Penny wise ankle-biter

"Daddy, why do we have to use our own money to buy things?"
A very good question, from a tiny, pant-leg tugger.
My youngest daughter wondered why things aren't just provided for us - all of us - and why we have to use something as nasty as money to get what we need.
I couldn't very well debate the merits of European socialism or the ideology of Marxism with a five-year-old.
She made me think, this little intuitive offspring of ours. I quite like the system used in Scandinavian countries - true welfare states where citizens are on a level playing field, given the necessities of life, comprehensive health care, government-subsidized housing (not in our sense) and insurance against illness and old age. Sure, residents are heavily taxed to pay for such a system, but really, if it works, what's wrong with it?
I'd be happy to part with half of my income if my family and I were guaranteed a mortgage-free house to live in; inclusive health care; decent old age security and family benefits should we become ill and can't work.
On a purely philosophical level, think about it. What would happen to our society if we removed the evils of money and the drive to accumulate material wealth? None of us would have to outdo our neighbours. We wouldn't buy bigger and bigger SUVs, diamond rings or gold watches. We wouldn't need designer jeans, the latest in athletic footwear or an exhausing litany of logos and labels. We'd all be driving around in Smart Cars wearing green jumpsuits, but we'd be happy, healthy and stress-free.
Sounds like a perfectly fair trade-off to me.
Of course, others would see this as heresy, claiming that society as we know it would crumble and fall. Again, is that a bad thing?
I often joke with others during this current stress-filled time in my life that shedding all modern chains, moving to a tropical locale and living in a treehouse is looking mighty good. We'd get plenty of Vitamin D, eat off the land, get plenty of exercise and be one with nature.
In the Tim Burton film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie wants to sell his golden ticket for money so the family can buy necessities. But one of his grandparents takes him aside and points out there's plenty of money in the world and they print more of it all the time. Why would Charlie want to trade his unique ticket for something as common as money? Why indeed?
Maybe the joke's on us. We're racing towards an early grave with that carrot on a stick, forever out of reach.