The Prime Mover

Originally money was just a medium to replace barter. It represented hard work pretty much on a one-to-one basis. The blacksmith toiled for a day shoeing horses and received five dollars. The farmer harvested for a day and received five dollars. Each of them could then take their five dollars and go buy whatever they needed, understanding that what they bought would represent in a fair way the fruit of their labor. There was not much opportunity for wealth in those times since a person could only work so much. Over time money has evolved from providing functions of exchange and units of account to taking on a life of its own through clever financial schemes of multiplication. Where there is room for corruption, for someone to cheat, get something for nothing, work the system to their advantage, you can bet somebody will figure out a way. Money provides the perfect vehicle to that end, particularly now that it is nothing more than a stroke on a computer keyboard. Arguably it is a corruption that money can now be accumulated disproportionate to the work used to create it. The monetary world - rather than serving as a measure of work or goods - has become like a gigantic casino. Luck, inheritance, financial markets, working the "system" and graft can amass huge amounts of paper wealth. So too can legitimate business create wealth through the incremental profits permitted in multiplying oneself by contract with vendors, agents and employees. We desire money not only because it permits the necessities and luxuries of life, but also because it can replace work and give us ease. More importantly, money has replaced brute strength as the means to power. Money is like the sword in the stone of King Arthur legend. Once you pull it out of the stone you are imbued with special powers. It's also a Golden Rule - whoever has the gold rules. Because money is a medium of essentially all interactions, it can be thought of as the prime mover. Roads, schools, utilities, environmental protection, social aid, medical care, defense, industry, religion and even close personal and family relationships are affected by money. We are na