When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
- Cree Prophecy
The economy is based on an imaginary entity; it is a currency called money. While it makes sense to have a currency whereby goods and services can be easily exchanged, this modern method of trade allows us to forget that money, in and of itself, is worthless. The quotation above illustrates this notion with absolute clarity.
Modern society is so far removed from a time when one's needs to survive and prosper were met through direct action (the collection of one's own food and shelter). To be clear, I have no desire to turn back the technological clock to a time when societies did not enjoy the benefits of divided labour. But it is helpful to consider the hunter gatherer way of life, if only to allow us to correctly identify what matters.
Going on a camping trip is a great way to briefly escape the economic landscape, and to accurately reflect on what we truly value. I actually tried ice fishing for the first time this past weekend, and in my group of four, we caught three small fish collectively over the course of many hours. Without modern agriculture, and environmental conditions in which it can thrive, we would all be screwed.
