September 20, 2011

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    Money is like a slippery monkey that won’t stay in its cage and in bygone days a few persons would set themselves up as merchants. But they were not so very well-respected, in olden times.  My judgment can be confirmed, if you like.

    The matter of the society’s money dealings, in those days, was taken care of by this scattering of merchants.  There were many other persons of the ruling class, doing other things.   

    Merchants were relegated to one particular level. In most cases they were a minor classification of person even though, true, they did have more money.

    But, in capitalism, this money principle is not very well-disciplined, you know. And similar to an ink blot or to a greased monkey, it won’t stay. it won't keep put; it bleeds like an ink blot. The language of money and commercial behavior is just like the behavior itself. It bleeds into all other parts of language to stage a linguistic takeover. Money takes over everything–so powerful.

    At any given time, a large proportion of the population is in debt. What do we do when homeowners default – they just recently did it – on their debts? We pour more money into the system; we simply create money with the stroke of a pen.

    Economists and bankers, in their utter genius, say the best way to solve the problem of too much debt is to create More Of It. What will we all do when, as a result of the additional stimulus or additional funds, the economy starts to recover? We plan to start borrowing – it is all we know how to do.

    We no longer have poets, statesmen or human rights activists – no examples that we respect, anyhow. Instead of such persons, what we look to are just businessmen.

    Money works on society, but can also corrupt society. Businessmen—they are people too—want to know a little deeper level of decency in their own selves. Or maybe they seek to see less corruption and superficiality, as they observe the world they see around them. They seek to deepen their humanity. They throw a little money at the wall for this special purpose—Or, they throw it at art to put on the wall or objects, fine textiles, or—poets. But the money has spread like an inkblot. It has saturated the mind; and language itself swoons.

     Money is like a slippery eel. It won’t stay in its cage. Isn’t it about time that someone really study how is worms and winds its way through history?