Production and processing create added value. Wealth is the accumulation of this added value. Distribution shares this added value among economic entities. Cultivating coffee trees generates added value for green coffee beans, while roasting those beans adds further value to the coffee product. Grinding the beans and extracting them with water creates and consumes the added value of a cup of coffee. Finance enables the distribution of the added value generated by this production and processing through the use of money, facilitating the easy accumulation of that value. However, finance can leverage its power only because there was prior production and processing. The challenge arises when the compulsory circulation power of currency enables the ownership of labor and resources that underpin production and processing, along with real estate, which is foundational to its existence. If production, processing, and distribution are dictated by money’s compulsory circulation power, who will g...
A painting embodies both media and authority. The mural in the medieval cathedral catered to the illiterate, who could not read the Bible. Access to written information was granted solely to priests, representing a form of power. The Reformation diminished this authority. New forms of media transform power dynamics, either generating or redistributing power. This influence shapes our everyday experiences. Writing, photography, and graphics continue to affect power structures. To understand the shifts in power, you must engage in a blend of art and business. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”