Once upon a time in a not too distant future there will be an intergalactic trade fair held on planet Earth. The venue will be held on top of a mountain to facilitate easy access for aliens from all over the universe. However, the fair will be open for all and three brothers named Jay, Joe and Paul will hike up from a nearby town to attend it.
Half way up the mountain, the three brothers will stop to catch their breath. They will be able to see the trade show with its banners and bright lights at the peak in the distance, and Jay will be the first to speak:
"I'll get all the goodies for sure. I got a hundred thousand dollars in my pocket, and if they ask for more, I'll print up whatever more they ask for, because I'm a central banker. You two might as well go home right away, because you'll go home empty handed anyway. Whatever you got of money, I can always outbid you. They won't even bother to talk to you guys."
But this won't impress Joe. He'll respond like this:
"Hah, you don't know what you're talking about. I got a Bitcoin token in my pocket, and a thousand more Bitcoins in my online wallet. Unlike your dollars, no-one can print Bitcoin. They are scarce by design. That will impress the aliens for sure. It's me they'll talk to. I'm the one going home with all the goodies."
After this, Jay and Joe will turn to Peter. "What did you bring to trade with?" they'll ask, to which he'll let them know he brought a gold coin.
Jay and Joe will roll over with laughter. "You brought a pet rock? Don't you know that those aliens up there are super-intelligent beings, far more advanced than us. Why on Earth would they want to trade with you?"
Full of confidence, Jay and Joe will continue poking fun of Peter for the rest of their hike, and the two will go right up to the bouncer standing by the entrance to the fair. Jay will wave a thick wad of dollars in the air and Joe will hold up his brass token to underscore their serious intent. "Let us in!", they'll say. "We want to trade."
But the bouncer won't be impressed: "I see paper and a brass token. Why would anyone want to trade with you?"
Shocked and offended, Jay will explain who he is and how rich he is, and Joe will explain the virtues of scarce money. But no amount of arguing will convince the bouncer. The bouncer will insist on knowing what useful purpose their merchandise has apart from trade on planet Earth.
"This is an intergalactic trade fair. If you cannot explain what your paper and brass token can be used for on distant galaxies, you have no business here. I'm sorry, but I'll have to turn you away."
Fuming with rage and frustration, Jay and Joe will give up.
"Let's go home," they'll say while looking over at Peter. "If these aliens are so stupid as to refuse trade with the richest and brightest people on Earth, they're clearly not going to trade with you."
But the bouncer will ask to see what Peter brought, and on seeing his gold coin, the bouncer will light up with enthusiasm.
"Well, well, well. That's a gold coin if I'm not mistaken. Gold is used in industry all over the universe, and it's greatly coveted by the ladies. It's hard to find, and costly to extract. You'll have no trouble finding trading partners with a coin like that!"
And so it will pass that Jay and Joe will have to hike back down the mountain empty handed while Peter will ride home on his space age scooter, loaded with goods so fantastic that no-one can even start to imagine their beauty and value.
So remember this: If you ever go to an intergalactic trade fair, be sure to bring your pet rock.
 |
| Intergalactic space |
No comments:
Post a Comment