unsystematized barter combined with gifting (which naturally arrises in any community that employs barter) gets the job done if: the area and population are large enough and resource-rich enough, including human capability. A severely diminished and industrially-dependent resource-base is one of our biggest challenges going forward. Often there is a distribution problem such as land availability, based on legacy ownership patterns. Diminished fresh-water resources and blocked rivers are other examples of legacy barriers to future prosperity/survival. However as we must necessarily work with what we have, salvage, local production of food/energy/water/materials and functional trade-capability (mobile traders) & most importantly collectivity education (priority of the common good which includes all our relations) will see us fed/clothed/sheltered/healed/loved/cared-for in mind/body/emotion/spirit.
Charles Eisenstein has a book Sacred Economics which explores this conundrum in depth, offering alternatives. Can be read for free. Just click on “Introduction” “Chapter 1” and so on to read it in English, other languages are available also. You can download the PDF. Or order on Amazon.
Also Distributism as a guiding philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributism There has never been a truly free market and economy there have also been restrictions and rules on what happens. Yes, the dark side of private property and the market system is the concentration of ownership, production and wealth over time. Distributism is a principle to guard against that and yet keep the blessing/freedom side of free enterprise, private property, and the market, a call for the application of love and wisdom. But we are late in the game and the dark side of the market economy has metastasized. Distributism was developed over a hundred years ago and that’s when it needed to be applied. Unfortunately we are headed to a system collapse IMO.
Yes, in the Middle Ages besides the supposed banning of usury, there was discussion of what was a just and fair profit. I can see how a shareholder’s expectation of a dividend or share in the profits would operate as usury, especially as since the usual shareholder of today did not make an initial investment in the business they are receiving dividends from.
unsystematized barter combined with gifting (which naturally arrises in any community that employs barter) gets the job done if: the area and population are large enough and resource-rich enough, including human capability. A severely diminished and industrially-dependent resource-base is one of our biggest challenges going forward. Often there is a distribution problem such as land availability, based on legacy ownership patterns. Diminished fresh-water resources and blocked rivers are other examples of legacy barriers to future prosperity/survival. However as we must necessarily work with what we have, salvage, local production of food/energy/water/materials and functional trade-capability (mobile traders) & most importantly collectivity education (priority of the common good which includes all our relations) will see us fed/clothed/sheltered/healed/loved/cared-for in mind/body/emotion/spirit.
Charles Eisenstein has a book Sacred Economics which explores this conundrum in depth, offering alternatives. Can be read for free. Just click on “Introduction” “Chapter 1” and so on to read it in English, other languages are available also. You can download the PDF. Or order on Amazon.
https://sacred-economics.com/read-online/
Part of the process would be the end of interest (usury) and an alternative money system as described here
https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/money-a-new-beginning-part-1/
https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/money-a-new-beginning-part-2/
Also Distributism as a guiding philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributism There has never been a truly free market and economy there have also been restrictions and rules on what happens. Yes, the dark side of private property and the market system is the concentration of ownership, production and wealth over time. Distributism is a principle to guard against that and yet keep the blessing/freedom side of free enterprise, private property, and the market, a call for the application of love and wisdom. But we are late in the game and the dark side of the market economy has metastasized. Distributism was developed over a hundred years ago and that’s when it needed to be applied. Unfortunately we are headed to a system collapse IMO.
I do believe that "profit" works in the same way as usury, and actually on a larger scale in today's world.
Yes, in the Middle Ages besides the supposed banning of usury, there was discussion of what was a just and fair profit. I can see how a shareholder’s expectation of a dividend or share in the profits would operate as usury, especially as since the usual shareholder of today did not make an initial investment in the business they are receiving dividends from.