Quote Originally Posted by allodial View Post
The idea of trading currencies is quite silly. I suppose people who have little to nothing to offer of substance might insist on such things existing as 'currency trading markets'. Money lacking anything to buy or pay for would be worth what?

Speculative currency trading could only be about wagering on future valuation of the expected productive output of value of men, machines, etc. of any given society associated with the currency (perhaps its World Monetary Districts that are associated with any given scrip?). As for currency rates being based on a 'country's stability'--well what kind of stability can there be but good and civil order and productive output? So the stronger the currency the more sane the government and more productive its people? So does that

Merchants by definition buy AND sell ANYTHING, they aren't manufacturers. They wheel and deal on production of others--no surprise how immoral merchants could become nuisances to any given society. Canaanites were said to have been merchants.
The FOREX market is a global market running 24x5. $4 trillion dollars is the average daily turnover. Upwards of 70% to 90% of the trades in FOREX are speculative. The market is decentralized and OTC (Over-The Counter).

There is also arbitrage that occurs in the global FOREX market such as the carry trade where differentials in interests rates between nations can be capitalized for profit and gain.

Markets in general seem to be about drawing people into them by way of greed only to expenditure your time and energy on virtual property and derivatives rather than substance.