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You probably knew this, but that statement is a bad mistranslation: "Die reale Wirtschaft darf nicht zum Monopoly-Spiel werden." = "The real economy must not be

You probably knew this, but that statement is a bad mistranslation: "Die reale Wirtschaft darf nicht zum Monopoly-Spiel werden." = "The real economy must not become a Monopoly game." (note the capital M in Monopoly). He isn't saying that bitcoin shouldn't monopolize the economy, he is saying that funny colored bills shouldn't be the economy. What the difference a capitalization makes... However, can anyone point me at what a "real" economy is in the first place? Rare near-useless metal hauled from the depths of the ear = real economy? Rare near-useless bits hauled from the depths of the internet = no real economy?

jambo 15y ago
I understood this in the original parent's comment from "monopoly game", and I suspect the original parent understood it & meant it that way. Rarely would those words be used together not meaning the board game. (NB nouns in German are all capitalized). In economics, in English, "real economy" refers to the creation of products and performance services as distinct from financial markets, but it's hard for me to tell if that's what is meant here. [edit: fixed my post to refer to the OP ]
- dualogy 15y ago
  Yes, the German "Realwirtschaft" is typically understood in the same way: production and services separate from financial "products" and services.
dmethvin 15y ago
I am not sure what a "real" economy is either. It seems that government entities (lookin at you, Greece) can make up whatever rules they want and the German bankers will grudgingly support it in order to perpetuate and maintain their control. But if you are simply a group of anonymous world citizens looking for a means of exchanging things of value in a way that can't be manipulated by governments and bankers, then you are simply playing a Monopoly game.
icegreentea 15y ago
I guess real vs everything else economy can be kinda defined as... take all 'economic' activity. Put everything into one of two groups. The group for which you can eliminate without harming your physical ability to continue to operate the other group is the 'not real' economy. Or in the words of my econ prof, the real economy is an engine that runs on the lubricant of money/currency. In other words, -any- currency market is by definition 'not the real economy'.

jambo 15y ago

I understood this in the original parent's comment from "monopoly game", and I suspect the original parent understood it & meant it that way. Rarely would those words be used together not meaning the board game. (NB nouns in German are all capitalized). In economics, in English, "real economy" refers to the creation of products and performance services as distinct from financial markets, but it's hard for me to tell if that's what is meant here. [edit: fixed my post to refer to the OP ]

dualogy 15y ago
Yes, the German "Realwirtschaft" is typically understood in the same way: production and services separate from financial "products" and services.

dmethvin 15y ago

I am not sure what a "real" economy is either. It seems that government entities (lookin at you, Greece) can make up whatever rules they want and the German bankers will grudgingly support it in order to perpetuate and maintain their control. But if you are simply a group of anonymous world citizens looking for a means of exchanging things of value in a way that can't be manipulated by governments and bankers, then you are simply playing a Monopoly game.

icegreentea 15y ago

I guess real vs everything else economy can be kinda defined as... take all 'economic' activity. Put everything into one of two groups. The group for which you can eliminate without harming your physical ability to continue to operate the other group is the 'not real' economy. Or in the words of my econ prof, the real economy is an engine that runs on the lubricant of money/currency. In other words, -any- currency market is by definition 'not the real economy'.