The activists currently demonstrating on Wall Street (and other financial hotspots) are bringing necessary media attention to the abuses of the banking system. They understand that the activities of banks, or banksters are responsible for a global misery and environmental degradation. Indeed the public at large is becoming aware of the role of 'banks' and 'banksters' in an unprecedented, continuous, and immoral (but not illegal) transfer of wealth from the middle classes to the richest one percent. They feel the flipside, the price rises, the job insecurity and government imposed austerity. The see the military aggression, the sluggardly concern for the environment, and the usurpation of the democratic organs by business lobbyists.
However few people understand the basic mechanisms of the economy, who the percevied criminals are or what the leverage points might be. Consequently the occupation's present many vague grievances, and achievable strategies are not forthcoming.
It is my contention that the problem is deeper than even most of the activists realise. Calling for banking reform, political reform, keynsian stimulus, even writing off of debts would all alleviate the problem in the medium term, but will leave the governance process in the same hands and open to the same abuses. These reforms would not amount to a revolution in government, society or consciousness, and would be circumvented in a few years by the same interests.
What the indignants mostly don't understand is how the design of money predicts most all of our present woes, and that real change cannot achieved without replacing the particular monetary model propogated throughout the world by the Bank of England. The USA has several times, with full awareness, understood and rejected that design, and yet as many times it has returned, by cunning and stealth, the last time in 1913 when the Federal Reserve Bank was established.
I propose that efforts be made to bring the attention of activists and public alike to money itself and to educate everyone about the design of money and the inevitable consequences of the commercial debt that passes for money today. This should be done through lectures, workshops, dissemination of books, blogging, art, media-activism etc. However underlying and preceding all of this, an initial currency design is needed. Considering that:
- there are donations of money, food and goodwill coming to Wall St from all over the USA. Under normal circumstances, these would dispensed on some vague 'as needed' basis.
- there is a tremendous amount of voluntary energy which in the conventional economy goes unrecognised, but which creates value none the less. Many people will not want any kind of monetary compensation for their work, but they would like to be at least acknowledged for their contribution. Our money system grafts the respect which is owing to hardworking and generous people into a respect for the wealth which hard work supposedly creates.
- there is a clear and present merchandising opportunity. Souvenir notes can be issued and circulated, but also taken out of circulation as a collectable item. Not spending a note is the same as donating its value to the cause as it leaves room in the economy for another note to be spent into circulation. In fact notes could be sold directly for cash or for activism labour as part of the fundraising / awareness raising.
So how can we design a money-like instrument which will raise raise awareness and maybe (even funds), which will not be too easily compromised and which will not interfere or confuse the value of voluntary efforts? How might we introduce a system which can be used illustratively in comparison with the dollar.
Serious, long-term, monetary, or scalable designs are not necessary; we should concentrate on immediate needs and quick deployment. This money system should have easy circulation, some physical souvenir, the value should be connected to hours or to something arbitrary, but nothing connectable to dollars or priced commodities. They should be issued in a limited way in principle i.e only to those who provide value to the movement.
I propose that an attractive transferable certificate be designed, perhaps though a competition, which recognises that the bearer has supported (or has gifted to someone who supported) the occupation. The certificates would be distributed at a limited rate in the plaza, and passed on to people offering gift support from a distance. Thus the paper would propagate outwards from the occupation flowing against a flow of gifts. Holders need not give it away - they might also hold it as a souvenir, donate it back to the cause, or even attempt to sell it as a collectable. These directions would be clearly communicated on the notes and reinforced in social media. The notes could also be sold by post as a way of raising funds.
Every time the certificates change hands people will be asking - 'what does this piece of paper mean?'. Once they are propagating, the ground is laid to use them as a teaching tool in workshops.
Comments9
Matthew Slater: I propose
Matthew Slater: I propose that a gift in the new currency be distributed along with lunch or in-kind donations If sold they should have a high value against dollars.
"This certificate is an acknowledgement that the bearer has given approximately 1 hour's worth of attention towards restoring social justice to the USA and the world via '#occupywallstreet'.
Jct: No and Yes. Isn't that what I do at my https://facebook.com/john.turmel?sk=info page? When I go protest the banksters in Toronto on Oct 15 2011, I'll register those Hours at my UNILETS timebank account. And I'd bet every protestor there will take mine just as I'd take theirs.
Forget the gift currency, we're way past that. Just get people registering the Hours they're proud of and that's all that counts. Why don't you put up a UNILETS Timebank page to get a best understanding of its potential.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJzonZ9FqQw You've prompted me to go register my 20 Hours spent protesting G20 in Toronto in 2010.
And my 5 years or picketing the Bank of Canada and Parliament every Thursday during the 20% plus interest rate period: 840 Hours. I'd bet you'd say they were hours of protest well spent.
My first thought is that you
My first thought is that you don't say _who_ will issue them. Any attempt to issue them in a centralised way could be interpreted as an effort to centralise the movement - something I bet the powers that be are working on! Hence, I would be wary of any design which is inherently centralised (c.f. USD).
This is not to discount the idea altogether; the OWS meme has been effective at spreading because of its decentralised, make-what-you-will of it nature (although this also means the movement lacks focus). Maybe a decentralised design could be effective? Noting the serious opposition which may be levelled at any such technology which gains traction, decentralized seems like the only sensible way to go.
Member for
16 years 7 monthsI think, Robin that if the
I think, Robin that if the certificates do not claim to have value then the question of issuance is much less important. I've thought about counterfieting, but it's pretty unlikely and any such effort would not damage the certificate systems, or retard it's capacity as an instructive device.
On decentralisation, different certificates could be issued at each occupation - by whoever wants to sit at a table and hand them out. Collect the whole set!
Pangaia World Game. I have
Pangaia World Game.
I have developed a low-tech version of Pangaia (see link above) that (self-) organizes group activity. It just needs a simple bulletin board (tacks, pens, etc) and defines parameters on how interactions occur, affecting note visibility and the relationships between notes while also allowing "Quests" where people can earn credits when they do work in the physical world.
It's fairly simple; some of it's more powerful features will have to wait until a software version is implemented, but I think it's workable if the group(s) involved can handle ambiguity in a creative way.
You can find it on googledocs at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wHBKrTX_U0nukOH77vC96e4tMys8DJ-5V-x…
Perhaps we could collaborate on how the actual currency part (in its physicality) would take form. Anyway, let me know if you're interested.
Cheers,
Marcos
Santa Fe, NM
About counterfeiting: I
About counterfeiting: I remember reading something about the British government counterfeiting some US notes during one of the scuffles for independence.
So, even though most 'good' people within the movement would never do such a dastardly thing, we must be able to protect the validity of the currency if the 1% we are overthrowing attempt to derail us in this way...
On alternate currency design: Here is my humble attempt: http://ShareWiki.org/en/IOTA
hows the occupy money coming
hows the occupy money coming along?
anti-counterfeiting can be handled with security holograms. stickers can be ordered and then applied, or there is a machine in UK that can do uncut sheets for about 20k.
polymer money is interesting, more costly, but much harder to duplicate.
Michael
My first thought is that you
My first thought is that you don't say _who_ will issue them. Any attempt to issue them in a centralised way could be interpreted as an effort to centralise the movement - something I bet the powers that be are working on! Hence, I would be wary of any design which is inherently centralised (c.f. USD).
Protest currency related post
Protest currency related post very nice and more tutorial here.
We can learn more about money protest.
Regards,
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