The LETSaholic Twist
- Everything you always wanted to know about LETS
... but didn't know who to ask.
About the book

This is the information James Taris shared with LETS groups all over the world on his international LETS tours between 2002-2004.

You can help support LETS-Linkup.com (and James) by purchasing a copy of his book, The LETSaholic Twist, now available in hardcover, softcover and ebook.

Why not buy a printed copy and rotate it amongst your LETS members?

CLICK HERE for more information about The LETSaholic Twist.

German Online Exchange System
Tauschring Bambali

Our German exchange system is called, Tauschring Bambali. It's in operation since August 2004 and has more than 2,000 members. Actually it is a web platform formed after the concept of LETS. It provides an own currency and a very unique money creation concept. Each registered member gets his/her own
secure virtual postbox and account for managing offers/requests.
Participation is for free.

web: http://www.bambali.net/

Kind regards, T. Sasse

Related Links

Das Tauschhaus - Irgendwie Clever!
Hello James, i am looking at your site and wont to tell you my Exchanges System Website for good old Germany. Only online exchange. Its New. Mit freundlichen Grüßen Heiko Drewes - Das Tauschhaus
web: http://www.dastauschhaus.de
web: http://www.taetigkeitstausch.de

TauschringPortal.de
One of the better LETS address collections for Germany
web: http://www.TauschringPortal.de

Aktuelle Geldexperimente
web: http://www.free.de/geld/experimente.html
email: mfn@anarch.free.de

German Information Platform
web: http://www.tauschringe.org
This is an information platform which has hardly any content on its own but is providing links (mainly under Orga) to discussion forums, the documentation of the "Bundestauschringtreffen" (federal annual meetings), and the "specialist" who take care on certain aspects of the Tauschring movement.

German LETS Software
(for Windows and Mac)
web: http://home.debitel.net/user/baillie/start.htm

Goldring
(also see "The Goldring" article below)
I have developed a new 'money and social system', State Without Taxation, with citizen money for all. This enables participation no efficient people. It is no complement currency, it is an alternative human, fair money-system. Do away with the problem of indebtness, poverty and trouble.
This sytem has existed in Germany since 1997.
It's name is "Goldring" - no problems.
web: http://www.patentrezept.de
Guenter Koch
D-91058 Erlangen
Tel: +499131-771532
(I speak only German)
CLICK HERE for (German) GOLDRING Power Point Presentation
CLICK HERE for English Text for GOLDRING Power Point Presentation

Gute allgemeine bersicht
web: http://home.t-online.de/home/h.-j.werner/taurnf2.htm
email: h.-j.werner@t-online.de

Social Fiction
(English/German)
web: http://www.social-fiction.de
Rolf Schroeder
(Talente Tauschring Hannover)
email: RolfSchroeder.H@t-online.de
S. Flor describes the local markets of the year 2029 which complement the established global market system. Economic activity is not restricted to the world of Dollar, Yen, Euro or whatever anymore. It was back in 1987 when I received the first message of S. Flor. Until now I am not sure what is really behind these "reports from the future" - I leave it open whether they are conveyed by means of a time tunnel or it is just a simple fake. For anyone who believes that the social and ecological challenges of our time will result not only in technological, but also in profound social innovations - this contribution will be exciting news.

Tauschrausch
(most popular German LETS software programme)
web: http://www.ruben-schnelle.de/taurau

Heidemarie Schwermer
"As one lives without money"
Have you met Heidemarie?
Below is a computer translation of one of her interviews

Heidemarie Schwermer, 60, worked in Dortmund as Psychotherapeutin, before she decided 1996 to change their life. Since that time it gave away its saving and its entire possession, quit dwelling and health insurance and lives on exchanging.

Text: Johanna Adorján
photo: Juergen stone out = > www.jetzt.de

How do you pay your rent?
The first two years I have only in dwellings used, whose owner straight had travelled, and the house guarded. As return I was allowed to live and eat in vain. So was I times, times here, where I was used evenly straight.

And today?
There I have several possibilities. I have the key to an office, there can I always. Then I have still the key to the dwelling of a woman, who so well is never there. For three years it maintains its critically ill old nut/mother, must with it be around the clock, and so its dwelling stands quasi empty. When I heard of it, I suggested helping and but with it to sleep being allowed with the care of the nut/mother. It does not have additional costs by me - except the bed I do not use anything.

Isn't the own bed missing to you?
But I have today so many more that I did not have in former times: Contacts, for me the most important at all. Once the week go I to a family and bring there the children in the bed. Parents get a free evening, I overnight accomodation, evening bread, breakfast, and I can wash my laundry also there. And on weekend I always am with a woman, who sits in the wheelchair.

Mrs. Schwermer, which you have against money?
Why? I do not disparage money or legend, everything am without money to live. I do not have anything against money. Displeases me however, what we made from it. Money is today more than one article of exchange - it defines the value of humans. If I have much, I am also much worth.

Rather radically to do there directly completely without money.
Originally it was planned only as experiment of one year, but then I had, how my life wins thereby, and thereby remained noticed. To me it concerns to overcome the gap between arm and realm. In Dortmund, where I live, there are much poverty, many homeless people. Always very the close went to me, and a daily heard I in the radio of an exchange ring in Canada. In a village a factory had been received, all citizens became unemployed. Those have themselves then mutually helped by exchange: I repair your roof for you, you watch out for my baby. I found that plausible, and so I had created an exchange ring, the giving and taking center. And in order to prove that it functions, I decided to get along completely without money.

Is that not terribly complicated? What do you make for example, if you want to go into the cinema?
I consider myself, with whom I could go there, and then offer I to that something, which I could do in response for him.

They depend always on others.
I feel myself as more independent than in former times. I can do and leave, what I want. I can decide each morning, how I mean day arrange. In addition money means often also a separation between humans. Naturally it is pleasant to pay with money but isolates. Humans go loosely, get themselves everything for money and have all day long no discussions. With me it already begins, if I want to drive only times with the streetcar. I have the numbers of five people, which have transferable tickets. Those I call, ask whether I can borrow it. I fetch it: Contact. I return it: Contact.

Now you wrote = > a book concerning your experiences, "the star valley he experiment", and for it naturally money receive. What do you make thereby?
Four years long I lived completely consistently without money, no Pfennig touched - since newest I possess again a purse. Now and then I buy somewhat, I want to be not dogmatisch. But I give away most. If I see someone, that really somewhat needs - gives alone educating mothers, homeless person, enough, which have too little, - those gives I then which.

Do you dream about the fact that all live in such a way like you?
No, everyone must find its own way. There is such a mass consciousness over it, what is important in the life: School, Abitur, study, a good occupation, an own house, a large car... That may be correct for some, but nevertheless not for everyone!

Who without money to do does not want...
... that can begin small. He can ask himself for example with each thing, which he wants to buy,: Do I really need that? Completely fast it will notice that one buys very much redundant, many more dresses for example, than one actually braeuchte.

But the straight things, which one does not need necessarily, make nevertheless at most fun.
If it makes fun for someone to buy dresses which are not urgently necessary, then is also correct for it - and then this humans need also. I not.

What is luxury for you?
Everything. That I sit now here. That I am busy with meaningful things around the clock. That I could drive a few weeks theoretically now to Portugal, a house to guard. That was offered to me straight, but I had rejected. I do not want to make in Portugal vacation - I want to change the world.

___________________________

The “Goldring” as a Model for a Worldwide Monetary System

Günter Koch
Prickheimerweg 4, 91058 ERLANGEN Germany
Tel. 0049+9131+771532
Email: goldring@t-online.de
Web: http://www.patentrezept.de

From about 1990 onwards I have been thinking about the problems concerning money. I didn’t want to deal with the fact that we (the German people) were supposed to make do with less and less so many years after the end of the last war (1945). After all we’d worked hard for 45 years so things should be getting better and better for us.

Instead a situation arose where the rich are becoming even richer without doing anything to earn their wealth and debt is affecting more and more people from all walks of life. Not least of all the State that is itself piling up worrying debts.

Paradoxically in spite of huge supply (look at advertising) urgent needs are not being wholly met . This problem doesn’t just exist in Germany but in the world at large and is continuing unabated. I was quite certain that the monetary system as applied throughout the world had to be at fault. How was I supposed to uncover their faults when a whole army of well-paid specialists all over the world, especially economists and politicians, weren’t able to either?

I then decided to get on the track of things.

You can check a theory e.g. an economic theory by trying it out. If it’s by and large impossible or is too risky (the theory could be wrong) then you can construct model examples to this end.

If a theory works with a model that is not proof that it’ll work with other models. If the model proves to be faulty or unsuitable it is at best conditionally valid and will lead to problem in reality. You can therefore prove only the falseness of a theory but not its total correctness.

A model should be as small as possible and only as large as necessary.

According to this method I refuted traditional economics and falsified it in the above sense.

A concept arose whereby a State does not levy taxes and pays everyone a basic income to survive.

Full of pride and enthusiasm I passed the concept on to our politicians but unfortunately had to realise that there was no interest in it. That puzzled me a great deal and lead to the conclusion that politicians – for whatever reason – aren’t interested in the solution to the problem at all. I wasn’t willing to accept that my work was pointless and that people should be made to continue suffering under this faulty system. I had to put the concept into practice.

So it was that I set up Goldring in 1977.

The Goldring is the functioning model of a State that survives without taxation according to the above-mentioned concept and in which each citizen receives a civil income. This concept requires a physical currency, cash. I could have created this system’s own paper money. In doing so I would have come into conflict with the law. Thus I decided to use gold. Gold (bars or coins) can be purchased at a bank and also be resold. You can exchange them or give away as presents. The currency in Goldring is money with a 999.9% purity initially in small bars of 5,10 and 20 grams. It is planned to change the bars into coins when the membership numbers and hence the amount of money grows so that everyone can carry it around with them in their purses and use it a method of payment.

Goldring differs from other LETS in that even people can take part who are not actually producing anything or providing a service e.g. senior citizens, children and moreover a large number – the unemployed – who because of a highly automated economy aren’t used /needed for work. What counts is this: everything doable can be financed. That also affects public services that given our present size are still of course small yet still in existence. Should the system have made its mark it will be of interest to mothers for example. A mother naturally has access to the Bürgergeld (civil income) of the children whom she looks after and thus earns money. Work expands with the number of children but also income. In this way important work for society’s growth is fully recognised and financed.

The function has fully met my expectations. There have been no problems so far (apart from the still insufficient maximum of the civil income caused by a low membership number and the Goldring’s economic strength. On the basis of this I recommend the LETS system (that is earmarked for this) and all other progressive forces joining up with my system in order to establish a new worldwide, just economic order. Even an imitation comes closest in practice to my economic system and is to be welcomed. A comprehensive description would take up too much space. I will gladly supply more detailed information. However I speak only German but translation is possible.

Please help me – DOING is the way to succeed!

Günter Koch

Please send corrections or updates to current email address as shown on homepage.

National name:
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

President:
Horst Koehler (2004)

Chancellor:
Angela MERKEL

Area:
137,846 sq mi
(357,021 sq km)

Population (mid-2005 est.): 82,431,390
(average annual growth rate: –0.1%);
birth rate: 9.2/1000;
infant mortality rate: 4.7/1000;
density per sq mi: 602

Capital and largest city (1995 est.):
Berlin (capital since Oct. 3, 1990), 3,386,667

Other large cities (2001):
Hamburg, 1,704,735;
Munich, 1,194,560;
Cologne, 962,507;
Frankfurt, 643,821;
Essen, 599,515;
Dortmund, 590,213;
Stuttgart, 582,443;
Düsseldorf, 568,855;
Bremen, 540,330;
Hanover, 514,718;
Duisburg, 519,793

Monetary units:
Deutsche Mark and euro

Language:
German

Ethnicity/race:
German 91.5%,
Turkish 2.4%,
Italians 0.7%,
Greeks 0.4%,
Poles 0.4%,
other 4.6%

Religions:
Protestant 38%,
Roman Catholic 34%,
Muslim 1.7%,
Unaffiliated or other 26.3%

Literacy rate:
99% (1977)

Background:
As Western Europe's richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries formed a common European currency, the euro.

Coastline:
2,389 km

Geography - note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea.