Money of any kind has no intrinsic value. It is an artificial medium of exchange. It only has value to the extent that someone is willing to give you something for it. Look at how the price of an hour of honest labor or a loaf of bread changes over time, and you cannot help but see that money has no fixed value. It is a belief system.
The foreign exchange rate is no more real than the currencies being exchanged. It is an artifice. However, it did make it possible for a few unscrupulous individuals to make a killing by using US dollars to buy foreign factories and labor to make things overseas for a fraction of the cost in US dollars of making them here. They used the exchange mechanism to get much foreign currency in exchange for few dollars to buy things overseas. They then bypassed the exchange mechanism by shipping the goods here, and sold them at prices local producers could not match, forcing much of our manufacturing to re-locate overseas, while eliminating satisfying productive labor here- i.e., jobs. Thus we became what they euphemistically called a ‘service economy’, where so many people work as servants rather than as producers.
Import duties could have prevented this, but our legislatures somehow didn’t do that.
“Environmentalists” were pleased, because so much smelly smokestack industry moved away. Oh, it still polluted the atmosphere and contributed to climate change, but that was OK, because we didn’t smell it here. An issue of Der Spiegel carried pretty color pictures of a vermilion river in China, but that was not our problem. Of course, if the manufacturing were done here, we could require cleaner methods, but with it done ‘over there’, we could only plead.
The artificial nature of money makes it easy to manipulate.
One word: Can you say “Tulip”? ONCE a tulip was worth a herd of cows. People (average people, even the poorest) would have sold their mother to buy in. What has bitcoin ever done? By comparison, backing by our national apparatus of the dollar and its standardization brought our country forward. Our country stood behind a unified currency and at one point it had to be redeemable for precious metal.
I read somewhere many years ago that, after the Pet Rock craze back in the 70s, you could also buy China Dirt, which was one cubic inch of dirt that was said to be from China. Those two made somebody a bunch of money, so both dirt and rocks seem to have intrinsic value. And let’s not forget potting soil and pumice or gravel to put in flower pots as well as all the other uses for gravel.
The suggestion that dirt has no intrinsic value has got to be the dumbest thing Verne has ever said. Humanity has the capability to reverse the effects of climate change far faster than it ever could produce topsoil.
Lots of things are that way, money, even math. 1+1=2 because we say it does. We have built and entire system and society on something that has no intrinsic proof. Why not 1+1=Orange?
Did you ever buy a load of topsoil? I can scrape the top layer of dirt off my land and sell it to you as topsoil. Now — I have a new layer of dirt to scrape off and sell as top soil.
LookingGlass Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Well, 3500% of nothing is still nothing!! Remember – caveat emptor!!
/SNIRK/
Boots at the Boar Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Real estate is just a lot of dirt, and I’m told that has intrinsic value.
Cheapskate0 almost 4 years ago
I may never be able to look at the Easter Bunny the same way again!
(When I first glanced, I thought this was an Easter Bunny funny coming up)
Flower Girl almost 4 years ago
Money of any kind has no intrinsic value. It is an artificial medium of exchange. It only has value to the extent that someone is willing to give you something for it. Look at how the price of an hour of honest labor or a loaf of bread changes over time, and you cannot help but see that money has no fixed value. It is a belief system.
The foreign exchange rate is no more real than the currencies being exchanged. It is an artifice. However, it did make it possible for a few unscrupulous individuals to make a killing by using US dollars to buy foreign factories and labor to make things overseas for a fraction of the cost in US dollars of making them here. They used the exchange mechanism to get much foreign currency in exchange for few dollars to buy things overseas. They then bypassed the exchange mechanism by shipping the goods here, and sold them at prices local producers could not match, forcing much of our manufacturing to re-locate overseas, while eliminating satisfying productive labor here- i.e., jobs. Thus we became what they euphemistically called a ‘service economy’, where so many people work as servants rather than as producers.
Import duties could have prevented this, but our legislatures somehow didn’t do that.
“Environmentalists” were pleased, because so much smelly smokestack industry moved away. Oh, it still polluted the atmosphere and contributed to climate change, but that was OK, because we didn’t smell it here. An issue of Der Spiegel carried pretty color pictures of a vermilion river in China, but that was not our problem. Of course, if the manufacturing were done here, we could require cleaner methods, but with it done ‘over there’, we could only plead.
The artificial nature of money makes it easy to manipulate.
nosirrom almost 4 years ago
I’m disappointed. I thought it would be dirt cheap.
Doug K almost 4 years ago
If you have the dirt on someone, …
… it could either be worth a lot to someone else …
… or it could put you in danger.
URL almost 4 years ago
One word: Can you say “Tulip”? ONCE a tulip was worth a herd of cows. People (average people, even the poorest) would have sold their mother to buy in. What has bitcoin ever done? By comparison, backing by our national apparatus of the dollar and its standardization brought our country forward. Our country stood behind a unified currency and at one point it had to be redeemable for precious metal.
Breadboard almost 4 years ago
Sounds like a movie plot.
Darryl Heine almost 4 years ago
Even a rabbit bought dirt one month before Easter?
Ellis97 almost 4 years ago
But why buy something that’s already free?
Yakety Sax almost 4 years ago
“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” Mark Twain
“Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff.” Will Rogers
Cedar the squirrel almost 4 years ago
Is it a coincidence that I just watched a Simpson episode about cryptocurrency yesterday?
Purple People Eater almost 4 years ago
I read somewhere many years ago that, after the Pet Rock craze back in the 70s, you could also buy China Dirt, which was one cubic inch of dirt that was said to be from China. Those two made somebody a bunch of money, so both dirt and rocks seem to have intrinsic value. And let’s not forget potting soil and pumice or gravel to put in flower pots as well as all the other uses for gravel.
Andrew Sleeth almost 4 years ago
The suggestion that dirt has no intrinsic value has got to be the dumbest thing Verne has ever said. Humanity has the capability to reverse the effects of climate change far faster than it ever could produce topsoil.
Bruce1253 almost 4 years ago
Lots of things are that way, money, even math. 1+1=2 because we say it does. We have built and entire system and society on something that has no intrinsic proof. Why not 1+1=Orange?
rexhahn Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Where’s George?
Rcwhiting almost 4 years ago
Sounds like those spam calls I get from no name investment brokers about a new energy stock that is primed to go big…
FrannieL Premium Member almost 4 years ago
This strip makes me laugh everyday, including the comments.
KEA almost 4 years ago
There is a global shortage of sand, actually. (too much concrete construction)
Daeder almost 4 years ago
Regular currency has been floating for years.
buflogal! almost 4 years ago
Did you ever buy a load of topsoil? I can scrape the top layer of dirt off my land and sell it to you as topsoil. Now — I have a new layer of dirt to scrape off and sell as top soil.