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Mats Kaarbö

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Is There a Future for Money?

In our digital age, where banks and even nations fail through reckless monetary spending and policies, it seems that our monetary system is becoming the big elephant in the room, yes even obsolete. Automation replacing humans seems to be one of the fundamental contradiction of capitalism and may be the demise of the system itself leaving the looming possibility of fascism or military dictatorship to arise and flourish if we fail to arrive at any alternatives.

While some believe taking us back to the gold standard will fix things, and others believe that debt forgiveness is the solution, we hear talks about access/resource based economies, where we simply declare all of Earth's resources as the common heritage of mankind and make goods and services available to all without the use of money, credits, barter or any other system of debt or servitude, through technological abundance.

In fact, let's rephrase the question. At what point in the future do you think that our technology will make automated systems possible and allow us to move out of a monetary system?

Topics: cultural evolution education future future technology government money science social change society technology
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  • Suketu Shah

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    Sep 7 2012: Hi Mats,
    you know what i agree with you but i also i think it is more because of politics and power game which all politicians across the world are playing.
    These bunch of people across the world takes a call on how and which way our world should move and which technology should evolve and run in this world.
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      Mats Kaarbö 10+

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      Sep 8 2012: Hi Suketu,

      I feel its merely an educational and design issue. People are born in to this seemingly "scarce" society and it is the price/profit system that perpetuate the kinda behaviors we see daily. If you change the environment, however, and teach people about whats sustainable, I believe their values and behavior change with it. In this society that is perpetuating competition it is hard to get people to think about collaboration and sharing the goods. However, if we show people the benefits, in "their" language, of a system/society that perpetuate collaboration, sharing of resources and providing the necessities of life to all, I think we can approach such a society much quicker.

      • Suketu Shah

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        Sep 8 2012: Yes , your are right on but there has to be different force that should emerge and reach out to people of every nation showing benefits in their language of sharing of resources and providing the necessities in life.....now which force???? That's the big question......religion,politician,corporates ..... My take on this is they have exploited every human of this planet .....now who else can take this forward and how.....? Education through computer media....?
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          Mats Kaarbö 10+

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          Sep 8 2012: Somebody said to me, if you change the media you change the world. I find very much truth in that. Global awareness and education can be achieved through films, national television programs, video games, apps and other visual and interactive mass mediums where the narrative is about how we can achieve a sustainable world.

          Think about film for a second. How it has impacted your life and how powerful the medium really is. The emotions, the esthetics and the exhilarating plot that drives and moves you on a profound level. This medium alone can be watched all over the world by several hundred millions at once and played back again and again til you get it. It's probably the most genius and important medium of mass communication than anything else.

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