What did we do before we had money?

blankets-on-display, originally uploaded by artist_charleentouchette.

You can get depressed listening to the news.
The economy sucks. Everybody, except the Bank CEO's, is losing money.
The Feds are borrowing and printing trillions of dollars.
The value of the dollar is plummeting.

What if, instead of getting depressed, we question the very basis of the economy and take back control of our lives and futures?

Why is GNP - Gross National Product - the measure of U.S. economic and societal health?
What if, we follow the practice of forward thinking nations and measure our national well-being by assessing our GHQ - Gross Happiness Quotiant?

So the western capitalist economic system collapses, it is an artificial construct anyway, designed to create and perpetuate inequality and exploitation.

Money is an artificial construct too. It isn't worth anything except what people agree it is worth.


What did we do before we had money?

We bartered. We traded. We shared.

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Photo - Pendleton Blankets on display at supermarket in Navajo Nation.
Charleen Touchette 2008

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday today, January 15, 2009.

Today, as wage rages throughout the world and women and children are murdered, Dr. King's unequivocal rejection of war and violence and commitment to non-violent, peaceful resistance must guide us in the ongoing work to Realize the Dream of Peace with Justice worldwide.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

— — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
__________________
There is no path to Peace.
The Path IS Peace.

Only light and love can overcome darkness and hate.
Nurture your light to illuminate the dark.
Only love can drive out hate.

One Earth. One Love.
Peace Now.


__________________
Photo of Martin Luther King III and Dick Gregory at Summit to Realize the Dream. Photo by Charleen Touchette 2008.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday today, January 15, 2009.

Today,as the U.S. wages war around the world in our name, with our tax money, Dr. King's unequivocal opposition to war and violence must guide us to follow his path of peaceful resistance in the ongoing work for peace with justice worldwide.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

— — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
__________________
There is no path to Peace.
The Path IS Peace.

Only light and love can overcome darkness and hate.
Nurture your light to illuminate the dark.
Only love can drive out hate.

One Earth. One Love.
Peace Now.


__________________
Photo of Martin Luther King III and Dick Gregory at Summit to Realize the Dream. Photo by Charleen Touchette 2008.