the need of money to live. I'm not a halfcrazed maniac that will do anything for a buck. At the same time I live in a country (USA), where I do have the chance to succeed and hopefully become more financially secure over time. But, that's not my number one goal in life.

You dwell on the negative aspects of money... such as 'breeding terrorists, pimps, etc' and 'the making of horrible diseases'. However, it is also money that has funded projects to improve our lifestyles and world... such as medicines, technology, and groups of people who devote their lives to help others.

I will concede, the love of money is the root of evil. But I ask you to ponder this... Ultimately, is it the money that is evil or is it the heart of the possessor?

[lora_3677]

Khaki: I don't think you are negative. You've been lots of help and very nice!!

[Tim158]

The heart of the possessor can be evil but money itself cannot be evil because it cannot think. Money can be used for good and evil... but its use depends on who owns it.

I think a more interesting question would be:

What if money did not exist?

[khaki]

Tim wrote: What if money did not exist?y'mean like currently?
It doesn't. Anyone wanna float me a few bucks till payday? (lol)
k

[Tim158]

lol, not exactly

don't ask me - i'm a student.

How much do you pay a year for university in the US? coz in the UK it costs thousands! grrr.

[khaki]

Tim wrote: How much do you pay a year for university in the US?Well.... this is gonna come across as sounding negative (sh*t)... but...

It depends...
If you are an illegal alien... health care and education are free.
If you are a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen of the United States, they both cost more than they should (yes... thousands!).

Negative? ummm.... fact.
(if the facts are negative.... please don't blame the messenger!)
** this thread is trouble for me... I think **

:( k

[Tim158]

I don't blame you Khaki, I blame the government.

*Steering away from a politics debate*

Exactly how does one register to become an illegal alien? you've got me interested.

Just stick a piece of paper in front of me and i'll sign on the dotted line :)

........................

[khaki]

I love my country Tim (warts and all)...
so I'm gonna bow-out of this one, I think.

:rolleyes: k

[lora_3677]

tim: what if money did not exist
Then there would be several happy people and several unhappy people, just like there are now. ha ha.

khaki... as far as the university dues... NO DOUBT!! I went back to school a few years ago and found it quite interesting that since I'm trying to do everything right... full time job, paying taxes, US citizen... that I was required to pay for everything out of my pocket.

And furthermore, one of my very daer friends works full time, lives on her own and has for several yaer, single, no kids... there is also no help for her. but if she quit her job and had a baby, then she could get help... punished for trying to do things right...

It disgusts me when I hear people in some of my classes complain because they didn't get enough sleep because they played on the computer until 3 or 4 am... especially when it comes from someone who is not working, skipping class, and has everything paid for by the government.... can you tell i have the same issue?? ha ha.

i didn't find the comment negative, either. sometimes the truth hurts.

[khaki]

Lora wrote: sometimes the truth hurtsAnd...in the immortal words of Colonel (Jack Nicholson) Jessep (USMC):

You can't handle the truth!
(LOL!)

... however...
my favorite (as the daughter and sister of a family of Marines):

Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?
I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.
You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives.
And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.
You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me there.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way.
Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post.
Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to.

Yeah... I love my country... warts and all.
But those stinkin warts are really annoying - and as good loyal American citizens, we have every right to point them out Lora.
(now I'm fired-up. Darn you Chopper... this is your doing! LOL)

;) k

[lora_3677]

LOL!! oh, khaki, you crack me up!!!

I just found out that one my best friend's husband is being deployed tomorrow for 'destination unkonwn', like we don't know! and i'm very secure in the fact that we have men and women like him that defend us... and i don't need to know by what means. in fact, here lately... i have had a few ideas of my own, while horrible they seem, to solve world issues.

OH YEAH!!! did you all hear the guy last night on michael savage (i know, me listening to that says alot about me... but i had to drive home from class and it was late.. it gets my blood pumping and keep sme awake easier than tunes...) comment on how to make France join the coalition?? The guy actually said 'since romance and lovemaking are associated with France, we should abstain from physical contact with the one's we love until they change their mind'.... that really struck me as STUPID!!!! anyway, this ties in with the money tree because... history has proven that financial situations change minds faster than anything else, whether that be right or wrong i'm not disputing... i don't personally support any of the 'proposed measures', but i don't see how me not having sex will make France feel bad.....

[khaki]

Lora wrote: I just found out that one my best friend's husband is being deployed tomorrowThat... while entirely necessary... is also tragic :( .

People have been noticing (and sometimes commenting on :( ) my current "attitude".
Obviously I am "not quite myself" these days.
I realize that too.
Well... please walk in my shoes... and then judge me if you feel that you need to.

I have been following every possible piece of information surrounding the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
My high school sweetheart (my first real love :) ... and my first of many things ;) ) is attached to that unit.

Every day there are casualties.... deaths, wounded, and missing Marines from that unit.
Only recently some guys bodies were found in a shallow grave... and they have not yet been identified.
I am sick with worry... and it is obviously manifesting itself in my "attitude" at times.

I genuinely apologize for that.
So... if anyone's "tolerance" of me has recently been reduced... at least you know why. That doesn't mean that you have to like me... but maybe you can not like me for reasons other than this :confused: .

Sure... too much information (and many of you could probably care less about it)... but that is my reality right now. And I already feel a terrible sense of anguish for Lora's best friend... because her reality is also about to change dramatically :( .
yikes.

not looking for sympathy... just understanding...
k

;) come home safe baby!!! :)

[lora_3677]

I can totally relate to you Khaki. I know I am guilty at times of putting up a defensive front to hide feelings of anguish and fear. The unknown is the worst!!!

I mentioned my friends husband who deploys tomorrow. I also have a cousin, who is my age(well, 22 days younger.. ha ha, that was always a joke when we were young--that she had to respect her elders, namely ME), who was in Afghanistan earlier on and I'm sure she will be going somewhere soon, she's a MP. Then I have a friend, whom I honestly don't know where he is.. which I feel terrible admitting because I should take time to find out, but with busy lives sometimes the most important things are skipped over.

My friend and her husband has two sons, one is 12, one is 10. He was in the Gulf War, so I think she is dreading going through that again and at the same time trying to be brave for him.

It doesn't matter what you think about this war or about our President or about the cause... we need to pray for the troops and support their families. These men and women are the modern day heroes and watchers of our fate. They deserve our utmost respect and admiration.

I can honestly say that I do know what it's like to go through a time when you don't know where a friend/relative is. I got to the point where I just prayed for the answer, no matter the outcome.

So, Khaki... you have my permission to be irritable and negative with me. However and whatever it takes to help you through this. I will pray your friend is ok and that you hear something soon.

[khaki]

oh my God... was I negative and irritable with you earlier?!!!

Oh no. No, I really wasn't meaning to be. Far from it. I was just using your quote. I wasn't using it against you! That wasn't the point. No, not at all.

ugh. I need a time-out away from the computer.
Can't code for crap, can't write properly.
This "distraction" is becoming destructive.

No no no Lora. I wasn't even thinking anything against you.
When I wrote "you can't handle the truth" it wasn't "you" as in you!
It was "you" as in people who don't get it. I'm sorry. "You" wasn't you. Really. Believe me, please.
k

[web-eagle]

I seem remember reading something about the Continental Congress avoiding taxes on tobacco and alcohol, and just taxing the tea, because they were so sure nobody would mind paying a tax on tea…..

And of course, if the government made it illegal to own a money tree, certain people (who shall forever remain nameless) would make it their calling in life to grow the things, installing “sunshine lamps” in their basements, cross pollinating for better crop yields, and generally spending their entire lives and fortunes to raise the perfect crop of money. Yes, it is insane, isn’t it?!?

(hey, dude, pass me another bill…..)


:cool:

[Chopper WeeD]

Pass the dollar to the left hand side

Wow, This thread has gone on huge and a little stray from the topic. I dont know anyone who has gone to war but I have the upmost confidence in out Allies and support them for our continous freedom and wish them all a safe return.

Everyone in this forum is real nice and I dont get cut down when I ask for help.

khaki, you where a great help and made me confident when I wanted to find a way to place a excel spred sheet into a web-page, althouh i havnt yet joined the dark-side:D

My Friends cut this question down real quick by saying, If money could grow on trees, money would no longer exist and the government will have a new currency.

[Code One]

Always blame the root for the bad fruit. You can not blame the dog for attacking the child but you must blame the man who breed it to attack. Why do you think GOD says you pay for the sins of your father, thats because a bad root sprouts a bad flower. Life is full of this and that. Black and white, hot or cold. There is an opposite to everything. The trick is to find the mediator between them. For example
================
Fire

Air

water
================
Air is the mediator between the two. Water puts out fire, while fire evaporate water, the two are equally strong. But what puts out air, nethier. Air controls the balance between them. Air cools the heat of the sun and determines are climate. It can warm us and freeze us, it is both hot and cold.
(For more on this read the Sefer Yetzirah).

Now let us ask our selves what is the mediator between good and evil, it is certainly not money, cuz money can take shape of all three. Could it purhaps be love, no because love is only one sided. certainly it is not hate. What is the mediator between good and evil. How bout . . . knowledge. Purhaps knowledge is the mediator. Knowledge can control our behavior and determine our reactions. Purhaps it is faith in either or. But maybe that still is knowledge. I am not too sure what is the mediator at this time. But I know for sure that money does not bring forth any good forever. Only things which are free can do that. Like love and caring towards people you dont know. I think a smile or a helping hand could never be envyed. How could anyone hate you for loving them? Purhaps we arent quite ready to understand this knowledge. But if I am wrong and we indeed are then let who ever understands read that all of the peace and love that man wants in this world will begin with an understanding of eachother. WE must no longer look at a black man and describe him as black, but only as a man. We can not hate every muslim, and every muslim can not hate every christian. We must not let people who hate the world drive us to kill eachother. The fools are speaking and we are listening. Sadaam is commanding and we are following, death is knocking and we are answering. Peace only whispers but you can hear it if you try.


Code One


P.s. Im sorry if I have made you sad.

[lora_3677]

Khaki: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I am so so so so so sorry!! OMG!! I didn't take what you said personally. not at all, i totally understood the quote. You have never been irrritable or rude or mean or whatever with me.

I was only saying that I can relate to your situation and that I totally understand. That I won't take it personally if you aren't totally chipper and happy all the time, because I know you have alot on your mind.

I probably worded that wrong and I apologize for that. I meant for you to take it that I can relate to what you are going through and that if you are irritable or whatever (which you haven't been!!!) it's cool, it won't change my viewpoint of you at all. So, I was trying to tell you that you can 'be real' and not feel like you have to hide your true feelings and walk on eggshells around me. I hope that clarifies my statement... I'm so sorry that I didn't clearly define what I meant.

[web-eagle]

Code One
I enjoy reading your thoughts. Although I may not agree with you on every item, you are using your brain. You are THINKING, and that’s an awesome thing. There is SO MUCH in your post that I want to respond to. I don’t know which way to go.

Should I do light and humorous?
>There is an opposite to everything.
Really? What’s the opposite of Gravity?

Should I do flaming Conservative?
>Sadaam is commanding and we are following.
I say nuke ‘em ‘till they glow, then siphon the oil out from underneath the glass!!!!!

Nah, I prefer deep and philosophical, much as, I’d say, you do. Let’s see how much we can fit into one post…


On some things there can be no mediator. There’s no balance between sickness and health. Where there is no life, there is death. Where light exists, darkness ceases to exist.

And there can be no peace between Good and Evil. Evil by it’s very natural must seek to eliminate Good. And Good, in order to survive, must vanquish Evil. There are some people who mistake Mercy for Goodness. They believe that Evil shouldn’t perish, that it should somehow be rehabilitated, or educated, or maybe if we just give it food, clothing, and money, it will somehow change into, into, maybe something not quite so Evil.

That’s kind of like saying, we shouldn’t cut out cancerous tissue. After all, the cancer can’t help being cancerous. It’s not cancer’s fault. It was born that way. We should learn to co-exist peacefully with cancer. Right up to the point that it kills us.


“All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” - Edmund Burke


But I submit another thought: that if money didn’t exist, it would be absolutely essential that it be invented. In the past, people have used coins, beads, grain, and even salt as a medium of exchange. And that’s really what’s the key. Money is nothing more than a medium of exchange. It’s simply a way of keeping score. Think about credit cards, online banking, and the even the Internet. Whenever a purchase occurs, some binary digits flip over in some far away computer system, the digital equivalent of sliding beads from one side of an abacus to the other. Nothing is created. Nothing is destroyed. All the creativity as well as the destruction comes by the efforts of people, for whatever reasons motivate them personally.

While it’s true that money is a motivator for many of us (Would you keep working if they didn’t pay you?) it’s not the only motivation. A few hundred years ago, a handful of misguided Christians went on a rampage across Europe and into the Eastern world, killing anyone who refused to “convert” their religion. Now we’re seeing the same type of thing happening in the Muslim religion. It’s a relatively small number of “believers”, but they’re causing a great deal of death, damage, and distress.

What motivates them? They don’t want our money. They don’t want our land. They don’t want to rape our women or enslave our children. They simply want us dead. Because “Allah” has said that infidels must die.


“Dreams, ideas, and plans not only are an escape, they give me purpose, a reason to hang on.” - Steven Patrick Callahan


I appreciate your thoughts about the free things. I wish it was that way in real life. But one of the things I drilled into my own children (moral lecture #318) is that while the best things in life are free, the necessities of life cost money. Food, shelter, even clean water, all cost money. Now, it’s true you could grow your own food, and build your own house. Where would you get the lumber? Ok, let’s say you started years ago and grew your own trees. (We’re assuming, of course, that the land is free.) How would you cut down the trees? Can you make your own axe heads?

But suppose you had a friend who was a whiz at metalworking. While you were growing trees and food, he was busy inventing fire. Then he figured out how to make it even hotter, to the point of molding metal. He can make axe heads for you and your whole family. But why should he? What’s in it for him? Friendship and benevolence will only last for a while without some sort of return.

Suppose you offer to grow food and lumber for him and his family in exchange for his providing you with metal plows and axe heads. He thinks it’s a great idea, and you shake hands. You’ve just made an exchange.

But you need the plows right now, and the crops won’t come in for at least 3 months. Your friend is just going to have to trust you. He gives you three plows, and you give him an IOU. Soon you need metal saws to shape the lumber, and a knife to carve the wood would be nice as well. You friend provides those, and since the first tomatoes are starting to ripen, he takes ten of those as a partial payment.

Now you’re into keeping score. Let’s say ten tomatoes are worth one axe head. You need another twenty tomatoes to pay for the other two axe heads. And if one plow is worth 2 bushels of corn, and a knife is worth two cantaloupes and a cucumber, it gets to be a little tedious (probably much like this post).:o

Finally, your friend says, look, let’s use a counter, something like, like, ok, say we use these little stones as markers. We’ll paint some symbols on them, so we can tell them apart from every other stone, and we’ll use these to keep score. From now on, a tomato is worth two stones, an axe is worth twenty stones, a bushel of corn is worth 25 stones, and a plow is fifty stones. That makes keeping score so much easier.

Soon other people start to notice what the two of you are doing, and they want to join in. One guy has cows, and he wants to trade milk for food. Somebody else has invented glass, and he’s convinced you that your house would be so much better if it had windows in every wall. But he doesn’t need lumber or milk. What he’d really like to have is knowledge about how make those nifty axe heads for himself. And every transaction is tracked and recorded by the number of stones that change hands.

Eventually it occurs to somebody that all these stones are getting heavy. Couldn’t we use something else to keep score with? How about paper? We’ll use a special paper that can’t be duplicated. (Remember that one guy who tried to paint his own stones? That violated our trust, and we drove him out of the village.) And we’ll mark it on the paper that each piece of paper “represents” so many stones. Then we can just swap those pieces of paper, knowing that at any time we can “cash in” the paper for however many stones it represents. (Of course, at this time we won’t discuss how the U.S. Government taking us off the Gold standard means the paper is now completely worthless.)

That pretty much brings us to where we are today. I apologize for making it sound so elementary, but I think sometimes we just need to sit down and reflect on how life isn’t really all that complicated after all.


"A fool and his money are soon parted. I would pay anyone a lot of money to explain that to me." - Homer Simpson


There’s much more in your post that I would love to discuss, but this post is already WAY too long. Perhaps another time.

Best wishes:)


"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." - Guillaume Apollinaire

[khaki]

and yet... I'm the one with the reputation for lengthy posts!

lol ;)

seriously... this has got to set some kind of record.

now armed with the knowledge of how long a post can really get...
:) k

(ummm... so all these painted stones I have are now worthless?! lol)

[Chopper WeeD]

Want to trade khaki?
:D

[Code One]

Think 101:

[quote from Code One]

Logic is only logic once percepted by others as so, till then it is only a point of view . . .

[/qoute from Code One]


I am sorry I am getting tired and my mind is working against me tonight. I am feeling no good right now. Think about what I said above and ponder that in the meantime.


Night

Code One


P.s. Big ups to Webeagle for the compliments. I appreciate a kind word. I will not let your post go unanswered, I can tell the effort you put in them was great and they deserve a follow up, so I got cha buddy. Till then.

CO

[cyberade]

If money grew on trees...the government would allocate me a Californian Redwood and make ladders illegal!:rolleyes:

[AdamGundry]

If money grew on trees...A major company (no names mentioned) would go to court to prove they own the word "trees" and its syllables. ;)

[Robert Wellock]

If money grew on trees than the value of that particular currency will amount to insignificance as the appearance of money would be so abundant that an organic leaf would hold more value than the paper on which the currency grew from. Really my mind needs a greater challenge.

[jdavia]

Easy Come Easy Go
To these people,
trees do grow Money.

I am trying to grow mine