enterthemadness
The Triumvirate
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/02/euro-greece-barter-poverty-crisis
My heart goes out to Greece and the Greeks. If we aren't careful, we (USA) can easily be like Greece with our massive debt and fiat money system.
n this bustling port city at the foot of Mount Pelion, in the heart of Greece's most fertile plain, locals have come up with a novel way of dealing with austerity adopting their own alternative currency, known as the Tem. As the country struggles with its worst crisis in modern times, with Greeks losing up to 40% of their disposable income as a result of policies imposed in exchange for international aid, the system has been a huge success. Organisers say some 1,300 people have signed up to the informal bartering network.
For users such as Ioanitou, the currency a form of community banking monitored exclusively online is not only an effective antidote to wage cuts and soaring taxes but the "best kind of shopping therapy". "One Tem is the equivalent of one euro. My oil and soap came to 70 Tem and with that I bought oranges, pies, napkins, cleaning products and Christmas decorations," said the mother-of-five. "I've got 30 Tem left over. For women, who are worst affected by unemployment, and don't have kafeneia [coffeehouses] to go to like men, it's like belonging to a hugely supportive association."
My heart goes out to Greece and the Greeks. If we aren't careful, we (USA) can easily be like Greece with our massive debt and fiat money system.