The End of Money and the Future of Civilization

by Greco Jr, Thomas H.

• ISBN13: 9781603580786
• ISBN10: 1603580786
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-06-04
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co

Summary

Like the proverbial fish who doesn’t know what water is, we swim in an economy built on money that few of us comprehend, and, most definitely, what we don’t know is hurting us. Very few people realize that the nature of money has changed profoundly over the past three centuries, or—as has been clear with the latest global financial crisis—the extent to which it has become a political instrument used to centralize power, concentrate wealth, and subvert popular government. On top of that, the economic growth imperative inherent in the present global monetary system is a main driver of global warming and other environmental crises. The End of Money and the Future of Civilizationdemystifies the subjects of money, banking, and finance by tracing historical landmarks and important evolutionary shifts that have changed the essential nature of money. Greco’s masterful work lays out the problems and then looks to the future for a next stage in money’s evolution that can liberate us as individuals and communities from the current grip of centralized and politicized money power. Greco provides specific design proposals and exchange-system architectures for local, regional, national, and global financial systems. He offers strategies for their implementation and outlines actions grassroots organizations, businesses, and governments will need to take to achieve success. Ultimately,The End of Money and the Future of Civilizationprovides the necessary understanding— for entrepreneurs, activists, and civic leaders—to implement approaches toward monetary liberation. These approaches would empower communities, preserve democratic institutions, and begin to build economies that are sustainable, democratic, and insulated from the financial crises that plague the dominant monetary system.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Illustrations	p. ix
My Purpose and My Journey	p. 1
Mega-Crisis and Metamorphosis-Can Civilization Be Saved?	p. 11
The Contest for Rulership-Two Opposing Philosophies	p. 20
Central Banking and the Rise of the Money Power	p. 29
The New World Order	p. 41
Usury and the Engine of Destruction	p. 49
The Nature and Cause of Inflation	p. 61
The Separation of Money and State	p. 76
The Evolution of Money-From Commodity Money to Credit Money	p. 87
The Third Evolutionary Stage-The Emergence of Credit Clearing	p. 101
Solving the Money Problem	p. 109
Credit Clearing, the "UnMoney"	p. 124
The State of the Alternative Exchange Movement	p. 137
How Complementary Currencies Succeed or Fail	p. 144
Commercial Trade Exchanges-Their Present Limitations and Potential Future	p. 160
A Regional Economic Development Plan Based on Credit Clearing	p. 171
The Next Big Thing in Business: A Complete Web-based Trading Platform	p. 179
Organizational Forms and Structures for Local Self-Determination and Complementary Exchange	p. 190
The Role of Governments in Establishing Economic and Financial Stability	p. 205
Exchange, Finance, and the Store of Value	p. 214
Epilogue	p. 228
Acknowledgments	p. 232
Appendix A: A Model Membership Agreement for a Credit Clearing Service	p. 233
Appendix B: An Objective Composite Standard Measure of Value	p. 244
Notes	p. 248
References	p. 257
Index	p. 261
About the Author	p. 269
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