What is money anyway?

We all use it and we all depend on it and we all talk incessantly about it but which one of us actually understands what it is? We forever make statements like “That’s all very well but who’s going to pay for it?” We are completely consumed by its ‘lob-sided power’.

Money differentiates us. We like that!

And so, we should! Or at least we should in a healthy competitive, sporting sort of a way! Just like colour differentiates white light, money is a good thing. It makes for a more interesting and dare I say it ‘colourful’ way of life and it offers a very practical way of making and keeping promises made to one another. Remember it all started with ‘the barter system‘ and it does say ‘I promise to pay the bearer’ on the face of every note.

But when ‘green’ thinks itself better than ‘red’, then things begin to get ‘a little out of hand‘!

The Irish and UK governments are doing their best to pass COVID19 laws to protect the vulnerable from financial hardship during these unprecedented times. And yet Banks (and others), lodged firmly in the grip of ‘their money gods’ are dragging their heels, refusing to change their ways! The ECB (European Central Bank) is offering loans at ‘almost zero rates’ to banks in Ireland, who are refusing to take them up, according to David MacWilliams of the Irish Times. In fact, they are charging interest as always and not only that, they want to charge interest on COVID19 arrears.

They’re even planning to charge interest on interest!

Maybe they’re waiting for the ECB and government to do more or reassure them more convincingly? No! Unfortunately not true! I’d like to forgive them (that would allow me to feel better) but they seriously need to ‘wake up’! People are going hungry and worse, in case you hadn’t noticed, people are dying! What sort of fools are they? Maybe it’s just plain stupidity? If individuals can’t pay their way who do the banks think will support the economy? Banks in Ireland and the UK are being called upon to give moratoriums on mortgages, credit card payments, interest and loans. What’s stopping them? And remember, these are the same banks we, the people, bailed out 10 years ago after they ‘went down themselves’ on foot of ‘careless skulduggery’ and greed!

For Christ sake, just give the people the money they need. If it must be a loan let it be a one-hundred-year loan, interest-free and be done with it!

Pay your bills and your staff, and let the banks honour your overdraft and let the government cover the banks. Then let international countries, as in the G21, come together to cover the governments – in other words let the people cover individuals, top to bottom! Issue National Emergency Credit Cards (NEC’s) if necessary or instruct the banks to honour overdrafts. Whatever it takes! COVID19 is an exceptional enemy requiring exceptional thinking to defeat it! One-hundred-year interest-free loans will enable us to focus on getting through this. Take a measure of where we all are financially now and then ‘reset the clocks’ when COVID19 is defeated! Make sure everybody is OK, especially the poor and homeless! During wartime, we find the money to pay millions of troops. Where does it come from? From the hearts and willingness of the people is where! We are all the troops now so let’s pay! It’s a no brainer. We can always agree to write the loans off afterwards! We are the masters of our own destiny are we not? It’s up to the government, with the support of the people to empower this! If all countries are doing it, and most are, it will work. The ‘clapping at the doors’ says we can. It says we have more spirit than we have money and its time to put that to work.

It’s time for a new world, not beyond money but ‘beyond its greasy grip’!

And by the way, don’t get me wrong, I love capitalism as in, I love the concept of ‘invest for a return‘ or ‘give and you shall receive’. I believe deeply in man’s natural competitive proclivity. We must compete to survive but we must also know when to ‘stop playing’ and to work together to mutual advantage against a common enemy. Against COVID19! I believe this is such a time, as I’m sure, do you? From what I’ve seen of how people are responding wholeheartedly to this emergency, I believe everybody, is behind this. So, let’s pull together and give one another, no matter who we are or where we are in our economy, including, yes, even the bankers, the support we need, to ‘have the courage to have no courage at all’.

Let’s all, to a man, woman and child, follow the self-less lead of our Hospital Staff and their supporters, everywhere.

Stop the talking and just do what needs to be done. We can take up all conversations, no matter their content when the war is over!

Here’s an example in today’s Irish Times of how conventional thinking will ‘blow a hole in our boat and sink us all‘! We desperately need to work with one another at every level and other governments to embrace a Brave New World! I can understand counting the cost as a number – that makes sense but to allow 500,000 jobs to be lost is ‘a social crime of un-measurable proportions’, not a money issue! People are not numbers and the fall-out, personally and nationally, is not a number!

Think differently!

We did it after the second world war and created a more internationally styled Europe, not totally free of war, but closer to it! We can do the same again now, on an even bigger stage. All we need is the will and the people on ‘the clapping streets’ have given us that.

You don’t need to save the world!

Just do your part. That’s all you can do but that’s enough! Employees talk to your employer about keeping things the same during COVID19. Employers and Self Employed talk to the Tax Man, Bankers and Suppliers. Bankers talk to the government for support. Government talk to other governments and listen to the people. Just do your part and the world will save itself! This is ‘a crazy time for us all‘ for sure, but how we respond will determine whether we fall down a hole to an ‘old worn-out record‘ type of world or rise up through a beautiful portal to ‘a whole new never-heard-of-before‘ world!

See you on the other side!