Charles Eisenstein, Money and the Crisis of Civilization:
Essentially, for the economy to continue
growing and for the (interest-based) money system to remain viable, more and
more of nature and human relationship must be monetized. For example, thirty
years ago most meals were prepared at home; today some two-thirds are prepared
outside, in restaurants or supermarket delis. A once unpaid function, cooking,
has become a "service". And we are the richer for it. Right?
Another major engine of economic growth
over the last three decades, child care, has also made us richer. We are now
relieved of the burden of caring for our own children. We pay experts instead,
who can do it much more efficiently.
In ancient times entertainment was also
a free, participatory function. Everyone played an instrument, sang,
participated in drama. Even 75 years ago in America, every small town had its
own marching band and baseball team. Now we pay for those services. The economy
has grown. Hooray.
The crisis we are facing today arises from the fact that there is almost no more social, cultural, natural, and spiritual capital left to convert into money. Centuries, millennia of near-continuous money creation has left us so destitute that we have nothing left to sell.
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