24 Nov 2011
Watch as Dave Birch argues that the financial crisis and technological innovation means it is time to rethink our approach to money.
Chaired by Diane Coyle, economist.
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Chaired by Diane Coyle, economist.
Listen to the full event on the audio file.
Download the video (mp4)
Watch Dave Birch on our YouTube Channel
Watch Dave Birch on our Vimeo Channel
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Daniel James - 16 Feb 2012 1:12pm
The only valid purpose for a Company is to satisfy: Human Desires, Employment and Society. Consequently, it could be somewhat bemusing why this is complicated by our education and business training, and not implicit in the objective for investors and company management. Today’s media-hyped doctrine suggests that everyone can be an entrepreneur, make quick money on money, innovate yet another pointless vent for peoples’ private lives (freely giving-up to the state personal biometrics they have sought for years), and be scaled to global dominance through Social Networks (otherwise known as direct advertising platforms to perpetuate consumption, and more insidiously, next generation cyber-warfare for social incitement to dispose Nation States unwilling to comply with the “central policy” of the monopolistic corporate entities). This would question the reality the above stated purpose of a Company; arguing that business is centred on the need to expand the market, communicate, pay taxes, and above-all make money to provide ever higher returns to shareholders irrespective if a by-product sustains the Company or not. However, perhaps the reason for the disparity and constant demand for unsustainable growth is rather more simplistic. In fact Private Equity Firms and Banks do not exist to play a positive part in sustaining Companies or, more worryingly, society. Rather their objective is in fact exclusively self-fulfilling and parasitic; pursuing the sole task of spawning new ways to further increase the money supply by infecting sound host Companies with debt; debt that is then used to launder their “printed” money and pay out their excessive gains in “Dividends”. Were investors seeking to support the purpose of Companies there would not be a Financial Market or Commodity Trading Market, with their make-believe financial instruments of debt, “value” index ratings or private equity. Obviously, there would be a Business in trading commodities, goods and services but this would be solely founded on meeting genuine demand; exchanging only those commodities and providing financing that is necessary to satisfy exact needs, social stability and ensure people are effectively employed in a purpose that at least in part fulfils their desires and ambitions. The continued quest for growth and maintenance of an un-necessarily complicated Global Trading environment may be argued to create employment and maintain stability in the social order. This is plausible but human endeavour is not motivated by the uncertainty of complexity and therefore it does not prove to be positive. In fact the only result is to cause an increase in disparity in the social fabric. This is not to say that there should be equality. Society is not equal. People are not equal. Their respective culture is not equal. There is no reason or history that can show our society can be equal. We, as primates, are no more egalitarian and equal than a tribe of baboons. The belief that education of the masses liberates a stable culture is even more of a misconception: Education, particularly in the western world, creates desire without understanding. It has been constructed not to educate but to create workers for an employment that could never sustain localised provision in a global trading environment. The curriculum is founded on indoctrination that provides scant information on the study of the humanities and science rather they instil a self-bowdlerization of knowledge. The experiment is working. Society is becoming evermore unquestioning and self-policing where the populace demands regulation and surveillance from unelected bureaucratic governance. Recent events in Europe demonstrate how far advanced the plan for centralisation of power and disenfranchisement has extended in what is declared to be a liberal-democracy. How governance of the Nation State has been appropriated is obvious yet it remains unchallenged. How many Nation States need to be taken over by the Global Monetary Complex before, as history gives evidence to, the population finally rises to take back control on their right to self-determination and ability to fulfil their basic desires? One could note that a critical element in the argument is missing; that of religion. It is true that religion plays a principal role in defining culture, and in undermining society. Religion is the root of bigotry and conflict. It is born of ignorance and intolerance but also a basic human condition; an enslavement to the need for direction from a higher authority. Any knowledge of history, of science, mathematics and language negates any basis for religious belief. For that is what religion is, a belief. There can be no factual rationale for any of the so called teaching. Society needs order, and a common culture is the foundation of stability. But religion has been used to provide the tools for the manipulation of the ignorant and disaffected into fanaticism or extreme activists, pawns used to destabilise society in a quest power for a few rather than the benefit of individuals. In reality, religion was the first of today’s franchises in selling the Icon of personality, celebrity, and Brand; the image for the population to follow. Money has evolved from being a tool of religion to become The Religion in itself, and the means to achieve the prime objective; Overriding Power for the Global Monetary Complex. The local ecosystem of the village and town of the past were the basis for sustainable social wellbeing. The business community centred on these communities served only the people of the local community rather than financiers. The pursuit for constant growth in dominance of Money needs constant expansion beyond the confines of the local market, and so promoted the global market. This enabled an ever increasing ability to create debt, money from money and continued the associated printing of money by the Central “Private” Banks. The alternative of a direct exchange of favour between the people and the Company purpose was finally defeated. The now fading belief in the broader human values were once, perhaps, thought to rest in religion and for reasons that were somewhat better than merely a lust for infamy or partisanship. This is no longer the basis for our society. The Global Monetary Complex has won over the doubters, selling to the base instinct of individualism and selfishness. However, this is merely a transition before total disenfranchisement under a single state run for and by the Global Monetary Complex. Forget Money; it is not the Euro or the Dollar we should save: The option is a return to a sustainable trading ecosystem with society founded at the local level. You Chose: Totalitarian Technocracy or Local Responsibility