「お金のいらない国」長島龍人 Money, Money, Money

お金のいらない国に住む紳士と「私」の会話で進む物語。

その国では、誰もが自分の好きな活動をし、それが他の誰かのためになっています。例えば電気製品を作ることが好きな人が電気製品を作り、それを店へ運ぶのが好きな人が運び、それを使いたい人が使う、という具合。その流れの中に料金は発生しません。欲しい物はいつでも無料でお店から持ってくればいいのです。欲しいものが容易に手に入るので、持たざる者が持てる者を羨んだり、ましてや盗んだりということがありません。山ほど物を持ちたがる人もいません。老人も子供も好きな時に学校に行き、気の合う人と一緒に好きなことをします。

一方「私」は、働いてお金を稼いで必要なもの、欲しい物を買う世界に住んでいます。お金を見たことが無い紳士にお金の説明をすべく悪戦苦闘していくうちに、それは本当に必要なのか？という根本的な疑問が浮き上がってきます。

「子供でも読める簡単な本」に見えて、「子供なら分かるけど、大人になってしまうと難しい本」かもしれません。

さて、あなたなら「お金って何？」という問いにどう答えますか。「所有」がない世界は実現すると思いますか。それともこれは絵空事だと思いますか。

This mysterious gentleman comes from a country where money is unnecessary.

In his country, everyone does what they love, and that leads to helping others. For example, those who love to make electronic devices make them, those who love to deliver them to stores deliver them, and those who want to use them use them. There are no fees involved in this process. Everyone can get whatever they want, whenever they want, for free.  So, even if you don't have many things, you don't feel envy or jealousy of those who have it all. Of course, there is no need to steal, and no one wants to accumulate mountains of material wealth. Everyone, from the elderly to children, goes to school whenever they want and does what they love with their friends.

In the narrator's world, people cannot do anything without money. Even if you don't like your job, you have to work to earn it.  The gentleman has never seen money in his life.  While struggling to explain what money is to the gentleman, a fundamental question arises: Do we really need money?

"Country Without Money, No. 1-5" are short and easy books.  Children can read them easily.  But adults may find it difficult to accept.

So, how would you answer the question, "What is money?" Do you think a world with no possessions is possible?  Or, am I just  a dreamer?