[sprafa]

You might know more Graeber than I do, but from what I remember his point is only that historically there's been a very wide variety of systems and many of them are far more interesting then the hypotheticals economists have been advancing for ages (fictional barter economies etc.)

I haven't read the he believes any system imaginable can be applied.

Its true many of the examples he gives were for small populations, but the principle of sharing in small tribes was reciprocity. You give something you get something back. The issue with reproducing that in bigger groups is that you can't hold people accountable anymore. But of course, maybe with modern information technology there is a way.

Anyway as I've said on my other comment (and getting back to the topic of discussion) it seems like we both know the data but arrived at different conclusions. I'm not sure how to convince you of anything other than ask you to reconsider. If current trends continue, the cost of global capitalism might end up being democracy itself.

[snrplfth]

When I say "any system imaginable" I mean his tendency to elevate the social/anthropological realities over the other realities: that if we can plausibly believe people could act in a certain way (and there's so many possible ways) then they can make it real in a world of real physical and informational limits. I think he takes it way too far in this sense.

Reciprocity is a perfectly good way to run a small economy. But note - you're still trading, in a significant sense. Accounts of who does what are kept, the relative value of items and acts are considered, and social honor and reputation are valuable goods in themselves (in a "capitalist" system as well.) One does not escape from "markets" or "property" just because some goods are social or symbolic.

I agree we've sort of ended up at different destinations. I'm aware that "global capitalism" is a strange beast - but not really any stranger than anything that's come before. It's sometimes hard, but works okay, and is probably worth keeping around on its own merits.

[sprafa]

It seems like I can't reply to your other comment. Just wanted to thank you for discussion and wish you a nice day.

This was very very good and I appreciate you taking the time to write all that.

Thanks

[snrplfth]

Likewise!