5,000 Years — Debt: The First

History, according to Graeber, moves in long cycles between (credit based on trust) and bullion (hard metal based on force):

: Graeber explains how the phrase "surely one has to pay one's debts" acts as a moral bludgeon, making even the most predatory or violent relationships seem fair and unremarkable. The 5,000-Year Cycle Debt: The First 5,000 Years

: Since the end of the gold standard, we have returned to a virtual credit era, though its rules are still being defined. Available Editions History, according to Graeber, moves in long cycles

: For more than 5,000 years, humans used elaborate credit systems to trade goods long before coins or cash were invented. according to Graeber