The Yellow Shells

The work is intended to be a text to inform the reader of some basic economic tools a sovereign government has at its disposal to manage the economy. To make the discussion a little more interesting, the story is set against the backdrop of a fictitious island community. The story tells of how the islanders used shells as their money and then, as the island population grew, the demand for shells began to outstrip their supply. The story starts with an introduction containing some...
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The work is intended to be a text to inform the reader of some basic economic tools a sovereign government has at its disposal to manage the economy. To make the discussion a little more interesting, the story is set against the backdrop of a fictitious island community. The story tells of how the islanders used shells as their money and then, as the island population grew, the demand for shells began to outstrip their supply. The story starts with an introduction containing some quotes to provide the reader with some factual basis for some of the things the story covers. Two former US Presidents are quoted (George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt) and there are also quotes from Malcolm Fraser (a former Prime Minister of Australia) and from Sir David Attenborough. The Constitution of Australia is also referenced. The story explores the development of paper money as a medium for exchange, the development of a banking system, savings, employment, domestic production, inflation, public and private investment, environmental and social concerns, and issues of national sovereignty. Sustainability is put under the spotlight and draws attention to the important need to use economic tools carefully. The text may be useful as a general introduction to economics for young people in their secondary schooling years. It may also be of benefit to politicians, political commentators and others who may not have studied economics but find that they might like to be a little more familiar with some of the basic economic principles. Such basics can quite often be lost in the push by one school of economic thinking to have its theory adopted as the only correct pathway, when in fact economic theory can easily follow some other pathway that may in fact be even more relevant to a society. It really depends on what is wanted from life. The Yellow Shells is intended to help the reader to understand and to think. It is intended to also challenge the reader's understanding and appreciation of his or her own values.