Comments on: The US Dollar is proof that Americans are Stupid http://spin-onehalf.com/2009/08/the-us-dollar-is-proof-that-americans-are-stupid/ Science, technology and media commentary for people who like to know things. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:41:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Eric http://spin-onehalf.com/2009/08/the-us-dollar-is-proof-that-americans-are-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-200 Eric Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:36:12 +0000 http://spin-onehalf.com/?p=430#comment-200 I've envisioned a world without currency. Think of the ideal relationship model: If everyone gives, no one will be left wanting. Industry was the beginning of a very big mistake for humanity, I think. Most modern technology is as useless as our currency, unless, at least, you value the kinds of discoveries mankind has made in this age, including setting foot on the Moon and aiming now to go even farther. Those things are truly extraordinary, though of course they benefit the layman very little. Life today is immensely different in many ways than it was before the industrial revolution, but I don't think it could be called better - just different. We could live a life of producing food and goods for ourselves and others, however. Perhaps it's even possible to have high technology, even in the modern sense, without the mess of industry and global economics we have today. I think those things just grew up parallel to the benefits, the growth in knowledge and science. Perhaps we could drop currency and consumerism like rocket stages, allowing us to move forward with modern technology and other knowledge, but also with a return to a richer life of personal achievement. Well, I don't know. I’ve envisioned a world without currency. Think of the ideal relationship model: If everyone gives, no one will be left wanting. Industry was the beginning of a very big mistake for humanity, I think. Most modern technology is as useless as our currency, unless, at least, you value the kinds of discoveries mankind has made in this age, including setting foot on the Moon and aiming now to go even farther. Those things are truly extraordinary, though of course they benefit the layman very little. Life today is immensely different in many ways than it was before the industrial revolution, but I don’t think it could be called better – just different.

We could live a life of producing food and goods for ourselves and others, however. Perhaps it’s even possible to have high technology, even in the modern sense, without the mess of industry and global economics we have today. I think those things just grew up parallel to the benefits, the growth in knowledge and science. Perhaps we could drop currency and consumerism like rocket stages, allowing us to move forward with modern technology and other knowledge, but also with a return to a richer life of personal achievement.

Well, I don’t know.

]]> By: Josh. F. http://spin-onehalf.com/2009/08/the-us-dollar-is-proof-that-americans-are-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Josh. F. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:31:06 +0000 http://spin-onehalf.com/?p=430#comment-168 I would never say you're stupid, not to your face anyways. I would never say you’re stupid, not to your face anyways.

]]> By: DrKuha http://spin-onehalf.com/2009/08/the-us-dollar-is-proof-that-americans-are-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-162 DrKuha Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:25:50 +0000 http://spin-onehalf.com/?p=430#comment-162 I hear what you're saying, but isn't it sometimes just easier to assume that everyone is stupid? Myself, perhaps, included? I hear what you’re saying, but isn’t it sometimes just easier to assume that everyone is stupid? Myself, perhaps, included?

]]> By: Josh F. http://spin-onehalf.com/2009/08/the-us-dollar-is-proof-that-americans-are-stupid/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Josh F. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:25:07 +0000 http://spin-onehalf.com/?p=430#comment-161 It makes a certain kind of absurd sense. The majority of purchases we buy have no real intrinsic value to them. An Ipod doesn't enhance your life, it simply is a creature comfort. If you're hungry your Ipod won't help you get food. Your lap top doesn"t double as a hot plate to cook, or a hatchet to kill (although that would be cool if it did). Our food and clothing of course is an exception to that rule, but when you really think about the food and clothing that you buy, there is no real value there either. The food is often devoid of the type of nutritional value that you would get if you say, killed your own livestock or grew your own vegetables. There is no personal investment in a shirt that you buy from a department store. It's empty and meaningless. To the buyer, it's just another department store shirt, and can and will be replaced as soon as its "perceived" value is gone (i.e., it gets a hole in it, or you grow out of it, etc...). If you made your own clothes, each shirt and pair of pants would be a major achievement. You would feel personally invested in each thing that you made. If a shirt you made got a hole in it, you'd fix it, you wouldn't throw it away, or worse, put it in your closet and stop wearing it because you've bought five shirts since you got that one. The simple truth is that the majority of American's are not stupid, they are devoid of content. It's like walking around a room filled with awesome looking plasma screen televsions, but each one of them is only producing static. Reall pretty, but no content. We trade peices of meaningless empty paper for meaningless empty comodities. It makes a certain kind of absurd sense. The majority of purchases we buy have no real intrinsic value to them. An Ipod doesn’t enhance your life, it simply is a creature comfort. If you’re hungry your Ipod won’t help you get food. Your lap top doesn”t double as a hot plate to cook, or a hatchet to kill (although that would be cool if it did). Our food and clothing of course is an exception to that rule, but when you really think about the food and clothing that you buy, there is no real value there either. The food is often devoid of the type of nutritional value that you would get if you say, killed your own livestock or grew your own vegetables. There is no personal investment in a shirt that you buy from a department store. It’s empty and meaningless. To the buyer, it’s just another department store shirt, and can and will be replaced as soon as its “perceived” value is gone (i.e., it gets a hole in it, or you grow out of it, etc…).
If you made your own clothes, each shirt and pair of pants would be a major achievement. You would feel personally invested in each thing that you made. If a shirt you made got a hole in it, you’d fix it, you wouldn’t throw it away, or worse, put it in your closet and stop wearing it because you’ve bought five shirts since you got that one.
The simple truth is that the majority of American’s are not stupid, they are devoid of content. It’s like walking around a room filled with awesome looking plasma screen televsions, but each one of them is only producing static. Reall pretty, but no content. We trade peices of meaningless empty paper for meaningless empty comodities.

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