Predicting Trump’s Policies: Americans Will Soon Be Bartering

Here is some history on the practice with a motivating quote

As the buying power of Americans continues to tank, we will all be turning to barter to maintain our chosen lifestyles. Here is some old history on the practice of barter.

Transportation Expands and Bartering Expands With It

Much of the trade that took place in the ancient world took place in marketplaces set up in ports. Boats and ships were the cheapest and fastest means of transport in those times, and concentrated populations, such as that in Egypt, settled close to rivers and waterways. Farmers’ wives would go to market with surplus goods to sell to sailors. The sailors, who were usually paid with grain, might exchange some of it for cloth, vegetables, wine, beer, or simple tools.

In addition to grain and plant-based oils (Olive, sesame, etc.), animals were the most common goods traded. All of these were measurable and could be weighed. This made them highly functional as the first forms of “transferable value” used in pre-industrialized societies. This made sense, since most of what individuals earned from their labors was used to purchase food anyway. Food choices in those times were limited. It was better and easier to pay them with food since they would be…