That dirty five letter word: MONEY

[The Effen Gee]

Am I alone?

I hate the idea of Money and Profit. Always have, even when I was a kid I never felt right about this whole monitary thingy we all use...and for some reason never question.

I feel almost like a slave to it. I don't like feeling like a slave.

I am not in the military anymore.

Money forces me to live (by society's standards) a "Questionable" life and gain PROFIT from a market that is semi-illegal.

Geesh...

I just refuse to be a wage slave. Period.

I am not judging people who have job's, not even for Wal*Mart or the IRS. I just don't want to spend my life working for someone else, I just want to do what I do and be happy and healthy...

But for some reason, in a society where freedom is crammed down your throat 24/7 I just can't help but feel like I am a slave to money.

Then when I take a look around me, it seems like EVERYONE is investing their entire lives for profit or personal gain...in a materialistic sense.

ESPECIALLY WHERE I LIVE. THE ATTITUDE IS SICKENING. GET WHAT YOU CAN, HOWEVER POSSIBLE. SCREW THE OTHER GUY.

Everyone is rich here, IT central. I live three miles from where the CPU for your computer was made. I can go two blocks from my house and go look at new Bentley's...and the D****'s who sell them. I mean MONEY. Highest concentration of milionares who think they are the only people in the world who deserve...stuff. I see a minimum of twenty BMW's in a day.

Do any of "them" look happy?

NOPE.

I see more smiles on homeless people who spend their change on booze.

Am I happy?

Almost. I do something I like to make money I hate to get things to survive.

If I had no money, I would die....Is that freedom? REALLY?
...because it sure does not feel like it to me.

But hell....what do I know?

I'm just some guy, who "Needs to stop worrying about the other guy"...or whatever.

 

[THCPezDispenser]

Ok fair enough. You did a lot of talking about the problem, now what is the solution? How do you propose that the goods and services we all use move around efficently without a monetary system to anchor it? Is it perfect? No. But there is no uptopia, human nature will always prevent that.

IMHO a world without money would be no better. What you are despising is greed which is human nature, not a product of the monetary system. Taking away money won't take that away, it will creep into any new system as well through the ingenuity of the participants.

 

[SmokinMom]

I feel ya.

My state is a little different then California but we still have the wealthy, materialistic ones. You know why they aren't happy right? They are in debt up to their eyeballs.

 

[Mutt]

Money is something man made up so the people that didn't have the desire or energy to become self sufficent. ow we are totally dependant on it. even if 100% self sufficent off the land you have to pay taxes

many yrs ago there was a book written (5 acres and independance) It was how to completely depend on the 5 acres to provide you with what you needed to live. I'm really into that kind of stuff.

We went thousands of yrs or more without the need or use of money. its a by product of creating equality in a trade system....like the old kids story. dude catches a fish trades it for a pie so he can go over to the blacksmith to trade the pie for more hooks or sumthin yrs since i heard it.

but growing weed shoulda never been for profit. the profiteers on MJ are a direct result of the prohibition. if 100% decrimd it would be almost worthless except to those that use it...but then the need for lights fans and stuff would be gone...could grow for free in your backyard.

There are people in this country that are 100% self sufficient and don't need money except for what is required taxes. its a hard life but can be done. and when acheived its a matter of filing your tax paper work becuase you have nothing to tax except land tax which would be waved due to be 100% self sufficent. just gotta learn how to do it

you wanna get on a good track with the concept google "off-grid living" or "self sufficient living"

 

[NorCalHal]

What r u going to do man? I felt the same way for a long time.

Great story.

I am a slave to my Chevy. I treat her well. I am a member of a car wash and pay $42 a month for unlimited washes. Good deal considering a Car Wash is $19 for one. I go probably once or twice a week depending.
But thats not the story.

I go in the morning. Right when they open. There are 20 Business men who meet there also and get thier 'Benz and Beamers washed, along with the Bentley guys. All wearing suits. All talking business. All bragging about one thing or another, a trip they took or are going to take, an expensive addition to thier homes. It is sick.

They look at me and judge me. I overhear snide comments.. I see it all the time. I sit by myself, all tatted up and driving a pick up. Stoned silly. Eating a fat breakfast.


But what they don't know is the stacks I have. Money in the Bank. All my stuff paid for. I have ran 2 succesful businesses and was a Project Manager for a HUGE company. But yet, I wear Levi's and white t shirts. Or the occasional NORML shirt.

It's not about the money, it's how you handle yourself. imho. I go to nice Restaurants with my Lady and folks just trip. I am labled an outcast instantly.

Does it bother me? Hell no. It's quite amusing. They look at me and think I'm a bum.

But, with that said, you also find REAL, unbiased folks. I have met some cool people that u knew were FAT rich and still conversed with me and were genuine. Those folks is what keeps my faith in Humanity.



The best option Gee is to Stack yourself and reley on u. Don't lose yourself in "keeping up with the Jones's". That happens alot when folks come into cash.

I hope I made sense here, I'm really stoned

 

[Puffin Afatty]

I dont work for a paycheck anymore, but I did it for 22 yrs for the same company and I know that feeling of working just for the paycheck Dont get Me wrong, I got paid way too much for what I was doing and I loved that job

That said, it is easy for Me, at 60 yrs old to say, turn on, tune in, drop out :rofl: get off the grid, go completely self sufficient like Me, However, it just aint practical for the majority of Ya'aall, and I aint quite sure there really is enuf room UP here to go around :aok:

 

[ArtVandolay]

Actually, it's money that provides you with what little freedom you (we) have. The alternative is dependence.

This has been a public service announcement. Please return to your regularly scheduled activity.

 

[homegrown998]

That is how I would like to live, save up enough money to buy a large piece of land and just live in piece. Hunt, fish and raise a family in my own little world. Does anybody have a diy time machine? I used to watch "Dances With Wolves" stoned, and just daydream for hours about it. good post mutt

 

[Mutt]

Actually, it's money that provides you with what little freedom you (we) have. The alternative is dependence.

depends on how you look at that one.
are we dependant on money or the land to provide for us?
yes we work for money or do we work the land.
So aren't we dependant on something all the time?
Like the dirt we walk on, or the air we breathe? i don't think freedom is defined by having the money to do what we want, but the ability to do what we need without being dependant on mankind. between the two i'd much rather be dependant of the earth and not man.

and I aint quite sure there really is enuf room UP here to go around

I feel like that alot too

 

[trillions of atoms]

Ok fair enough. You did a lot of talking about the problem, now what is the solution? How do you propose that the goods and services we all use move around efficently without a monetary system to anchor it? Is it perfect? No. But there is no uptopia, human nature will always prevent that.

IMHO a world without money would be no better. What you are despising is greed which is human nature, not a product of the monetary system. Taking away money won't take that away, it will creep into any new system as well through the ingenuity of the participants.

barter baby!


i agree man, one day i will be out in the wilderness doing my own thing... if i dont die trying first! But man.... im gunna miss toilet-paper!!!

 

[trillions of atoms]

and i think nor cal hal is my long lost brother! LOL

cheers man!

 

[Neo drives a geo]

I dislike the monetary system as well, because of the whole concept that it is literally impossible to completely pay of the national debt. I do however, prefer the luxuries of electricity, indoor plumbing, and the internet.

 

[andy52]

i do not personally worry about money,i got some.i went to work at a young age,too young to do what i've done.most that have money do not appreciate it,especially the ones that did not work for it.everyone is looking for someone to sue.they want the easy way out.i agree we need to have a hell od a depression and the panty waist will be the first to cry like babies and kill themselves.good deed.the real people will survive.screw the stock market,let it crash.it would tickle the hell out of me.i am a survivor an await the day that i can stand tall and not be fronting.people have gotten so spoiled that they could not survive without going to the grocery store for their rib eyes.
think before you wish this on the ones that would die or kill their selves if this country ever folds up financially.i welcome the event.i learned a long time ago not to put all your eggs in one basket.
take away tv,internet,toys r us,groceries,gas,elect.city water,and alot of small things we all take for granted and you'll see whos left alive.damn sure not the weak minded.
i could go on forever on this subject.just my opinion

 

[The Effen Gee]

My issue is more with the mentality behind a profit based society, no...profit based existence that has been with us since forever.

There is no such thing as human nature. We are not born good or bad, violent or passive. These behaviors are learned throught our lives from socializtion through our parents, television and peers.

I offer no solutions, only my observations...which are subjective and biased.

Think really hard about the behaviors that profit can bring about. Competition, dishonesty and cheating.

why is it hard to find food at the supermarkets that is healthy, and why is healthy food super expensive?
Why do only the rich "deserve" to be able to shop at whole foods?
Get better medical treatment?
Get out of criminal offenses?

Profit.

Why is wal mart full of crappy prouduct's?

Profit.

Why do I have to charge people for medicine which COULD be free to all?

Profit.

We all live on this planet together. I could care less what "nation" or region you are from...the only thing that divides us is distance.
Why is 2/3 of the planet poor as heck? Why do I feel so spoiled here in america while so many others go without even the most basic anemities...for their whole lives?
Why are so many people so uninformed and uneducated? Globally?

When I sit and think these issues out and why they are even issues in the first place...even medicine, which should be free to all...

Everything either boils down to money lost or money gained.

Like I said...I offer no solution, just my view of what I call reality for me, nobody else.

 

[ArtVandolay]

No offence, my friend, but I've never understood people who only know what they have and don't have when they compare it to what others have and don't have. Live in peace (and isolation) for me. Puff puff pass

 

[The Effen Gee]

It's not about what I have VS. what others have. I could care less what kind of stock options or timeshares you have.

More importantly I don't whine about not having.

I have three TV's in my house and two xbox 360's to boot.
I am spoiled as hell by most standards.
I even drive a nice car.

But these things are not me, and I could care less If they were to go away tomorrow.

 

[yimmy capone]

Sorry folks, but I love money. I can't stop thinking money.

call me what you want but here is my mind set. My kids,money,weed,my kids,women,cars,my kids, jewerly,money,weed,my kids.

if you want you can send me your moneys. just kidding

Money is the root of all evil.

 

[The Effen Gee]

Money is the root of all evil.

Fair enough.

But why do you embrace that mentality?

 

[nvthis]

Yo, Gee, preparation man. Some day the you-know-what is gonna hit the fan and things aren't going to be the same. Not tellin' conspiracies nor am I a conspiracy 'theorist'. But some day no one is going to be here to hold our hand, be it this generation or the next, or the next. Luck favors the prepared. If you can take a walk in your backyard, or the woods, for a week or two and come back as healthy as you left, your good to go. That is when money has no meaning. That's is when you can live by 'the rules' and laugh at the same time. Just knowing that inside your head you have the knowledge to survive and that those rich boys are gonna be some of the first to go is..... Yeah, teach yourself, teach your children, and should society crumble you have my permission to drive a different color Bentley every day if you wanna. For free!!! Do I practice what I preach? I'm tryin'! Learning how to survive without coming off like a damn wacko is a bit of a challange...

 

[yimmy capone]

But why do you embrace that mentality?

I use to do some evil things for money, but I did grow up.

But I still want more money.
I do understand where your coming from and I respect that. Me personally I like flashy things. That might be because I had none in the family when I was growing up.