"TANSTAAFL may be a sound aphorism, but it divides us and limits our imagination."
Aphorism: A general truth.
Truth is empowering. It beats the hell out of falsehood. But it does divide. It divides the knowledgeable from the ignorant. And it removes limitations by expanding our imagination.
However, if you can't find support for your fantasies by sticking to the truth, it would "limit" your whims. Reality is so "limiting" that way. (Oh, the horror)
"...surely TANSTAAFL is not so much a thing anymore?"
Truths don't become falsehoods just because they don't support your fantasy. Or perhaps you meant we can now ignore that particular "truth"?
You make it clear you want to ignore theft "from each, according to their ability" and gift it to the needy. I'm betting you want to rename "theft" as "redistribution". But you want those of ability to keep producing? That was tried in the USSR for 74 years. It failed. Get over it. This so-called "nobel experiment" was neither nobel or new. The rich Russians got richer, and the poor looking to rob them got screwed. All lost in the end. It was an immoral, psychologically unhealthy, economically unsound social system that violated rights. It's version of authoritarianism was no better than the Czar's.
Your wish to revive it "under new management" is very popular now in the US Empire. News flash: Socialism with a fascist twist has been the dominate social theme for a century and it's killing us. And you want to go "all in" by killing off capitalism completely? Your faith in force is worse, more deadly than any religion.
"...TANSTAAFL must be solved."
It means we can't consume without production first, as a species. As an individual, consumption without production means someone else produced.
This is not a problem needing a solution. It is a fact of life. Deal with it.
"Money is a fiction."
Money is a medium of exchange, a way for us to realize our wellbeing quicker, more efficiently than barter. It's a tool, but like any tool in the hands of the unethical, it can be used destructively.
Money, as a concept, is complex. It requires a lot of thought & time. Just because you cannot understand it does not mean it is unreal. It took me 40 years to understand that the most defining (significant) thing about money is its usage, not its intrinsic value (precious metal).
In most points I agree with you. Money is no fiction. And IMO it's basement is trust. If I'm sure that I can buy stuff myself with rarely sea shells, then I will accept them as money for my services. Also IMO: in most cases there ain't no such thing as free lunch. This is what I learned in nearly 40 years as well.
What I like about the post of @kevinwong is, that he is starting with a bold statement: "There is such a thing called free lunch". Then he tried to argue for that. Nobody has to agree with that. Steemit is the free market version of social media. So, if there are no "buyers" for his arguments, then the product should be improved to make profit (if profit is the aim of the writing). As a capitalist I'm admiring the market, because he does not lie when he works proper. @kevinwong received 2.4 k SBD for it. This is really neat. Looks like a good product for me - despite I'm not agree to his last statement: "The fact is, there isn't such a thing called money. Only human values."
Yeah, sure. "Human values". The guy just made 2,432 SBD out of "human values". I call this a successful article.
Maybe many voted not for the specific outcome of his thinking, but because he is a true contrarian, that don't take something like #TANSTAAFL granted to be true, only because many people say so. That's why I voted for his post. Because he is a free mind that thinks for himself. No matter what the outcome is.
@capitalism & @onevoluntaryist My 55 yrs says, Very well said guys ! Both very well thought out and articulated ! +1 to you both