Money

[Tsubaki Aoi]

ancient societies created money in order to have a better way to trade and make a profit out of life, the system works as (essentially) a trust system. we place a value in objects coins, bills, amongst other items though history, and expect others to place the same value on them (specially banks), this way we can trade for things we want, in my beliefs (correct me if I'm wrong) money was also created to help us regulate the system and to make our societies better, how is it that such a good idea could have turned into the fuel for most wars, why is it that humans chose to change good ideas to bad actions?  

[Skizio]

Well money is anything we can trade with. You can trade with sheep for instance even today, if you can find anyone willing to accept them. People used salt, gold, silver, etc as money before.

Money isn't a bad thing..but realize that there has always been a significant lower class in any society historically, and the middle class usually consited of artisians or merchants, (save for China were merchants were frowned upon, and for good reason to because of their examination system).

Money doesn't really fuel wars, when you think about it, it's just paper. or just a coin. Nothing valuable. The two main causes of war are either nationalistic intolerance, lack of resources, or desire for glory/wealth.
Plus, money leads to greed corruption, and even worse things.

Overall money is a good thing...it keeps us going. xp  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

but wealth=money and forevermore resources are where money comes from, out of the ability to trade money for said resources. i know money is not bad and that it keeps us going, but why do we use it as a pretext to start conflicts?  

[Skizio]

aoi no mizu

but wealth=money and forevermore resources are where money comes from, out of the ability to trade money for said resources. i know money is not bad and that it keeps us going, but why do we use it as a pretext to start conflicts?

Simple mathematical formula:

Money = Power
Power > Human Rights + Peace + Prosperity  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

sad is it not?  

[the grey seer]

yes very  

[shirofoxes]

Actually, if no one minds, I'll bring up a particularly bad deal with today's money system:

Inflation! *cue Jaws theme*

This is what happens when the general price of necessities goes up--like food, clothing, etc...-- but wages do not. So far as I know, that was pretty impossible back when we traded sheep and blankets. If the demand for something went up, people could adapt. If cows were worth more than sheep, well, then, you'd raise a couple of cows. If blankets were in order, you'd run to your loom and work on a couple.

With money, the more you have, the less it's worth. (this works the same with precious metals and gems-less is more) Germany after WWI is a great example, because the German marks were so worthless people used it as wallpaper and stuffing and things like that.

For those living in the US inflation is getting obvious as well as painful, although wages have improved a little. Think about it, though. About four or five years ago the US dollar was worth almost exactly the same as the euro. Now, the euro is worth twice as much, and not because it's own value increased. US dollars are rapidly dropping their value. So what's to be done?  

[the grey seer]

seems like a cycle  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

funny how we fall into our own traps.  

[the grey seer]

yes it is  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

unlike animals we don't learn, *sigh* shows how smart we are.  

[the grey seer]

when have we ever learned  

[Alonso Quijana]

In the past, hasn't the government been able to curb inflation (and by the government, I mean certain branches of the gov't such as the Treasury or the Fed. Reserve)? If that's the case, why are these things not being done now?  

[Tsubaki Aoi]

i'm guesing because too much money is being spend and borrowed?  

[the grey seer]

maybe