Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

Bones Beneath Flesh 55giving—unlike barter—offers little opportunity to use anoffer of benefits to obtain a specified benefit in exchange.The first step in solving the double-coincidence obstructionto coordination is a fourth rule or custom.4. Some object of value that everyone is pleased to haveenters into exchanges. Whether seashells, gold, or paper certificates,it is money. With money, the need for coincidencedrops from two to only one—the second coincidence is nolonger necessary. Although you still have to find someonewho can offer you what you want, you do not now have tofind one who wants a particular service or object that youcan offer, for you offer not a particular service or object butthe universally desired object. To induce a carpenter ormetalworker to help with your house, you do not have tofind those who want your performance or objects. Any carpenteror hardware supplier will accept money as a sufficientinducement to give you the help you want5. With the use of money comes a shift of participants’activities from household use to performances and objectsfor sale. Instead of persisting in traditional household effortstogether with peripheral barter or sales of surpluses,participants now let sales opportunities determine whatthey do. You decide not to build a house but instead lookfor a line of activity that will increase or maximize yourmoney income. Then you use the money income for variouspurposes, including buying a house.The shift to production for sale now eliminates the needfor the first coincidence, which is that each person findsothers who have what he or she is willing to buy. Can onefind such others? With activity now aimed at sales, thesociety is full of people motivated to anticipate and satisfymy desires by offering whatever I stand ready to buy.