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I think the nuance is that money is made up, not that it is imaginary. It is an abstraction that lets you live in a society that will let people be cold and hungry without feeling too bad about it.

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Society is also made up. As are countries, corporations, laws, rights, and nearly everything that distinguishes a civilised society from barbarism. It's all made up, and yet it works.

Before money, people were also cold and hungry. I think money makes it easier to do something about it.

Agree, I just think the modern version of money makes it easier to hold the two ideas in your head that "I'm a good humanitarian" and "they can't afford a house because they are bad with money". Back in the old days they just plain thought poor people were inferior so they deserved poor treatment because of that.

Borders work even better for that 'abstraction'.

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