Second Helpings

Money Matters

I have a theory about money. In my limited experience those who have it are the ones who are obsessed about it. I've never had any windfalls or savings of any consequence, but I never have and never will lie awake at night worrying about it. I consider myself lucky to have a comfortable life compared to many others, but I have worked hard for that and will never be in a position where I can spend, spend, spend. It doesn't matter to me, give me friends, health, nature and basic needs and that's fine by me. At my age there is nothing I want that money can buy and I feel sorry for people whose lives are ruled by pounds/dollars/francs/yen/euros. Life is short as we know and there are no pockets in shrouds.

But, all this credit crunch, recession, financial disaster talk does get you thinking and the thinking makes me angry on behalf of ordinary people like you and I who live ordinary lives, try to do our best, take the advice of experts and put our trust in banks.

Banks are supposed to look after our money. That is their expertise. They are on the ball if we ever become overdrawn by a penny and are quite happy to encourage us all to take on loans they know damn well we can't afford.

The truth is, now they've screwed up big time. No one knows how or when or why but when you analyse it you realise whose money it is they've lost, Yep, it's our money. Our leaders may hand out loans to bail the banks out but whose money are they using? Ours of course. They give our money to replace the money of ours they lost in the first place. Confused? Me too.

The thing is they haven't got enough money to finance the loans, so they have to go to another bank to borrow a load more money and whose money is it they loan? You got it - ours. So, they're borrowing our money to replace our money that's already been spent to replace our money that the banks so carelessly lost. I think I have to stop here before I disappear up my own backside.

Money. What is it at the end of the day? Bits of paper and metal based on gold bars and the devious, conniving minds of evil, greedy individuals. Call me naive, but I'd rather go back to the days of trading home grown produce and things that are essential for daily life. But I'd need an organic computer for sure.