Money Explained

 

“Is making money bad? Would the world be a better place without money, as the young lass hoped (she was so cute—like a puppy explaining brain surgery). Well, without money, we would have to trade for stuff, a solution some protesters put forth as a replacement for our present system. If I wanted a glass of milk, I suppose I could offer you my hat. But you don’t need a hat. You need to pay for your daughter’s braces. I could give you my belt for that milk, but then my pants would fall down. And you still wouldn’t be able to pay for your daughter’s braces (plus, you’d be awestruck). If only there were a symbol of worth—a currency, if you will—that someone could use in exchange for product, that he could save and then spend on something he really needs! It would be so much simpler!

For fun, the next time you have a discussion with your anti-capitalist nephew, offer to “buy” his Che Guevara T-shirt. In exchange, offer something he would not find the least bit appealing (this book, for example). Then after a series of nos, finally offer him a hundred dollars. He will take it. He can now buy another Che shirt, an MP3 of the new Tom Morello acoustic set, and perhaps a veggie, gluten-free burrito. Meanwhile, you can go into the yard and burn the shirt in front of him. That’s the only way to make that shirt worth a hundred dollars.”