OpEd: Money vs. Meaning, A New Year’s Reflection on True Wealth

2025 is here – happy new year!

Most people come to the crypto sphere for wealth. Everyone knows a got-rich-quick story (true or not) that involves cryptocurrencies. To be sure – there are true ones.

At least when it comes to returns as measured by fiat currency – cryptos have been the best market for over a decade. That said – money – as such – will never make anyone rich. At least not the money we have today.

There are good reasons why people want money. Given how the world is organized, money is necessary to meet basic biological needs. Want food and shelter? Money!

Here is the issue – money only creates happiness to a point. If you can’t afford food on a daily basis, more money will add quality to your life. On the other hand, if you can afford anything you want to eat (24/7) doubling your income doesn’t mean much.

And then – there are the social issues that “modern wealth” creates. As we enter the new year – it’s time to look at some of the issues that our modern social system creates – and where real wealth comes from.

The Golden Casket

We all come from the same place – and end up the same way.

If you make enough in the meantime – your body could be jammed into a golden casket when you die. So, a sane person should understand that life isn’t about the end – it’s about the meantime.

It might not be the easiest thing to think about as the new year arrives – but it has the benefit of being true. Let’s take a look at making the meantime as comfortable as possible.

Basic Needs

Humans are basic creatures. If you look at most of what luxury is – it ends up being a expensive version of a basic need. A Gucci sweater – keeps you warm (the logo has no insulating value BTW).

We all need shelter, food, clothing and medicine. A social life seems to be necessary too.

You may notice that money was not mentioned above. There is a good reason for that. We don’t need money. We need other people to survive.

If you want to have a decent (or even good) meantime – it means good relationships other people.

I NEED Money!

Yes, yes, we know. Or at least we understand why you think that.

Money has to be one of the best products ever invented. Don’t kid yourself – today money is a product. It didn’t start off that way, but now money is a product delivered to you by central banks and governments.

As we are explaining, you don’t actually need money. You need open access to complex social systems. And the opportunity to create value for the system.

We mean complex in a very specific way. A complex system is durable (while a complicated one is not). If you don’t already understand the difference – here is a good example.

A mechanical watch is a complicated system, so is a petrol engine. If you remove parts, the system breaks down and no longer functions. Once broken, it needs outside help to function again.

A company – like UnitedHealthcare – is a complex system. The CEO could be (and was) shot dead at dawn, and the system would continue to function. A complex system can repair itself.

In the world we live in – money allows people to access complex social systems. Without any money, you have to live like the Unibomber. Not a great lifestyle (especially if you are a reader of this site – you likely want to be comfortable in material terms).

A New Wealth Paradigm

Money seems to buy less all the time. Not only in terms of physical goods – but also in terms of safety. Crime is rising in many areas, while wars rage all over the world.

Wealth and safety seem like they would go together – but as we create more and more fiat currency – they seem to be further apart. Remember, money is supposed to make you rich, not more vulnerable to violence.

No matter where you look, violence is on the rise. In the USA – almost 2 million people are in prison. Despite the fact that the US government keeps spending money at alarming rates, society keeps falling lower into a violent abyss.

In the UK – a massive statue made of knives shows the problems we face in the “richest” global society in human history. Not all the knives were used in recent crimes. A WW1 bayonet was added to the angel – which shows you how violent we are as a species – both now – and at the dawn of the modern world.

By Domersr – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87865439

In 2025 – we need to understand that money without safety isn’t worth much. And if all that new money is paying for war – the situation could be a lot worse in a week, a year, or a century.

Who Gets It?

Asset allocation in our global society favors the top 10% of the top 1% (0.001% of global society – if you want to be concise).

The gap between the people who have the majority of assets and those who have little is growing. And that trend is entrenched. In fact, COVID19 represented a huge transfer of wealth from both the state and the poor to the richest people on earth.

To make matters worse – the ivory tower economist class is engaged in a psyop that attempts to convince people that the economic calamity in front of their faces isn’t happening.

From FED Chair Powell in December 2024:

“Prices went up by a great deal, and people really feel that, and it’s prices of food and transportation and heating your home and things like that. So there’s tremendous pain in that burst of inflation that was very global…Now we have inflation itself is way down, but people are still feeling high prices. And that is really what people are feeling.”

So inflation is down (so they say – we don’t buy it) but prices for everything a normal person needs to live in the complex system are high compared to income. Wonderful.

They are calling it a “vibecession” BTW. People feel like they are living in an economic hell – as the economists insist that everything is JUST FINE!

Whatever this complex global economic system is – it doesn’t create wealth.

At least not for the bottom 99%.

If you are at the top – we hope you don’t get shot at dawn outside your hotel (sincerely).

Cryptos Should Be About Access – Not Lambos

If you are here in the cryptosphere for a lambo – we understand 100%.

Lambos are amazing! However, they don’t float.

But Red Fire Ants do…

On Red Fire Ants & the Power of Decentralization

We need to create complex systems that help everyone float past the rough waters of life.

Cryptos create access. Cryptos break down borders. Cryptos let people create their own complex systems. Cryptos push people of all ages, from all over the world, to start learning about what we can do as a human race.

Cryptos can help.

Let’s make helping people learn a goal for 2025 – and show everyone what wealth should mean for the 100% (everyone).

Happy new year!!!

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