Funny Money?

The current 'occupy' protests sweeping the globe have now started on the mighty American dollar bill in a unique way, highlighting the wealth gap....

The designs depict the gulf in wealth throughout the US population, with several showing the large proportion of money owned by the affluent minority. A bill printed with “future property of the 1%” alludes to the ‘occupy’ movement’s intention to reclaim a greater share of international wealth.

“The main point is that we see it as [a way] to raise awareness of the issues and serve as a recruitment vehicle,” Ivan Cash of ‘Occupy George’ said. “There is a real challenge to get this movement even bigger, aside from recruiting friends it is tough to recruit strangers. We feel that with this movement the facts speak really loud and so people are forced to look at these prints and question, what do I think about this?”

The ‘Occupy George’ project was set up by a pair of California-based designers who have made dollar bill prints in support of the international ‘occupy’ movement. The branded notes are being circulated by protesters and citizens in San Francisco, with many more downloading the designs online.

“We are very committed to occupy Wall Street movement and just wanted to figure out a way of helping out after realising it was a viable cause,” added Ivan. “We think it is a much more effective way of trying to change minds by presenting people with the information so they can draw their own conclusions.”

‘Occupy George’ are attempting to print and circulate as many branded dollar notes as possible after first making the stamp templates. “We have an activist kit where people use their own printers but we are hesitant to charge people for this as it would be odd to be part of this movement and ask for money,” Ivan said.

The group is looking for a third party to provide stamps to those interested after their website was viewed more than 100,000 times in two days.

“What we are doing is illustrating on top of the bill and beautifying the money but by no means diminishing its worth,” asserts Ivan. “From what we can find this is a totally legal process, as we are not intentionally obstructing any dollar bills from being in circulation.”

Under US law it is illegal to render bank notes “unfit to be reissued” by mutilation or disfigurement.

Of course, good as this campaigning idea is, it would be more productive if globally we can work to eradicate money altogether by raising awareness not just of the failings of capitalism, but the improvements that could be brought about from a Socialist Revolution.

SussexSocialist

Based on material from Yahoo News here.