"Hatred" of money

[Harry Veeder <aa361@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 30 Sep 1997, S R Larsson wrote:

>
>
> >> S R Larsson:
> >> Empirically,
> >> though, I see little use for a "hatred" scale. If noone hates money, then
> >> why bother about modelling money hatred?
> >
>
> Harry Veeder:
> >Everyone loves people and everyones hates people. Everyone loves money and
> >everyone hates money. Unfortunately our economies are structured so that
> >any hatred we have for money must manifest itself as a hatred for people.
> >Thus we are encouraged to hate people more than we would if we were allowed
> >to hate money.
> >
> >Am I making any sense?
> >
>
> S R Larsson:
> Again, I think there is a great deal of sense in your argument provided it
> remains on the logical level; logic and philosophy are, as we all know,
> purely analytical disciplines with no interest in verifying their
> propositions empirically. However, in a real-world context I think it is
> difficult to give concrete meaning to your claim that people hate people
> because - somehow - they are not allowed to hate money. To me, money hatred
> would have to include:
>
> 1. hatred of liquidity, which certainly would mean that we would hate the
> opportunity to re-make our consumption plans at short notice, as well as
> the opportunity to anticipate contingencies;

The problem is the money system inhibits our opportunity to re-make our
consumption plans at short notice. ( The money system helps to structure or
"plan" the economy.) Because of the rules governing the money system,
some consumption plans can be satisfied while others cannot. So a hatred
of liquidity translates into a hatred of those consumption plans which
can be satisfied.

>
> 2. hatred of wealth, which also speaks against both common sense and other
> logical parts of economic science.
>
> So far I still disagree.

I don't think it necessary that a "hatred of money" of money need imply
a hatred wealth. It is really about the hatred or strong dislike
for some consumption plans which are favoured because of liquidity
preference. I regard (monetary) income to be a form of consumption and is
therefore also one of the possible consumption plans of an individual.

Everyone likes to see their personal consumption plans fufilled in
addition to be able to reject consumption plans which they see as
undesirbale. (eg. prostitution in the most general sense of the word.) In
other words we like to occupy oursleves as we see fit. Unless people are
given the tools to satisfy their own consumption plans, rejection of
undesirable plans or liquidity will gradually become hatred for people.

I know this sounds very fuzzy but I am interested in the construction of
a marketplace for *everyone*, one where producers and consumers are able
to find each other and work out their own terms of exchange with or
without money.

An important tool would be the lawful ability to create money
in situations where an individuals plans serioulsy conflicted with liquidity
preference, ie. the plan to earn money.

Harry Veeder