Channel Button

There are 30 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #7 by Helium's members.

Debate_icon

Politics, News & Issues   >

Political & Economic Theory

Get a Widget for this title

Could a single global currency work?

Title endorsed in part by:

Results so far:

Yes
43% 174 votes Total: 404 votes
No
57% 230 votes

Regardless of the paper or plastic we use to purchase goods and services, price variations will continue to occur both seasonally and regionally. Of course a global currency could "work". The tokens of value we currently use worldwide have, in truth, no real value of their own. Currency merely represents the level of confidence buyers and sellers have in the relative worth in their personal exchange.




Clearly, national pride and patriotic feathers would be ruffled with the adoption of a global currency, but those bumps in the road to trade would be temporary. Currency has taken a multitude of forms throughout human history. Shells, beads, debit cards, gold coins have all been used for the same purpose: to represent an agreed upon value.




The adoption of a global currency will not change the fact that the wealthy will pay more for their food and shelter than the poor. Why? Because they can. A wealthy person generally wants to pay more simply to show that they can. The basic supply and demand rules of economics will still apply. A loaf of bread may be worth x units of currency to one person, while that same loaf may only be worth y units of currency to another person and those two consumers will shop accordingly. The basic distribution of goods and services would not drastically change with a global currency. In light of the Euro, the Germans still sell their prized cuckoo clocks and the Italians still sell their leather goods. The only differences are the increased comparative clarity of those exchanges and the loss of income to money changers.




There is no need for exchange rates or money changers with a global currency. The purchase of products and services would be closer to a free market economy in that buyers and sellers would be better able to compare the true prices being considered. Money lenders would be forced to better compete with each other, to the consumer's advantage, with the elimination of fluctuating exchange rates.




The regional and seasonal differences in price would better reflect true supply and demand and be less swayed by geopolitics. Governments would be less able to flood or withhold their currency if all nations used the same one. Consumers would be the greatest beneficiaries to a global economy. They would be better able to make financial decisions without the constant fluctuations imposed on financial markets by the political arena.




There is no denying that we live in a time of global economics. The adoption of a global currency would facilitate smoother transactions and a better informed consumer.

Learn more about this author, Kate Johnson.
Contact this writer Click here to send this author comments or questions.


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Could a single global currency work?

Yes
  • 1 of 17

    by Michael Greaney

    The idea of a single global currency is not only feasible in our day and age, it has been effectively implemented a number

    read more

  • by Colin Morley

    This is a truly fascinating debate. As I write, the 'yes' side of the argument is losing, yet has more than twice as many

    read more

No
  • 1 of 13

    by Global Urbanist

    A single global currency makes the assumption that all of humanity has the same needs. Nations of the world have different

    read more

  • 2 of 13

    by Ray Burke

    Do we need a single global currency?




    I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said we already have a single global currency it's

    read more

Add your voice

Know something about Could a single global currency work??
We want to hear your view. Write_penWrite now!

91818

Featured Partner

Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE)

FREE advances conservation and environmental values by applying modern science and America's founding ideals to polic...more

What is Helium? | Buy Web Content | Contact Us | Privacy | User agreement | DMCA | User Tools | Help | Community | Helium’s Official Blog | Link to Helium

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA