Local Currencies - Replacing Scarcity with Trust

Jct: As the financier of Michael Linton's first LETS software in Dbase II, I'm always gratified when I hear of people who made use of the freeware to set up their own interest-free anti-poverty lifeboats.

I was with you until it was mentioned that it was a business. No reason not to start your own though. Great idea.

you should everybody read about Silvio Gesell

Thank you for this reference: I just learned he was the author of "The Natural Economic Order", who suggests "a medium of exchange that does not gain in value from year to year, but rather loses value progressively, so that anyone who has obtained possession of the medium of exchange has no other interest than to exchange it again as soon as possible for the produce of others."

"So we must make money worse as a commodity if we wish to make it better as a medium of exchange."

If people were trully smart enough about 'money' they would realise that they only need to record with a book keeping entry their economic activity they do with oher people, the government cannot tax on a book keeping entry, the absurdity of the income tax would then be revealed. It exists to control and restrict the creation of wealth. Governemnts usually then say that you have to find them the dollars equal to the value of the economic produce, and if you don't they will take what is yours.

Guaranteed, the IRS will shut this down if people are getting paid in local currency and not declaring it as income. The constitution gives the government the right to coin money and they will interpret this to mean that we don't have that right. In Revelation we read about a time when people will be forced to take the mark in order to buy/sell. The only escape is to develop communities based on love/support for one another. They can outlaw local currencies, but they can't outlaw love/charity.

That´s true, you know. I am argentinian, but i know one or two things about economy and law. The thing is, that the US constitution gives ONLY the power to the Treasury to coin money backed in gold or silver. BUT... as it happens today, it is coined by the FED, which is not a govermental institution, but an asociation of private banks. It is unconstitutional that anybody besides the Treasury to coin money. About IRS, maybe you should watch "America:f. freedom to fascism" from A. Russo.

I'm all for it, but he said current banking is "free market". It is NOT! Good grief! If it was, who would use it? What he's doing is free market. He can't "close down" the international bankers, but they can close him down - because their system is based on force and fraud. Alternative systems are voluntary, hence free.

Is it "legal"? Like he said, it depends on how successful it is. Local and state governments need to protect these efforts. A successful currency is revolutionary.

I worked for a barter company here in Florida and the truth is that merchants do not give the same level of service, priority or quality goods to barter transactions. In fact they treat alternative clients with disdain behind the scenes. Cash is still KING!!!!

I worked for a barter company in Florida and the truth is that merchants do not give the same priority, level of service or quality products to barter currency customers. In fact many regard barter transactions with disdain. Cash is King!!!!