Stephen, I do understand some of what you're saying, in spite of the language being mostly that of Economics. Money, I agree, is an abstraction, and it should have a stable value. Example: I find satisfaction in using tools that are 150-200 years old, working directly with wood in its rawest form. Creating value by performing value-added processes … skilled labor. The old tools cost more or less as much as comparable new ones, while the wood is essentially free. If I work smart, I can earn a decent wage; while creating an object of value that will last for several lifetimes. Most human labor is concerned with "making money" which I see as different from "creating value" (cf. GDP). The people who are making the most money are too often doing the most damage to the planet.