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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 No. 3. 15th March 1972

[Letter from W. Blennerhassett to Salient. Vol 35 No. 3. 15th March 1972]

Sir,

Can any of your intelligent readers explain why hippies and the like refer to money as "bread" and to marijuana as "shit?" The original bread was of course the subject of a great Biblical quandary, whether it was the staff of life, or was it not to be lived by alone, I would be saddened to hear that the biggest crisis for todays youth Is over the real worth of money.

Further, Freud and co note the close psychological connection between shit (meaning excrement) and bread (meaning money). The point out the body of phrases in the language connecting the two (eg 'filthy lucre' and 'making your pile' and 'rolling in It'). They conclude that such traits as excessive orderliness, the accumulation and hoarding of money, and the pride taken in money and material possessions are the adult equivalent of the tendency of children to play with and treasure their excrement. Now do these hippies refer to marijuana as shit because of the same childish association-? Or because of some equally juvenile criminal association-?

Now I'm not going so far as to say we should nickname marijuana 'bread'. The dietary double entendre might prove too tempting, and the possible revaluation of the Biblical texts might not prove too flattering to hippie Ideals.

But I do suggest that money do hereafter be referred to as shit. For not only will the subconscious be more aptly reinforced, but also yet another Anarchist precept will thereby the accepted into the popular dialogue.

W. Blennerhassett.