I understand that totalitarian agriculture and “putting the food under lock and key” must be eliminated to get ourselves out of the overpopulation crunch we’re in now, but I’m wondering if with that would come the elimination of all currency.

You suggest in The Story of B that putting the food behind lock and key was the first step, so it would seem that capitalism was the outgrowth of that. If that were to be eliminated, what would differentiate tribalism from a sort of de-centralized communism?

The things people find easiest to understand seem to be the ones I’ve never said (or even thought). I’ve never said that totalitarian agriculture “must be eliminated,” and putting the food under lock and key has nothing to do with our population crunch (and I’ve never said it must be eliminated either).

Our population problem can’t be solved as long as it’s understood as a problem of increasing food production to feed a growing population; it can only be solved when it’s understood that increasing food production is what CREATES a growing population. HOW it will be solved (once this is understood) is something I have ventured no opinion about.

Food is not under lock and key for badgers or butterflies or barracudas; does their life therefore seem to you “a sort of de-centralized communism”?

ID: 575
posted:
updated: 22 Jun 2002