Carl Barks, professor of economics

[lgiver@postoffice.pacbell.net]

  Still more discussion of money, value, economics, etc.  At the end of 
his seminar, HorizonHse asks "how did we get on this topic?"    Clearly, 
Scrooge is very interested in money, value, and economics, and this 
interest is transmitted to his readers and fans.  Indeed, Carl Barks was 
truly my first professor of economics.  Consider one of the early Donald 
Duck 10-page stories that had Scrooge:  "A Financial Fable"  C&S 126, 
March 1951.   Donald is unhappy with his job working on Scrooge's farm, 
and wishes for a windfall of riches.  But to not be greedy just for 
himself, he wished that everyone could have a million dollars, and then 
no one would have to work.   And that's what happened when a tornado 
emptied Scrooge's 3 cubic acre corn-crib money bin, putting all that 
cash in many other people's hands and back into circulation.    Then 
since many people were instantly rich, they perceived they no longer 
have to work for money and quit their jobs.  With very few people 
working, the economy came to a stand-still, and scarcity followed.  With 
lots of money in circulation, but very few goods (Scrooge's farm was the 
last source of food), a huge inflation followed.  Donald had to spend 
his million dollars to get a few things to eat and beg Uncle Scrooge to 
give him his job back.   I learned all this economic stuff from this 
story and many others by Carl Barks---it certainly wasn't taught in the 
schools.   So I expect this is true for other fans, too--knowledge of 
financial and economic things entered our heads at an early age from 
reading Scrooge stories by Carl Barks.