THE FUTURE OF MONEY Bernard A. Lietaer - library.uniteddiversity ...

A California ‘Really Big One’
In comparison with the monetary breakdown, a significant
earthquake in California may appear parochial. It is also one of the
most studied risks around. According to the US Geological Survey
study released in July 1990, there is a 670/0 chance that an earthquake
of magnitude 7.1 or greater (Richter scale) will occur in the San
Francisco Bay Area within 30 years. It may happen today or 20 years
from now.
Consequence of a combination
This example of the 'Really Big One' is used in 'Careful
Communities' not to pile up disaster upon disaster gratuitously, but
to illustrate how - if the monetary breakdown is serious enough
central governments could become quite incapable of dealing with
local breakdowns. People would have to reorganize their lives to be
more local and self-sustaining, and very different forms of
governance - like the ones reflected in this scenario - could become
plausible.
The forces feeding ‘Careful Communities’
The Careful Communities scenario is driven by a collective reaction
of retreating to safety. It makes a priority of the local security and
community concerns that are already evident in today's society.
When money breaks down, all outstanding financial agreements -
such as salaries or rents - become meaningless. Life savings are
wiped away in days, leaving people suddenly exposed to a future
more uncertain than they ever thought possible. In these
circumstances, collective fears and shadows can surge up powerfully.
But in several parts of the world, even more extreme forms of what
is described here have already happened. In Yugoslavia, what started