The World without Currency.

Imagine a world without the dollar. No Yen, no Euros, no Rubles or any currency of any kind. Sounds scary, right? I can hear you now. “How would anything get done? How would we live?” but, most don't realize money only has value because society gives it value. If one were to open a store where you couldn't “buy” anything but, had to perform a task or simply take what you needed, money would hold no sway there, you see? Now let's take that idea and apply it globally.

Imagine a world where money never existed. I can tell you now it would be vastly different from the world we know. Let's assume, for the sake of simplicity, that society developed pretty much along the same lines as our world. Obviously the world where currency never existed would be very different than the one we know but, we'll keep this to the confines of the known for now.

People wouldn't have to work eight to twelve hours a day just to provide for their families all the while killing themselves slowly in the process. Citizens would be free to do whatever their passions and talents dictate. Writers would write, teachers would teach, musicians would create music without having to worry about profits or cost. Travelers would be able to go whenever and wherever they desired with nothing holding their exploration back. Chef's would be free to create dishes without the need to consider if it would sell in their restaurants. Technological advances would soar without fear of costs but would need more research due to resources being so readily available. It wouldn't do to waste anything, so getting it right would be key. Can you imagine? The freedom to do what your heart desires?

Finding the talents of a child would be far easier as schools no longer have to struggle for funding by forcing standardized tests on children and molding their minds to be worker drones like their parents before them. In the very early stages of a child's education they would be shown the basics of math, reading, writing and art. However, as time passes and each child's particular proficiency shows itself, they will be placed in classes that cater directly to their talents and nurtured to near mastery level. With such focused education so soon, higher education becomes an option instead of a requirement. Focusing the already inherent talents to an even finer edge. Students would not be forced to work and attend class at the same time therefore leaving a stable mind for further studies. Leaving school holds no consequence other than loss of education and can be restarted at anytime with the only cost being the lost time.

Homes would be provided for each person once adulthood has been reached. Obviously families could live together and any vacant homes would be given to who ever wanted one. I can already hear someone thinking “There aren't enough homes for everyone.” There is and there always has been. To date there are 18,600,000 (18.6 million) vacant homes in the United States but only around 3,500,000 (3.5 million) people are homeless in any given year. That's enough for each of the homeless to have five homes.
That doesn't even count the extra land from the absence of giant, sprawling corporate HQs. Instead of dilapidated projects, there would be what is known as “commons” where the most basic of homes resides, maintained just for human living conditions. Enough for each individual. Anyone wanting a larger home would have to do consult a builder, use un-zoned land and only allowed a certain number of resources to do it with to ensure even distribution among citizens. Power and water would provided in much the same way as now but, with greater efficiency and more attention to quality and stability.

Food would be provided for each family and far less would go to waste due to sitting on store shelves unwanted and rotting. There would be no tampering with our food products because profit and cost don't figure into the equation. Natural food would be the normal fare and anything extravagant or requiring more would be done in eateries, at home or by special order. No citizen would go hungry and no extra steroids or additives designed for addiction would be added. Why would they? There's no profit in it.

Politics would truly be about providing for the citizens and not the politicians or their religious views.

With their paycheck no longer a factor, only those who desire to enter into the service of the people would seek office. Anyone in public office would not be able to buy their way out of scandal or into positions of greater power. With the power in the hands of the people and not the hands of the banks, politician would no longer be a dirty word.

Medicine and dentistry would no longer be available only to those who could afford the procedures. Doctors, dentists, nurses and surgeons would be plentiful and working for the satisfaction of healing and not for the fat wallet. With the million dollar windfalls and lifetime treatments being a drain on resources, every effort would be made to find cures for our most deadly ailments. Cures. Not treatments. Aids, cancer, leukemia, any and all currently incurable ailments would be researched and conquered. There's no point in keeping treatments ongoing and it would just drain resources. Best to just remove them.

Crime would be severely cut down with the main motivation for greed removed. As such the streets are safer, drugs are gone and gangs would have no backing. Also certain “crimes” would no longer be crimes. Certain services would be free practice and much safer only by those willing to plough the trade or rather allowed the trade to plough them if you follow me.

But even without money evil will find a way to exist. Therefore punishments in a world with no dollar are far harsher and with greater effort in proving the truth, not innocence or guilt. Prisons will function much as they are with prisoners receiving what is necessary for survival. Though without greed as a motivator there will mostly be rapists, murderers and violent offenders behind prison wall, segregated from the general public, often with lifetime sentences. Smaller crimes will no longer be paid with fines but, good, old fashioned community service. Here is where the work no one wants to do will be performed. Trash collection, city clean up and other menial tasks no one would choose to do will be regulated to small time criminals with a forgiveness and expunging of charges after one year of good behavior.

“But what about the trash and stuff if no one commits small crimes?” I hear you wondering. Automatons. Yes. Automated workers built for the sole purpose of performing one specific task. Not AI. SI. Singular Intelligence. Knowledge and functionality of one job or task. Which in turn creates the need for technological advancements to better perform their jobs and renewable and perpetual fuel sources to keep them running.

Oil will used simply to create plastic or other oil byproducts. Cleaner, more efficient fuels will be utilized and produced from renewable resources and electricity will be provided in numerous ways including solar and hydroelectric plants. Clean and with little strain on resources.

Cars, furniture, homes and anything that's essential to a thriving society that we produce in excess now would only be created as needed in the world with no dollar. To furnish their home one would go to a home center and use consoles to customize just what is needed for ones home. Imagine a interface much like The Sims in Build and Buy mode. Cars would work the same way. Only those who love to build cars and produce furniture would do so and because of that each custom vehicle or couch would be crafted with care.

Laws would no longer consider how much money is at stake but instead what's best for it's people and society. Without the fear of money hoarders, or as we call them “The 1%”, the average citizen could enjoy their lives with little to no effort. Those who seek to become more would have nothing holding them back. Undiscovered genius would only remain undiscovered due to laziness on their part or lack of enthusiasm. Otherwise they would flourish. Drains on society, the predators, wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Racism and sexism would no longer be driven by the need to keep people “in their place.” Black, white and brown men and women would all have a fair shot at life. Sexists and racists would be pushed to the wayside. People would marry for love, not financial stability. Economy would take on a holistic meaning and even religion would not be as powerful without the millions it funnels away from it's parishioners and into worthless projects. Gold, silver, platinum and diamonds would have practical uses instead of ridiculous wastes of resources for jewelry and peacocking of wealth.

Of course a world like this would come with it's fair share of problems, maybe some we don't have in this world, but without financial costs to worry about they could be resolved in favor of everyone or at least the greatest number of people.

Society would be for the people. All people.

Everyone treated fairly and equally? No one able to buy their way out of trouble? Athletes and celebrities held accountable for their actions and ordinary citizens living their lives the way they see fit? Sounds great right?

So why is this a scary story? That's just it.

It's not. Not you and me.

The horror story is a world where a piece of green paper and metal discs determine a person's worth. Where someone can commit the worst crimes against his or her fellow human and not only be protected, but rewarded. The horror is where schools are used to turn children into zombies for the sole purpose of getting a chance to earn money to pay back to a government who doesn't care about them. The horror is where people are forced to live on the streets and told that it's a problem being worked on while a murderer is allowed a plush home. Where a parent has to miss their child's milestones just to provide a home for them, losing the best part of being a parent. The horror is a world where your life matters less than an arbitrary number on a screen.

The horror is the world WE live in now. Our reality is another world's nightmare.