Burning Money
Last week a video began circulating around the web that shows several people wearing balaclavas walking calmly into a corner store in Greece. With a lookout man stationed at the door, the camera follows half the group through the aisles as groceries are stuffed into backpacks. Our attention is then directed to the front where the remainder of the group is smashing open the cash machines. Grabbing handfuls of money, the gang makes an orderly exit amid the shrill call of the lookout's whistle.
If we were to pause the video at this point, one could dismiss their actions as the work of petty criminals. And the video would hold no more importance than the surveillance clips of thieves sticking up gas station attendants. Perhaps a few of us would show some sympathy and meekly excuse their actions by pointing out that no one was harmed or threatened and that since they only stole food and money, they must be poor and hungry. In any case, we would be justified in shrugging our shoulders in indifference to another symptom of the latent violence of our society. Resuming the tape, however, melts all this away as petty criminals become bold revolutionaries.
Now outside the store, the camera turns to watch as a gloved hand holds the bundle of cash that was expropriated moments ago. The group stops and cheers as the money is set on fire. As the lucre bursts into flames and is dropped on the pavement, the film ends abruptly. It is this final act, the desecration and destruction of money, that is a shocking political act worthy of emulation.
Money is sacred in our capitalist society. And despite a lifetime of passing it around, very few of us have ever thought to destroy the lucre in our hands. We spend our lives working to earn it, and when we are feeling generous we donate it or if we are feeling frugal we save it. But we never flush it down the toilet or burn it or do anything else that would take it out of circulation. And even the thought of doing so can provoke anxiety.
To break the allegiance of the people to idolatry, Moses destroyed the golden calf, Jesus chased away the money lenders and Muhammad smashed the 360 false gods in the Kaaba. Today the paper bills we pass among us have become our idols and Mammon our god. To smash consumerism, we must do more than simply circulate our money to "green" or local businesses. We must also liberate ourselves from the religion of capital and the belief that money is sacred and can solve all problems.
Here is a revolutionary practice everyone should try: Take a bill from your wallet, think of all the things you could buy and then calmly set it on fire. Smell the burning paper, pay attention to your emotions and meditate on where money goes when it is destroyed.
Micah White is a Contributing Editor at Adbusters. He lives in Berkeley, CA and is writing a book about the future of activism. www.micahmwhite.com or micah (at) adbusters.org
102 comments on the article “Burning Money”
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Iocane
Middle Ground
Also Known as: Golden Mean Fallacy, Fallacy of Moderation
Description of Middle Ground
This fallacy is committed when it is assumed that the middle position between two extremes must be correct simply because it is the middle position. this sort of "reasoning" has the following form:
Position A and B are two extreme positions.
C is a position that rests in the middle between A and B.
Therefore C is the correct position.
This line of "reasoning" is fallacious because it does not follow that a position is correct just because it lies in the middle of two extremes. This is shown by the following example. Suppose that a person is selling his computer. He wants to sell it for the current market value, which is $800 and someone offers him $1 for it. It would hardly follow that $400.50 is the proper price.
This fallacy draws its power from the fact that a moderate or middle position is often the correct one. For example, a moderate amount of exercise is better than too much exercise or too little exercise. However, this is not simply because it lies in the middle ground between two extremes. It is because too much exercise is harmful and too little exercise is all but useless. The basic idea behind many cases in which moderation is correct is that the extremes are typically "too much" and "not enough" and the middle position is "enough." In such cases the middle position is correct almost by definition.
It should be kept in mind that while uncritically assuming that the middle position must be correct because it is the middle position is poor reasoning it does not follow that accepting a middle position is always fallacious. As was just mentioned, many times a moderate position is correct. However, the claim that the moderate or middle position is correct must be supported by legitimate reasoning.
Examples of Middle Ground:
Some people claim that God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good. Other people claim that God does not exist at all. Now, it seems reasonable to accept a position somewhere in the middle. So, it is likely that God exists, but that he is only very powerful, very knowing, and very good. That seems right to me.
Congressman Jones has proposed cutting welfare payments by 50% while Congresswoman Shender has proposed increasing welfare payments by 10% to keep up with inflation and cost of living increases. I think that the best proposal is the one made by Congressman Trumple. He says that a 30% decrease in welfare payments is a good middle ground, so I think that is what we should support.
A month ago, a tree in Bill's yard was damaged in a storm. His neighbor, Joe, asked him to have the tree cut down so it would not fall on Joes new shed. Bill refused to do this. Two days ago another storm blew the tree onto Joe's new shed. Joe demanded that Joe pay the cost of repairs, which was $250. Bill said that he wasn't going to pay a cent. Obviously, the best solution is to reach a compromise between the two extremes, so Bill should pay Joe $125 dollars.
Plagiarized from http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/middle-ground.html
Iocane
Middle Ground
Also Known as: Golden Mean Fallacy, Fallacy of Moderation
Description of Middle Ground
This fallacy is committed when it is assumed that the middle position between two extremes must be correct simply because it is the middle position. this sort of "reasoning" has the following form:
Position A and B are two extreme positions.
C is a position that rests in the middle between A and B.
Therefore C is the correct position.
This line of "reasoning" is fallacious because it does not follow that a position is correct just because it lies in the middle of two extremes. This is shown by the following example. Suppose that a person is selling his computer. He wants to sell it for the current market value, which is $800 and someone offers him $1 for it. It would hardly follow that $400.50 is the proper price.
This fallacy draws its power from the fact that a moderate or middle position is often the correct one. For example, a moderate amount of exercise is better than too much exercise or too little exercise. However, this is not simply because it lies in the middle ground between two extremes. It is because too much exercise is harmful and too little exercise is all but useless. The basic idea behind many cases in which moderation is correct is that the extremes are typically "too much" and "not enough" and the middle position is "enough." In such cases the middle position is correct almost by definition.
It should be kept in mind that while uncritically assuming that the middle position must be correct because it is the middle position is poor reasoning it does not follow that accepting a middle position is always fallacious. As was just mentioned, many times a moderate position is correct. However, the claim that the moderate or middle position is correct must be supported by legitimate reasoning.
Examples of Middle Ground:
Some people claim that God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good. Other people claim that God does not exist at all. Now, it seems reasonable to accept a position somewhere in the middle. So, it is likely that God exists, but that he is only very powerful, very knowing, and very good. That seems right to me.
Congressman Jones has proposed cutting welfare payments by 50% while Congresswoman Shender has proposed increasing welfare payments by 10% to keep up with inflation and cost of living increases. I think that the best proposal is the one made by Congressman Trumple. He says that a 30% decrease in welfare payments is a good middle ground, so I think that is what we should support.
A month ago, a tree in Bill's yard was damaged in a storm. His neighbor, Joe, asked him to have the tree cut down so it would not fall on Joes new shed. Bill refused to do this. Two days ago another storm blew the tree onto Joe's new shed. Joe demanded that Joe pay the cost of repairs, which was $250. Bill said that he wasn't going to pay a cent. Obviously, the best solution is to reach a compromise between the two extremes, so Bill should pay Joe $125 dollars.
Plagiarized from http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/middle-ground.html
Anonymous
What? No one want's to bite? No one wishes to discuss this topic further with an intellectual? How unfortunate. Guess this means I have to find another topic on Adbusters to drop some knowledge on.
Anonymous
What? No one want's to bite? No one wishes to discuss this topic further with an intellectual? How unfortunate. Guess this means I have to find another topic on Adbusters to drop some knowledge on.
Anonymous
Tell you what though adbusters. If you really believe so much in destroying what you worship let's see you put your money where your mouth is, quite literally. I challenge you to burn an entire year's worth of revenue that you receive from magazine subscriptions. Seeing as how money is pointless and you have to burn that which you worship let's see you do it. You know what I won't even be that cruel, how about we propose one month. One month's worth of revenue up in smoke, if it's one month it has to be more than just the money you get from subscriptions. If money is really as unimportant as you say and you really want to prove that you don't endorse the capitalist system then let's see you prove it. I challenge you to do this otherwise we'll all know that this article was nothing but an eloquently worded pleasantry that really has no bearing seeing as the magazine that endorsed it isn't will to back up their stance. So what will it be? Are you going to ignore this and prove your hypocrisy or are you going to cowboy up and prove that you have a pair?
Anonymous
Tell you what though adbusters. If you really believe so much in destroying what you worship let's see you put your money where your mouth is, quite literally. I challenge you to burn an entire year's worth of revenue that you receive from magazine subscriptions. Seeing as how money is pointless and you have to burn that which you worship let's see you do it. You know what I won't even be that cruel, how about we propose one month. One month's worth of revenue up in smoke, if it's one month it has to be more than just the money you get from subscriptions. If money is really as unimportant as you say and you really want to prove that you don't endorse the capitalist system then let's see you prove it. I challenge you to do this otherwise we'll all know that this article was nothing but an eloquently worded pleasantry that really has no bearing seeing as the magazine that endorsed it isn't will to back up their stance. So what will it be? Are you going to ignore this and prove your hypocrisy or are you going to cowboy up and prove that you have a pair?
Anonymous
Sorry, but Adbusters won't listen to you. They say that they're against one-way methods of communication, but if that was really the case, they would have an email address where you can yell at them all you want. They don't.
Anonymous
Sorry, but Adbusters won't listen to you. They say that they're against one-way methods of communication, but if that was really the case, they would have an email address where you can yell at them all you want. They don't.
Micah White
Not true.
Adbusters lists several different ways to contact us: https://www.adbusters.org/about/contact
In addition, each of my articles lists my email address: micah (at) adbusters.org
Further, every issue of Adbusters prints numerous reader letters (both pro and con).
Micah White
Not true.
Adbusters lists several different ways to contact us: https://www.adbusters.org/about/contact
In addition, each of my articles lists my email address: micah (at) adbusters.org
Further, every issue of Adbusters prints numerous reader letters (both pro and con).
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