The book is New Money for a New World, by Bernard Lietaer and Stephen Belgin (2012).  The authors write clearly and concisely about this often complex topic.  They are blunt and direct in describing the need to get beyond the present limitations of our national money system.  This book is a joy to read, also, because of the lucid writing style.

Here are some other recent related titles:

Occupy Money: Creating an Economy Where Everybody Wins, by Margrit Kennedy – this 2012 book is a concise (93 small pages), readable introduction to the same topic.

Rethinking Money: How New Currencies Turn Scarcity into Prosperity, by Bernard Lietaer and Jacqui Dunne, 2013

People Money:  The promise of regional currencies, by Margrit Kennedy, Bernard Lietaer and John Rogers, 2012

Creating Wealth: Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies, by Gwendolyn Hallsmith and Bernard Lietaer, 2011

Most of us recognized that at this time, neither party has pursued our long term reform objectives with consummate zeal.  However, we believed that President Obama and the Democrats in Congress offer far more of a chance for seriously pursuing these goals than Mitt Romney (or any other of the Republican candidates) and the Republicans in Congress, most of whom blindly follow short term business interests, even to the point of denying climate change as a factor in regulating business.  Thus most of us in our group elected to largely suspend our advocacy efforts in the spring of 2012 in favor of getting directly involved in the 2012 campaign.

With the above in mind, we as a group were happy with the President’s win and the gain of Democratic seats in the Senate and the House.  We were also pleased that the immense funding pumped into Super-Pacs by wealthy private and corporate donors did NOT thwart the people’s will in this election!

Now that the election is over, we will get back to our studies and our advocacy efforts, as we have realized that the economic-political reforms needed for social justice and ecological sustainability must not be left in the hands of our elected officials alone – the “powers that be” require the influence of an aroused public which has grown tired of the “status quo” in our country which has become so unjust to many here and around the world and so destructive to our natural environment.

Let us all pray for wisdom and strength to nudge our country in the direction of a holistic way of life.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/22/george-soros-on-the-coming-u-s-class-war.html

I am appreciative of Newsweek’s efforts to conduct such relevant interviews!

What’s wrong with our cultural ethics here? Higher profits, yet workers aren’t sharing in it. Wages and salaries are at a low point as a fraction of gross domestic product.

We need a political change, since the party of NO won’t agree to higher taxes on dividends, capital gains, or corporations which could pay for a massive jobs program for green energy and infrastructure (which would help the entire economy). What does the party of NO care about high unemployment, anyway, as long as their corporate masters are getting richer? They seem indifferent to human suffering and poverty as well.

In my view, linking capitalism directly to state political interests is potentially a very dangerous development, in my mind- it reminds me of the kings using commerce to enhance their own power, which led to wars – trade wars and armed wars. How about a “global-centric” economic development model, adapted to each country’s culture – there would theoretically be no intrinsic conflict of ends. That would suggest one of the social democracy models – that of David Schweickart (After Capitalism) or that of Dr. J.W. Smith (who worked from the theories of Henry George, 19th century economist): http://www.ied.info/ .     It would also bring focusing on the environmental health to the top tier of concerns/aims.

I agree with those governors that starting to balance state (and Federal) budgets is essential – but it is also important to look at increasing revenue by taxing the wealthiest citizens at higher rates, as has been true in earlier decades in our country – instead of just reducing services and negotiating adjusted contracts with state employee unions (and private contractors).  That seems to be a “third rail” in  the Republican Party, which today seems blind to the concept of social and economic justice.  It is good to recall that the first U.S. government effort to “rein in” the excesses of our economic system came from the administration of Republican President Teddy Roosevelt and, I believe, a largely Republican Congress.

The move towards major economic (and political) reform requires input from citizens and from BOTH political parties.   Let BOTH parties move to a focus on national and global justice, instead of being locked into favoring certain interest groups.

Neither of those pieces of legislation directly affect our economic system which needs reform so badly, but even so, those are in my opinion very helpful legislative acts!  Congratulations to President Obama and Congress for their good work.

Merry Christmas to All – And let us all seek further constructive, pro-people and pro-environment changes in public policy and practice in 2011 and thereafter.  And let’s be thankful for the good things which are accomplished, both great and small, which benefit the created order, including the stage upon which we live out our lives together – the Earth and its biosphere.

In the book, he describes the roots of our present difficulties – the flow of wealth upwards from the middle class to the wealthy at the top; the deregulation of the financial industry; the lack of public morality in big business and its belief in profit as a god; the growing investment (and trust) in our giant military machine and its supporting industries; the willingness of the electorate to be moved by catchy slogans and cultural myths rather than informed analysis, and the growing influence of capital wealth on both political parties in varying degrees.  However, Mr. Greider explains that he does NOT wish to engage in mere finger-pointing, only explain what has been happening and where we seem to be going.  And he trusts that, once informed and organized, we the ordinary people CAN bring about system change to rehabilitate our democracy.

In my own opinion, democracy brings great freedom – but it also brings an equal responsibility for “right living” (in both individuals and institutions) and the need to hold our elected representatives responsible for serving in the public interest, instead of the interests of “big business” and the military establishment.  Mr. Greider has published a marvelous book – and considering how heavy the topics can seem, he is optimistic about what we as a people can do.

More later – in time, I’ll post a more detailed summary of the book.  Please “stay tuned” to this website.

He introduces his seven points with this call:  Life or money: that is our choice.  The current Wall Street system serves only money.  Our task is to replace it with a New Economy system that serves life.

1.  Living-Wealth Indicators

The Goal: Replace financial indicators with indicators of human- and natural-systems health as the basis for evaluating economic performance.  We get what we measure, so let’s measure what we want.

2.  Living-Wealth Money System

The Goal: Redesign the money system to direct the flow of money to productive Main Street businesses rather than to Wall Street speculators.  Real resources follow the money, so design the financial system to put the money where it will produce the greatest living-wealth benefit.

3. Shared Prosperity

The Goal: Redistribute income and ownership to achieve a more equitable distribution of power and real wealth (food, shelter, clothing, work – productivity).  We all enjoy greater health, happiness, security, and social solidarity when wealth is equitably shared.

4. Living Enterprises

The Goal: Redefine the purpose of the enterprise from making money to serving community needs, and favor enterprise forms that support this purpose.

5. Real Markets / Real Democracy

The Goal: Free both the market and democracy from corporate domination by breaking up concentrations of economic power, getting big money out of politics, making corporations pay their own way, and reserving Bill of Rights protections for people.

6. Local Living Economies

The Goal: Create a planetary system of coherent, self-reliant local economies that function as dynamic, life-nurturing sub-systems of their local ecosystems.

7. Global Rules

The Goal: Create a system of global rules and institutions that support living-wealth indicators and money systems, shared prosperity, living enterprises, real democracy, and local living economies.

The link to a more complete summary of the above seven points is here:  Proposals for Change-D.Korten

This timely book is very readable and concise, yet gets right to the point.  I recommend it as a foundational work for those who wish to research this area and then advocate for change.  Several in our study-advocacy group have read – or are reading – it.

Here is my more complete presentation document on this excellent, challenging and yet inspiring book:

Right Relationship