Currency

"Old" Whiskey

My Grandmother, it should be said, lived through the Depression as an adult, raising children. (She also lived through Prohibition as an adult for that matter) And that, as for most people, was an experience that made a lasting impression on her.

One impression was that you could count on whiskey. It did not go bad. If you wanted, you could drink it. But more importantly you could always spend it. In some ways, it was better than money. It was inflation proof. It did not suffer from devaluation or inflation. There were always people who would trade you for whiskey. They would fix your car, paint your house, doctors would look at your kids, people would sell you food, all for that wonderful commodity-whiskey.

Emphasis in the original.

And "New" Obedience

The past two years have seen a profound change occur in the American system.  Our basic currency is no longer the dollar.  People like Jason Levin understand the nature of our new currency, which is obedience.

Obama Democrats worship central planning.  They have repeatedly expressed the belief that only powerful, maternal government can be trusted to allocate the most essential resources, or manage vital industries.  The free market is a playpen, filled with the stuff that isn’t serious enough to merit direct control by the Mother State.  When a particular toy causes the children of the electorate to scream, it is quickly snatched out of the pen.  The free market can’t even be trusted to deal with airline fees for carry-on luggage… which turned out to be a market response to previous government action.  You are expected to sit quietly and swallow your tears if Mother State chooses to beat you over the head with one of your toys.

...

The Tea Party is the living incarnation of disobedience.  It is driven by the words and deeds of people who refuse to submit.  Its members demand the return of money and power appropriated by an out-of-control federal government.  They won’t allow their lives to be sculpted by the knives and chisels of penalties and subsidies.  They speak out against an ugly reality that President Obama’s supporters don’t like to confront: political control of the economy consists of directives, which require submission, which can only be assured through punishment.  No matter how benevolent the stated goals of such a system might be, there is nothing benevolent about the methods it must use to attain them.

Emphasis in the original.