This Saturday January 10th 8-9 PM on It’s A Question Of Balance with Ruth Copland we consider ‘Should bartering be part of the economy?’ A barter economy is a cashless economic system. Barter has seen a resurgence in recent years due to economic insecurity, unemployment and low wages. In addition, the pervasiveness of the internet and social networking has increased the chance of matching people’s bartering needs successfully and so bartering has become more appealing because you probably can get the trade you want. Many people also enjoy the sense of community and connectedness amongst traders. However, some see bartering as a potential threat to a capitalist economy and also possibly open to abuse by people receiving welfare. In addition, the IRS considers a barter transaction the equivalent of a buy and trade transaction so it is subject to tax. Have you engaged in bartering? Should bartering be taxed? Do you see bartering as competing with the dollar currency? Or even as subverting capitalism? Is it a positive or negative in the economy?
What do you think? I get the views of people in the local area for our Out and About feature. Join us on Saturday 8-9 PM! For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
