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

Stories
There will also be stories mat take many forms, from totally real to
quite imaginary. Although they make a point where they appear,
they can also stand-alone.
Invitation
Finally, I would like to thank everyone from almost every country in
the world, who has contributed, knowingly and unknowingly, to my
grand tour of duty in money systems. Each of you has made an
invaluable contribution to this chronicle of new ways of looking at
money. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And, if we are meeting for the first time here or we are old friends
or passing acquaintances, I now invite you to turn the page and
explore the choices that await us all as we prepare for, and trust in, a
deeper grounding to our common wealth.
Part One:
What is Money?
- 'Economics is about money, and that's why it is good.' - Woody Allen
- And money is about ... what?
- 'Money ranks as one of the primary materials with which mankind builds
the architecture of civilisation.' - Lewis Lapham
- 'We invented money and we use it, yet we cannot ... understand its laws
or control its actions. It has a life of its own.' - Lionel Trilling
When we think about money, we tend to take for granted its basic
characteristics, which have remained unchanged for centuries. We
are not likely to visit the hidden assumptions embedded in our