h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Isn't this entry a long way of saying:

Money is a neutral means of exchange, which works as long as those who accept it believe they can exchange it later for something of equal worth?

I'm really not trying to dis this project, or anything about it. I think it's great, and I will do what I can to support it. However, I can find nothing on this page except the above definition of money. [The Emperor's not wearing any clothes!]

What have I missed?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

Hi

Yes, I guess that is all that it does say - but you would not believe () the number of people who think that money IS real.

One thing which interested me though, was when my fingers typed:

"It is almost as if there is only so much belief in the world, and it has to be applied to something which does not exist" as a follow on from "As the reach of money has waxed, our belief in traditional gods - whether they are old men on clouds, or young men with wounds in the wrists and ankles, or green men in the woods - has waned over much the same time period."

I wonder if the failure of religion is causal in the increase in scope of money, and not the other way round.

B

"This entry tries to be entirely neutral about whether money is good or bad."
Well, in my eyes at least, it fails. The effect is subtle, but allthough 99% of the entry is pure fact the remainder adds up to "money is bad".
Example: "What may be a critical factor in evolving beyond money..." Most people believe that money is real, and that evolution always moves towards something better. Both are of course wrong, but still...

Also I think you've missed the obvious reasons for our increased belief in money. Apart from isolated events like Germany in the 1920s, and various 'not one of us' countries in recent years, the appearent solidity of money has only increased. Banks stopped issuing their own notes and, in some countries at least, even your accounts with a failing bank are safe. In addition most of us are moving further and further away from production of real goods. And not only that, but more and more of our expenses are on insubstantial things as well.

Money isn't the only element in society that requires belief from its users, but it's the one with the least reality.