From this author’s birth region of Berkshire County, MA, comes this story about local currencies–a fantastic way for people and businesses to take matters into their own hands when it comes to ensuring local financial security and establishing concrete ways to encourage a “buy locally” approach.
Communities making their own currencies (AP/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Decentralization is a key concept for both libertarians and greens, and this is a way to reduce our dependence on the federal and state governments to manage currency and the economy. (Consider that money which was tied into “BerkShares” most likely was not impacted by any of the national economic dips, crises, and scandals that have thrown so much of the nation’s wealth into instability.)
And the only action required by government for local currencies to work is to stay out of the way. (Which, unfortunately, it probably won’t do.)