Significance of The Money Tree

It has occurred to me that the message my father tried to give our nation in Parliament is more significant than ever. He called it Social Credit and was a Member of Parliament in the political party of that name in the 50's and 60's. The Social Credit Party was based on the writings of a former Governor of the Bank of England who wrote about the injustices of the financial system and was promptly fired for his daring to expose the game: THE BIGGEST CON GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD since the beginning of religion!

What is Money?

Where does Money come from?

Why is Money called the Root of All Evil?

R. Buckminster Fuller told a story to illustrate the origin of money that rings truer than mere fable.

In the early days of human existence on Planet Earth, before the invention of writing, humans lived in small tribes foraging for food. As each tribe discovered new innovations like fire for cooking and shelter from the elements they began to collect "valuable" things they felt they needed like tools and weapons. The first inter-tribal wars were fought over territory in which grew the plants and animals that they ate. Tribal warfare became commonplace.

One tribal leader had a better idea. He had noticed a deep cave with a small opening on his territory. He had sons, brothers, cousins and nephews that were strong. He selected a bead of sufficient scarcity and local mainly to his land as a symbol. He went to visit neighbouring tribes.

Whenever attacked or when leaving for a raid, tribes had to carry their valuables with them for protection. He told the other leaders of his cave that could be guarded against a hoard of attackers with only a few strong men. He suggested that when a tribe went to war, they bring their valuables to his cave for safe keeping. He would give them a quantity of beads that represented their holdings. By doing this, the warring tribe could travel unencumbered by their valuables, which could be reclaimed when they returned from battle or could be claimed by the victors if they lost the war (if they knew the value of the beads).

The beads became the first currency of trade, or "money" between the tribes and our chief with the cave became the first "banker". The banker could demand that the other tribes bring his clan food in payment for guarding the cave and when a tribe left valuables and were wiped out in battle, the banker tribe kept their valuables.

The key to money is CONFIDENCE.

Soon people began to use the beads to trade with each other in ways more efficient than mere barter. They believed in the value of the beads because they knew that the value was based on the ever growing collection of "real valuables" in the secure cave.

Over the millenia the symbols changed while the principle remained the same. Our archeological history shows how beads were replaced by rare seashells in inland areas and gradually by lumps of stone of special properties (gems) and metals. Experimenting with fire and metals as tribes grew into empires, the coin was introduced as a trading medium that was backed by the power and wealth of each empire as they rose and fell.

Coinage became money and the metals used to make coins gained in value, not only for money but for arms and tools. Gold became the metal that symbolized wealth because of its rarity and also its purity. Gold doesn't rust. Early man discovered that it could be hammered into shapes because of its malleability. Then they discovered it could be melted and formed without changing its essential nature. This created the Gold Standard that still exists today.

Throughout the agricultural era, common folk didn't need or use money. They lived in feudal societies where they were housed and fed in return for their work. Only the feudal estate leaders used money for major trading between estates and between empires. An estate that grew mostly grain could trade their excess for gold and then buy the meat, seafood and weapons materials when and where they desired.

Gold fever gripped the human race. It still does.