Do you remember when John Lennon sang ‘Imagine’?
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
Neither do I but this won’t stop me appreciating the meaning of the song. What I would like to talk to you about today though is not the Beatles, worthy as the topic may be; what I’ve been thinking about is the dream of ‘no possessions’ and ‘all the people sharing all the world’. What has been happening in southern Europe during the last couple of years is as far from Lennon’s dream as cold is from hot.
Looking at the reactions of people in the countries most hit by the financial crisis I noticed that economic hardship can lead in some cases to complete transformation of the basis of economy and that whole villages and towns reverted to bartering.
Just in case you, my readers, have forgotten what barter is about, it simply means that goods and services are exchanged directly for goods and services. In other words, money stops being the means of exchange and if you want to get tomatoes you have to offer some plums; if you want bread you have to offer some stew. Well, I suspect it is much more complex than that but you get the message.
As ‘primitive’ as this system may seem, it still co-exists with the monetary exchange. My grandmother bartered till the end of her life – true she had a garden and lived in a village. So it was only natural for her to barter grapes for apples, or a chicken for some pork. And she never ever went to visit a friend empty-handed. Now, in a different time and another country, I know a hairdresser who cuts a guy’s hair and, in exchange, he mends stuff around her house.
But bartering is not only something that people do bilaterally; in times of crisis whole communities and societies resort to this age old way of exchange.
For instance, in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s bartering became a commonplace fixture of everyday life. Apparently it wasn’t unusual for fashion designers to pay for a restaurant visit in clothes rather than money.
More recently, in 2012, a little Greek town named Volos introduced bartering on a mass scale. For it to work they had to create an alternative ‘currency’ thus bypassing the euro – TEM points. Everything in the town – child care, clothes, food and services – was exchanged using TEM. When one had something to offer they were given TEMs in return; so one could buy decorative candles for yoga lessons. The citizens of Volos were able to exchange anything – it didn’t matter what skills they had.
This made me ask whether I have any skills that will allow me to survive in a barter economy; in other words, do I have any skills I can exchange. Naturally, soon I was in despair since this kind of arrangement favours more practical competencies and pursuits. I was thinking that:
a) the time when scribes were sitting at street corners, ready to compose and write letters is long gone;
b) analysis is useful but not very easy to exchange for food;
c) nobody will care much about science and even less about science policy;
d) jokers are not patronised; and
e) I very much doubt that blogging will bring me any points.
Then I got it! I could teach; true, at the moment I teach at university level (and mainly Masters and PhD) but I could teach high school. If the need is great I can probably tutor younger kids as well, and give them even knowledge of philosophy – even in time of crisis our humanity is defined by values not consumption.
One thing is clear, though: my skill set needs brushing up and renewing if I am to survive and thrive in a barter economy.
What are the skills you have that will help you survive in a barter economy?
Trading labor or skill is always a choice. Whether teaching, accounting, business or some other skill. Many of the barter systems that I saw work is a three way exchange. You find either what you want or what others want and trade products or services for that skill.
I remember, long ago, wine having been drunk :roll:, playing a sort of mind game with friends planning a community which we could form if Armageddon came calling.
Yes, 40 years ago we were expecting it!
Surprisingly, we had a very extensive skill set, couple with a willingness to try new things and get our hands dirty. Whether that would have survived sober reality is another matter but I do remember it seeming possible.
To some extent, we still have barter in local life. That might be because we are a fairly tight community around a park, but, from time to time, I bake bread for a neighbour who cares for our house when we are away.
A 12 year old, who inherited Alan’s old fish tank, dug our path out in the recent snow.
That fish tank came from another neighbour who gets a lift with her shopping in bad weather and the postie knows she will take in anyone’s post as she is at home during the day.
It may not be as comprehensive as you are visualising but the roots are there.
@Pat: Glad to hear it is going on in your community. Where we live is a very friendly place but we exchange only small favours – this can’t pass as barter. When we were paying off the debt I did barter marathon training for writing (we both thought it was a good deal).
I could teach as well. During WWII my grandparents brought food to the teacher who wouldn’t get paid, and the kids helped him after school gather some wood and clean the classrooms.
I like the idea of bartering, and should be just set with cattle, chickens and coconuts! Where my grandparents live we don’t barter the harvest, you just bring the surplus to your neighbor, and they usually reciprocate but it is not like you will walk out of their house with an equivalent harvest of something else.
@Pauline: Yeah, your grandparents sound a bit like my grandmother – there was no obligation usually; it was more about being self sufficient rather than barter. And yes, you are very well set, I believe :). I, on the other hand, am trying to sell land at the moment…
When you think about it, labor and currency are really extensions and nuances of the barter system. Always wondered whether it would be more stimulating than a nuisance. Great post!
@Tony: Ah, but barter (or direct exchange of goods) morphed into great-grand ancestors or the contemporary economies with the dominance of the ‘universal mediator’ – money. Exchanging labour for goods (or different kind of labour) is barter.