Letter to the Editors from the February 1995 issue of the Socialist Standard
LETS all not get excited!
Dear Editors,
I read with interest your article on the LETS scheme. This was first brought to my attention several years ago when, as I understand it. the system was in its infancy. (It would seem, incidentally. that it has done little growing up since.) I was attending a dinner party of sorts with a group of friends who do their views and ideas no justice by clinging to their '60s hippie image whilst expecting to be taken seriously as local and national political figures (Green Party, etc.).
Anyhow, they were raving about this revolutionary “no money scheme". Obviously I listened with anticipation. My heart sank, and they could not understand when I said simply “For LETS read pounds sterling". They had convinced themselves of the wondrous nature of the system and seemed under the delusion that, although accumulation of credit, book-keeping and cheque books were all relevant factors, by changing the name of the currency they had abolished money. The final shot in the foot for them after several hours of debate was that in order to initially join the scheme you paid a fee in sterling. This was to cover costs of operation of the scheme.
So intense was their belief in the system that they could not understand my scepticism. It is sometimes upsetting that the indoctrination of society is so deep that even those with good and honest intent cannot throw away the shackles of capitalism.
Neil Pettitt,
Bristol
Reply:
Thanks. We were beginning to need a bit of support. - Editors
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