Labour Notes

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

It was part of the development of anarchism, I guess, but has the labour note been entirely refuted? I personally think it's currency under another name and to try to measure someone's labour that minutely would need an omnipresent state (and thus back to where we began.)

Is it a major anachronism or are there convincing arguements for it?

[apathy maybe]

The difference between labour notes and actual currency is that one is based on time, and the other on resources.

Money is generally backed by the government (well not so much now), you could go into the central bank and 'cash in' your government issued money for gold. Banks have also issued notes before (hence 'bank notes') with which you could to the same thing.

Labour notes are given based on the amount of time you have worked. You cannot 'cash them in' as such.


I personally don't have think that you do need a government to issue or control the flow of money (or labour notes). While it used to be the case that you could receive gold for your money, in most places you can't now. But even though the money you hold is essentially worthless in and off it self, the social benefits of not reverting to barter will mean that some form of currency will continue in any transitional stage to true anarchism. As such, you don't need a central issuing authority with a lot of power, simply something that is accepted by the community in which it is used.

[ComradeRed]

Money is generally backed by the government (well not so much now), you could go into the central bank and 'cash in' your government issued money for gold. Banks have also issued notes before (hence 'bank notes') with which you could to the same thing. Not the case anymore, few if any country uses the gold standard...which essentially throws a wrench in your argument.

I mean, besides the issue that you blatantly ignore the obvious fact that "Labor notes" would be used as a medium of exchange which is the purpose of money ;)

As I see it, your essentially making the money commodity labor-power. That doesn't change the fact that there is money, or the existence of classes and thus class struggle.

It does nothing but change the money commodity...a sort of transformation of coordinates if you will.

[apathy maybe]

Well yes. The first part was background where I did say "well not so much now" in brackets regarding the gold standard and I did use the word "could" (as in the past). I do admit that the use of "generally" in that place wasn't helpful.

And secondly, in the second part I did equate money and labour notes on the basis that they are used as mediums of exchange. The social benefits of which outweigh barter.

Did you have anything else to add to the conversation? :P

Edited for minor grammar mistake.

[JKP]

Labour time vouchers are the generally accepted form of transitional economy for Anarchists and some non-Leninist Marxists.

I personally would like to see some technocratic elements thrown in to modernize it.

[Faceless]

I personally would like to see some technocratic elements thrown in to modernize it.
You could I suppose have Labour debit cards :P