Debt & Penance : Voltaire

From my latest book “Debt en Penance”.

Voltaire is indeed well-known by the Enlightenment. Of course peace is part of it. Enlightenment is getting integer, loosen personal matter, convictions and all pre-judgments. Gaining peace implies that there’s a (potential) quarrel, a fight or even a war. The battle for the world was very topical then in a way of global trade ~ e.g. the Dutch V.O.C. ~ Vereenigd Oost-Indische Compagnie” ~ with their fleet. It may be that Amsterdam had world’s first trade center in those days. I do not know if Voltaire based his quote upon the battles for matter as we know at South America. Lots of natives were murdered because of the invasion, whether for the Christian religion whether for the greed for gold. This plundering ~ of course ~ had nothing to do with fair trade.

During the life of Voltaire the battle of religions had been ended within Europe. So the evaluation of religion was the most important topic within the new world of philosophy. While religions appear to be incapable to deal with respect regarding cultures Voltaire saw that trade could. It is like “Homo Ludens”. What happens that happens. It is based upon “Égalité & Fraternité”. No need for power and-or control during that game. So every means or intermediary has the same state of the game, meaning money has no overvalue considering the game, it is part of that game. Small debates and quarrels are part of that game.

While the interests grew and so their responsibilities and accountabilities money became a higher value. As long as we deal with physical and concrete products and services during a short time, then the problems were not serious than within that context. As simple it was that when the salary wasn’t to be paid, the work wasn’t done. That is of course in exclusive situations as we already saw it during the Medieval and the building of lots of cathedrals by mainly the Freemasonry through Europe in that period. Experience has to be paid for.

So when trading had still physical dimensions ~ multiplicity ~ so had money. The change was when money became a trade product of itself. Not as long as it concerned just an interest rate. Because an interest rate could be as physical as possible, even as a natural product. The problems started when promises were made which couldn’t be fulfilled. It is like a self-producing system. Regard it as a MEI-constructure from the Chaos Theory; it needs Matter, Energy and Information. “Ancient” or original trade consisted of those 3, nowadays money mostly is based upon energy and information. Numbers & figures and big accounts that are stored in computers, that tell that the value of money will grow based upon expectations. Do you really get what you see ?

Making money is now based upon expectations, based upon statistics, chances and promises. What about the probability ? It may be that your chances grow but the current situation of our systems make it improbable. That’s the subjective aspect of making money. All other aspects are based upon objective aspects, facts & numbers created by computers. So is it right that we have peace by trade ? Voltaire was right then. Nowadays trade means paranoia, suspicion, fights and even war talking about basic elements for life like food and (fossil) energy. Even trade itself means war, indeed trade means income nowadays. The way multinationals supported by Governments deal with trade is only focused on making more money or grasping for it. And when it is not available, they invent debt constructures, which create dependence. Dependence means control in a situation that control is more preferred that penance.

So trade used to guarantee peace then, does it still today ?