Anarchism and the Gold Standard.

[vivosmith]

I have been thinking about how the broader anarchist movement wants to do away with money and replace it with bartering. Isn't that basically the arguement for the gold standard, minus the monopolistic nature of it? I haven't found any thoughts on the gold standard outside anarcho capitalist circles. Would the idea of abolishing money just mean that the left is more vocal about it, but we intend to reach the same goal of abolishing paper money? Or am I missing something?

[TheRobin]

I have been thinking about how the broader anarchist movement wants to do away with money and replace it with bartering.

 

What makes you think that?This sounds more like an anarcho-socialist (or -primitivst) thing than anarchy as a whole.Plus, money wil always emerge, as it's just so much more convenient and efficient, so you can't "do away" with it anyway (unless via the use of force, which is against anarchistic prinicples (at least in the libertarian sense of the word "anarchy"))

[FreedomPhilosophy]

A barter economy is going to be primitive if it excludes commodity money like pieces of gold or silver. This might work within a commune, but I doubt it will appeal more widely.  If it's the desire is to abolish prommisory notes, then what about verbal promises - I'll buy you a beer tomorrow if I can borrow your car tonight?

 

Proudhons anarchist theory "mutualism" included money as labour notes. In a free society it is fiat currency that will probably be competed out of existence.

[vivosmith]

I was wondering if the barter based anarchism would allow for gold, and what it's thoughts on gold were.

[Alan C.]

Replacing money with barter would result in a collapse of society because barter produces no prices.

 

A gold-based exchange medium is fine, but it doesn't have to be gold.

 

Historically, money tended to emerge based upon marketability, portability, divisibility, desirability, durability, and utility.

[FreedomPhilosophy]

Replacing money with barter would result in a collapse of society because barter produces no prices.

 

 

I don't understand this, commodity money is bartered, whether the commodity be gold or horses. In a primitive society a good spear might be deemed to be worth 3 animal furs - that would constitute a price. Problems occur with such a primitive barter system when prices can't be generated for certain trades. So I would say that it is simply difficult to trade in a barter economy, because prices are only possible for a very limited set of practical trades.

[Alan C.]

You're technically correct that exchanging commodities is barter. However, a denominator is required to coordinate production. If one wishes to build a house then pricing materials and labor in terms of fish, horses, potatoes, cotton, and chickens is unfeasible because of time constraints.

[Daxinth]

The businesses can either set up a counter where you come in and exchange your goods for their in-store currency. Or the surrounding city has developed an e currency that has conversion rates set up.   The hypothetical of what will happen is unknown as when the restraints are removed we could switch to an energy based economy or even one that is based upon something else. 

 

But I believe currencies generally come out of the commodity market, if you've played fallout 3 they use bottle caps.  Other things that we will still have access are commodities like cloth and wood and most of the junk that would normally be dumped would probably end up having people come and pay for it.  I believe that a gold standard could be used if banks manage to switch to a freer market system.

 

Or people could set up currency exchange barter shops where they have a number of different currencies and can make decisions on buying the large variety of things people have.

[dsayers]

People think currency is evil because evil has controlled currencies for so long.

 

Bartering, while necessary, is incredibly inefficient compared to currency. In bartering, if you have A and want B, you have to find somebody that 1) has B, 2) wants A, and 3) values A and B the same as you do.

 

We use tools to accomplish tasks beyond the limitations of our bodies. We use vehicles to travel beyond the limitations of our bodies. We use currency to barter beyond the limitations of our bodies. Civilization would not benefit from doing away with currency any more than we would benefit from doing away with tools and vehicles.