[hdhshdhshdjd]

The cash is subject to inflation and poor central banking decisions. To be really safe, let’s just go back to a barter system. Just bring five eggs to the pub and get a pint.

[WorkerBee28474]

That's funny, but more seriously if we look for a solution that:

- Is not subject to inflation or poor central banking decisions

- Does not rot or spoil

- Is a single interchange format that can fulfil the 'double coincidence of wants'

- Has no single point of failure.

Then that currency seem to exist in the forms of gold or crypto.

[czl]

To maintain stable short-term prices, active regulation of currency supply is necessary. Without it, currency value fluctuates with supply and demand, making prices unstable.

In the long term, a small amount of inflation is needed to discourage hoarding. Without it, people might treat currency as an investment, leading to unstable prices like we see with gold and Bitcoin.

Currency should be stable, like standard measures (Kg, Foot) that don't change in the short term. It also functions like a store cart for shopping. If carts become scarce, shopping is difficult. Therefore, there must be an incentive to return the cart for others to use.

Another purpose of currency, albeit controversial, is to manage debt accumulation. Historically, societies faced growing debt and used "debt jubilee" events to reset, which disrupted commerce. Modern societies address this through currency inflation.

If gold or crypto were effective currencies, prices would be advertised in Bitcoin or gold. The fact that they are not suggests they don't serve well in this role.

[neonbrain]

The problem is that gold and crypto are priced in relation to fiat and if fiat ceased to exist, you wouldn't be able to price either. When splitting gold or crypto among fellow citizens (yes, these assets will become shared between everyone), you wouldn't be able to do so without some form of IOU, which effectively would become another form of fiat. It's a catch-22 situation: while fiat exists, gold-bugs and crypto-bros feel smug, when there's no fiat, everyone is suddenly unhappy.

[hdhshdhshdjd]

The spoiling is a feature, it encourages trade and spending. Truly an economic boost you wouldn’t believe.

[goatlover]

And what do I give the power company?

[hdhshdhshdjd]

Ten eggs per power, obviously.

[nicce]

You promise to cut the trees under their power cables on your land

[verandaguy]

What if you rent or own a condo?

What if you don’t own tree cutting equipment?

What if you have a disability that prevents you from cutting trees?

What if your property doesn’t have trees to cut?

[eponeponepon]

It's fine, it's worked for millennia - you simply gather your many belligerent sons, hand them large clubs and send them to batter the power company's director till he gives in.

[dgb23]

Was that ever a thing on a large scale? From reading Debt by Graeber I got a different impression.

[majorbugger]

You're fighting a strawman. Noone is advocating pure cash here, just that the cash should remain an option.

[hdhshdhshdjd]

To be fair, I’m not sure how many straw men will get you a pint at most public houses these days.

I’m only familiar with egg-to-pint exchange ratios, but then again most of my personal liquidity is tied up in a henhouse currently.