# Imagine if there were no posessions **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 4, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892 "2010-06-04T05:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892/61 "2010-06-08T15:20:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Banhart’s optic blasts are concussive force only. If they were lasers they would not be visible. You’re thinking of Devendra’s brother, Scott “Slim” Banhart. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892/62 "2010-06-08T15:38:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You’re thinking of Devendra’s brother, Scott “Slim” Banhart. Devenda is no relation to that cheating punk. I mean, the super-strength gene has arisen spontaneously half a zillion times; why not the optic blast gene? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892/63 "2010-06-08T18:26:58Z")
> [@Gypsybets](#): > > for a better word lets say god wanted us to all just do one thing,like a barter system with no money,i built the homes,someone else grew food someone else delivered the food someone else was a carpenter someone else was a acct,and everyone did there job for everyone and everyone did there job for you…but man is of sin and greed,but i think before we screwed up that was the way it was supposed to be,no $$$ just you do your job,and everyone else do there’s…i would be nice… This is the edited version? I’d hate to see the original. A barter system requires people having possessions - you’re thinking of communism. (The theoretical pure variant.) Which would indeed require a god-or-equivalent to **very very overtly and actively** manage and coordinate production and distribution to make sure that all the resources flowed to precisely where they needed to be at precisely the right time and were made into precisely the right type and amount of things to be shipped to where they next needed to be. A miracle every minute, literally, for any large society to pull this off. Also, thinking on the subject of not being able to own clothes (hmmmm :)), it crosses my mind that, when you eat, don’t you have to take food into your possession to do so, at least temporarily? I mean, people can’t take the food from my mouth (or stomach), so it’s mine, right? I might be willing to let Natalie Portman wear clothes if that’s what it took for me to be allowed to eat. Maybe. Well, after a few days anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892/64 "2010-06-08T21:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I might be willing to let Natalie Portman wear clothes if that’s what it took for me to be allowed to eat. Maybe. Well, after a few days anyway… As a compromise, I’d be willing to allow her to wear clothes while I eat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imagine-if-there-were-no-posessions/541892.md?page=3)