Fremen Economics

The Sons of Idaho · Post by **The Sons of Idaho** » 17 Apr 2008 13:23

Does it seem weird to anyone else that the Fremen use the Spice in things like rugs and fabrics? It seems like kind of a waste.

It's been pointed out that they do trade Spice in the cities, and we all know how valuable it is. It seems that they would realize it makes alot more sense to take the Spice they use for their rugs or whatever and trade it, allowing them to buy materials to make a whole bunch of rugs and then some.

It would be like making a solid gold frying pan becasue you had a bunch of gold lying around. Sell the gold and buy frying pans for the whole sietch.

Granted, I'm sure some of the seitches have limited contact with the cites, but even the ones that do trade regularly seem to waste a valuable commodity.

Post by **Omphalos** » 17 Apr 2008 13:31

The Fremen in Dune have very little use for goods that come from off planet, at least as far as we know. As a matter of fact, the only two things that I can think of off the top of my head that they probably had to buy was material for stillsuits (there were so many of them, I personally don't see the raw materials being produced locally, though I could be wrong). The other thing that they had to "buy" was actually a bribe to the Guild to keep the satellites out. Other than that the Fremen probably had a barter driven economy, so large amounts of cash were not necessary. They also owned assets communally, it appears, so infusing large amounts of cash would create economic strata in the Fremen sietches, and they probably would have stopped that post-haste.

inhuien · Post by **inhuien** » 17 Apr 2008 14:15

The only resource that the Freman’s would recognise as having enough worth to base an economic model around , IMO, would be water and I don’t see them parting with water rings while the keeper was still alive. So I’m with Ompholas here, they must have had an barter system for internal transactions.

Phaedrus · Post by **Phaedrus** » 17 Apr 2008 15:03

With the versatility of the spice, I wouldn't doubt that a spice-rug would be a great rug. Probably much better than off-planet synthetics, which might dry out or get destroyed in the harsh desert environment.

Besides, the Fremen weren't about to give up their spice to the dirty Harkonnens just for some rugs. That's the suk mentality. No good Fremen would care more about money than honor.

orald · Post by **orald** » 17 Apr 2008 16:02

The Fremen actively acted to limit their dependence on off-world goods.
They used the spice for fabrics, explosives, food, trade, "plastics"(IIRC) etc. There's a scene when Paul and Jessica first arrive at the sietch and she smells and analyses all the stuff they make from spice.
I'm quite sure they made the stillsuit fabric from spice as well.

Regardless of that, the spice was still almost dirt cheap for them. They weren't as limited as the great houses in mining as they knew the desert and didn't just hobble in the fringes.
Can you imagine how much spice there is in the whole deep desert area? That's more than half the planet surface the "official" miners didn't touch.

Tyrant · Post by **Tyrant** » 18 Apr 2008 01:13

orald wrote:Can you imagine how much spice there is in the whole deep desert area?

enough to shake a stick at?

orald · Post by **orald** » 18 Apr 2008 02:54

I'm not sure what that expression means, I've heard it several times but not sure yet.

Because of that YOUR SOUL SHALL BE ETERNALLY BURNED IN HELL. Have a nice day.

Tyrant · Post by **Tyrant** » 18 Apr 2008 03:31

orald wrote:I'm not sure what that expression means, I've heard it several times but not sure yet.

Because of that YOUR SOUL SHALL BE ETERNALLY BURNED IN HELL. Have a nice day.

i dont think anyone knows where thet expression came from..it sure is funny though...seeing how its retarded and makes no sense..there for...its enough of a retarded expression to shake a stick at

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 18 Apr 2008 04:09

It just means a large number or amount of something, Orald, more than you can easily count (or measure).

Here's a quick link: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sha2.htm

Post by **Freakzilla** » 18 Apr 2008 08:25

Is that more than a buttload?

Nekhrun · Post by **Nekhrun** » 18 Apr 2008 08:39

Freakzilla wrote:Is that more than a buttload?

Depends on the butt.

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 18 Apr 2008 11:09

Yep. Ask Mariah.

Or Kevin.

orald · Post by **orald** » 18 Apr 2008 12:29

Kevin specializes in shitloads though.

Secher_Nbiw · Post by **Secher_Nbiw** » 09 Jul 2008 11:21

i think the fact that spice is so very versatile is an interesting allegory to hemp and cannabis, given how versatile hemp is. from ink to shampoo to cooking oil to clothes through to a nice pain-killer drug, all from the one plant.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 09 Jul 2008 11:32

The number of things made from petrolium is astounding too.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 09 Jul 2008 13:47

Freakzilla wrote:The number of things made from petrolium is astounding too.

The number of things we eat that are made from petroleum is astounding....

orald · Post by **orald** » 09 Jul 2008 16:24

Freakzilla wrote:The number of things made from petrolium is astounding too.

Even more than hemp.

Which brings me to question S_N's mental condition for thinking of spice as a metaphor for hemp and not oil first.
You're "high" now, aren't ya?

Phaedrus · Post by **Phaedrus** » 09 Jul 2008 19:03

orald wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:The number of things made from petrolium is astounding too.
Even more than hemp.

Which brings me to question S_N's mental condition for thinking of spice as a metaphor for hemp and not oil first.
You're "high" now, aren't ya?

When's the last time you used oil as a drug? =P

waff · Post by **waff** » 09 Jul 2008 19:10

Phaedrus wrote:
orald wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:The number of things made from petrolium is astounding too.
Even more than hemp.

Which brings me to question S_N's mental condition for thinking of spice as a metaphor for hemp and not oil first.
You're "high" now, aren't ya?
When's the last time you used oil as a drug? =P

Sniffing petroleum jelly?

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 09 Jul 2008 22:10

Lotsa gas sniffers around Alberta.

Secher_Nbiw · Post by **Secher_Nbiw** » 10 Jul 2008 02:55

I wish i was high now....:p but yeah, i can see the whole relationship between spice and oil as well, but i was re-reading something else not so long ago and remembered a comment about hemp.
god i wish i was hig......

orald · Post by **orald** » 10 Jul 2008 03:31

Phaedrus wrote:When's the last time you used oil as a drug? =P

A Thing of Eternity wrote:Lotsa gas sniffers around Alberta.

Well, I do work at a gas station...

smugetsu · Post by **smugetsu** » 25 May 2009 12:46

Freakzilla wrote:Is that more than a buttload?

Depends...standard or metric buttload?

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 25 May 2009 20:14

Metric, I should think. FH uses metric.

moreh_yeladim · Post by **moreh_yeladim** » 21 Jun 2009 21:53

smugetsu wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:Is that more than a buttload?
Depends...standard or metric buttload?

African or European?

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