When scarcity happens, people become selfish, it’s survival of the strongest, and everything falls off the rails and naturally goes to capitalism and hoarding resources.
I take huge exception to this. That is absolutely not the case in my experience. Poor people are often much more generous with their time and resources than rich people. Any given billionaire could give up 1% of their wealth to end hunger in their country, but they don’t. Rich people could give up their holiday homes and empty rental properties to end homelessness, but they don’t. And yet poor people will volunteer in food co-ops, donate to homeless shelters, work extra hours to provide for their families.
naturally goes to capitalism
Capitalism is only around 300 years old, it is absolutely NOT a natural state of affairs for humans. It’s just another way of arranging the economy like mercantilism or socialism.
Fair enough, that’s better reasoning for your argument (or I just understood you better this time haha). I don’t think I agree with you, because I would share with other people even on scarcity and I like to believe that people, at their core, have the capacity for kindness even in times of stress.
As for your other point about trade and barter, that’s fair enough. Socialism is also an economic system that involves money and trading - the difference is that the workers would cooperatively own their own shops, factories, etc. rather than having a CEO / landlord that just leeches off of the workers as it would be under capitalism.
Gift based economies have existed and do exist, but as you say, usually within small groups. And gifts can also be used as a form of currency in people’s minds, even if there’s no concrete tokens like money that get exchanged.