There’s a basic rule in economics: a society can’t consume more than it produces. At least, not indefinitely. Sure, with credit and debt, countries and individuals can stretch beyond their means for a while. But if the global economy functioned like a perfectly balanced ledger, consumption would always have to…
Category: Finance and Economy
Exploring everything financial and alternative finance
The Debt That Binds Us: Obligation and the Fabric of Human Connection
The nature of obligation is such that it precedes us, as light precedes the dawn. Before a child knows how to speak, before she can name herself as an “I,” she is already held in a web of duties, spoken or unspoken. She is fed, clothed, touched, and looked upon,…
Why You Should Rethink Your Doubts About Starting (or Joining) a Time Co-Op
At first glance, a time co-op—where people come together in a community for the purpose of supporting and investing in the well-being of one another—might seem unnecessary or even idealistic. After all, most of us are used to handling things on our own, and the idea of building a mutual-support…
The Future of Community: How Time Co-Ops Can Revitalize Society
In today’s world, where economic uncertainty, job displacement, and social fragmentation are on the rise, it’s time we rethink how communities function. The traditional economic model—one based on monetary transactions and individualistic success—has left many behind. But what if there were a way to harness the power of cooperation without…
Cooperative Networks of Peer Support: More than just an interesting idea
The idea of “cooperative networks of peer support”, championed by the organization called “Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks” represents an incredibly powerful, untapped potential for addressing the economic and social challenges that increasingly characterize modern life. And by leveraging platforms like KommunityKoin.com as a foundational framework, these networks can…
Do You Work or Do You Have a Job?
There is a distinction between having a job and working. The difference may seem subtle at first glance, but it is fundamental. A job is a position assigned within an economic system, a function performed in exchange for money. Work, however, is an act of creation, a process of bringing…
The Cost of Convenience: Reclaiming What We Lost
In the years following the great war, a change swept across our land. Men and women, once masters of their own fates, began to lean on others for the tasks they once held dear. The farmer’s plow rusted in the field; the craftsman’s tools gathered dust. With each passing day,…
Is Retirement Still a Reality or a Relic of the Past?
The idea of retirement, once a cornerstone of the American Dream, now seems like an elusive mirage for many. It was a promise fulfilled for the baby boomer generation—a period of leisure and rest after decades of toil. This ideal was born out of the post-World War II economic boom,…
Entropy: Why is Living Such a Struggle?
The second law of thermodynamics provides an interesting insight into the fabric of existence. Entropy, the measure of disorder or randomness, explains why all systems, including life itself, are engaged in a perpetual struggle against the natural trend toward chaos – or simplicity. This principle reveals why life, at its…
The Concept of Social Currency in the Digital Age
Social currency, at its core, refers to: the intangible value that individuals or groups derive from their relationships, reputation, and interactions within a community. It is the measure of trust, influence, goodwill, and reciprocity that fuels social networks and fosters collaboration. While traditionally unquantifiable, social currency has always been a…