How Money went Bad: A History of Money (Very brief and very incomplete)

[mrcrazyawesomeguy]

Hey Jaimie. Here in Denmark Our bank transfers are done within a day, so i'f you need more evidens that the american bank system is Toying around with your money, There it is ;)

[TheHolySpirit]

Oh, and check out Bitcoin if you want a new way of transferring funds anywhere on the planet without a bank taking huge transfer fees.

[TheHolySpirit]

Haha.. this story seems kinda familiar right now!!! :D

The money coming into the limbo area is going to stop really soon! The day that happens isn't going to be a fun day if you've got money in the bank. See Zimbabwe in 2008, Or Argentina, or Turkey or Weimar Germany in the 1920s for details. Can you spell H-y-p-e-r-i-n-f-l-a-t-i-o-n?

[scientrophic]

Your voice-acting is very funny. I laughed heartily. I started listening to Atlas Shrugged on tape at work to see what all the fuss is about, and one of the characters goes on a 20-minute tirade about the inherent morality of money as a unit of exchange between human beings who would otherwise negotiate with weapons, and that money motivates people to technological achievement because human beings are lazy by default. You are obviously a contradiction of these ideas. Those ideologues...

[pinkydaslayer]

Why not just say "jew" instead of scheisty/bank man?

[osolodo]

So true

But I think of the economy as the matrix.

It uses me

And I use it*

*honestly, at least I tell my family that my interest rates are extortionate.

[MrDeverill]

So do you only deal in physical cash Jamie?

[MrDeverill]

FANTASTIC video.

[squirrelbong]

this is my favorite video of yours...whenever I feel down about my finances I just watch this video and it puts everything back into the proper perspective.

[SK8MAN9909]

Ok my head hurts now but very insightful

[slopedarmor]

This makes me remember zeigeist...

which is not a bad thing.

[Elephantintheroom01]

So, JMe, do you use bank accounts? Internet banking? etc?

[roidroid]

@215858452845 sounds complicated, why not just use the Euro instead?

[roidroid]

Since the gold trinkets were worth nothing in the first place - does anyone really care if it's replaced by something that's worth 1% of "nothing"?

Farmer feeds blacksmith, makes sword for soldier, defends dog breeder, breeds dog to guard farm crops. The circle can get so complex that strangers can't trust eachother's IOU's. Money fixes this, and also creates a virtual surplus so that all transactions can happen at once in parallel (instead of one at a time).

And that's the story of money.

[funkbeastbasslover]

my OCD went crazy when you pointed the camera at the table and there was this little white spec on your table. i actually got itchy wanting to get it off the table lol on a more relevant note this was very well put across, and although people may not like having such in your face truths thrown at them they will need it eventually. Being a college student and musician with almost nothing in my own bank, I rediscovered the greatness of trading physical goods. more people need that in their lives.

[greenteen85]

My man Jaimie, Tellin'. it. like. it .is.

[Nimrod910]

This is great.

[1981fisherman]

the world is a shame now days!!!

[funkbeastbasslover]

@1981fisherman it has been a shame, for a VERY long time

[McMaster]

That was excellent.

[stoyashot]

Jaimie, I like the fact you are addressing a problem that seems to be really strange and negative. But we should not expect the worse of people although some might make us feel this way. Im only 18 years old so I dont know a lot but thinking bad about one another isnt going to help. You must be aware that youth is watching your videos and they already get the impression we are living in a strange bad world, please dont make us feel worse about the world and ourselves.

[JMEMantzel]

@stoyashot Sorry about making you feel bad. The fact is, though, that we are left with this problem. Ignoring it won't make it go away. Burying your head in the sand is an easy way to deal with this kind of thing in the short term, but helps to perpetuate the problem in the long term.

It is up to us. ....every individual to do what we can to make it more difficult for "sheisty man" to operate. A bit of resistance from everyone sure adds up quick.

[stoyashot]

@JMEMantzel I agree, we cant close our eyes but not all bankers are bad. A lot of them use "their money" to try to make the world better. Just as we all are trying to make the world better in our own ways. To bad the media always uses extremes and mostly the negatives to try to "educate" us. They forget to show us that we are all humans who do their best. We only "see" the ones who "fail".

(I am putting their money in quotation marks because all our money is the money of others, right?)

[stoyashot]

@JMEMantzel But I guess you are talking about the distribution of "wealth", right? But money is nothing if you cant help others with it. If you only help yourself with the money by trying to materialize your love, you end up with nothing. Even Newton made "mistakes" by trying to turn lead into gold, so what. Eventually he did make the world a better place.

[Tolan69]

@JMEMantzel It also doesn't help to hide the real world from the youth. When I finally got into the real world, I was depressed initially, but I changed my thinking and have gotten out of the rut. I used to keep most of my money in a bank till I figured out that I spend it too quickly when it's in there...now I keep mostly in cash and don't take it all when I'm out shopping, making my selections limited and deliberate. Love this vid. Thanks for doing it.

[jeffery19677]

@JMEMantzel Yeah, but stoyashot does make a good point. Another thing. "sheisty man" was government. Kings and such... The modern banker is heavily regulated and only does what the government allows. "Predatory Lending practices" were REQUIRED by the community investment act. You are blending government and fiat currency into one big glob. Money has its place, and there are bad guys doing business everywhere. Wow, this is the first time I disagreed with you...You are still cool. :-)

[insanity54]

@stoyashot It's reality, kid. Get used to it.

[billgatesisevil]

@stoyashot read The Creature from Jekyll Island 

[masonkim7]

@stoyashot you weak sheep. instead of being a pussy and trying to not feel 'bad' try to face the problem at hand.

[jeffery19677]

@masonkim7 If you didn't call stoyashot names, he would probably be more likely to listen to your argument. Name calling is for people who don't have a legitimate argument.

[F0gstridEr]

you are best!

[chunkyfecalbreakfast]

In the UK there has been a system called "Faster Payments" developed so that you can transfer money between bank accounts within 2 hours rather than the previous 4 to 5 working days with the BACS system. Uptake has been very slow, most institutions now accept Faster Payments but most are still sending via BACS. I wonder why!

[Dark0Strike]

The best is if when you need to borrow money, which usually is of the XXK and imaginary variety , and its design to keep you paying as much as possible as long as possible. I know that's how business works but the extra fees on top of the interest is what gets me. Or even worse the interest on top of interst.

What I find really funny is how the countries can trade and spend billions of dollars that never really exsisted. The become so high that they actually lose a real tangible value.

[Reximusprimebeta]

I am in total agreement! the only reason I have a bank account is because I have to have one to cash my paycheck. I do use paypal on occasion for purchasing things I cannot find locally but there is no waiting with paypal. Click! Done! Down with evil banks!

[Apelof]

Brilliant video.

[ChrillePHW]

By far one of your more interesting videos.

[GarothThorp]

You're very convincing to a lot of people, and that worries me as usual. I'd really prefer you put in the extra time to add proper sources to your information, so it doesn't seem like you're just making it up or telling half the story. As someone who went to university, your version always seems horribly biased.

[KGB240]

@GarothThorp Try as I might to objectively understand your point of view , I'm having a difficult time resolving Jamie's story as anything but factual. Entertainingly presented, but factual nonetheless. Perhaps, as someone who went "to university", you would care to elaborate on which aspects you consider to be debatable.

[JMEMantzel]

@KGB240 Thanks, KGB240. Thats exactly what I was thinking ...and not that its important, but I went to University too. ...and learned the same garbage other people did ...and I know first hand that it really smarts accepting the fact that the "knowledge" I invested 4 year and thousands of dollars is is total crap.

So, I do get it when people like that dude get snarky about my pointing out the obvious. Still... pretending something isn't so, doesn't negate it.

KGB still watching yoo!

[BigRoach1962]

love it thanks man

[adddtd]

Awesome video Jaimie. Have you heard of the Zeitgeist Movement? They are all about how the whole economic system is horrible for the human race and the planet. Their latest movie Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (the whole thing is on YouTube) covers the money system from a similar point of view as you. If you wanted to skip right to that part, it starts at 42:17.

[thescientistmelitta]

"pirate organization of terror"

awesome

[WizzleThump]

Great video, I hope your younger viewers can learn something from this!!

[phlanderz]

check this out

Bitcoin is a digital currency created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto

bitcoin.org



[Goop023]

Hey i wanted a bank account for some time but then all the stuff that you said flashed through my head in like an instant,this was like 2 years ago ,then i thought why dont i just get a safe for christmas. Also long long before i saw your channel i dreamed and i still do about living like you. Exept on a mountian in Utah.

[09890897]

So its the greedy Jews fault? Or is it man kinds essential illness?

[wayoutwestify]

JME I made my eight year old son watch this video .. He loved it .. Sparked a great conversation between us after. Thank You So Much .. Im always trying to teach my kids to be more self sufficent .. this world needs alot more jme,s .. we try to trade for everything we cant make ! screw the dollar

[possenti]

I love you, man.

[mattegeniet]

for a more detailed view I'd recommend "money as debt" (you can find it on youtube), which says basically the same thing as this video, but a lot more detailed.

[aggrav8d]

You should read Newton and the Counterfeiter to get your story straight.

Also, some people continue to regard the word 'shyster' as referring particularly to Jews.

[mattegeniet]

really simplified, but mostly right I suppose. In reality there are regulations on banks though, on what they may do and how. What happened to country's who were bad off during the crisis (like the U.S. Greece and Ireland) was that the regulations weren't hard engough and didn't work while country's with better regulations (i.e. northern Europe (except Iceland)) was that regulations worked pretty well. The system works as long as we are able to produce more stuff, but that's bad for environment.

[OHT53]

The enormity and complexity of this subject gives my a headache when I think about it Jamie is correct the average person has been ripped off. Concerning self-sufficiency think about all the things you need and you don't have when the currency collapses items of value will become the new currency gold, silver, salt, shoes whatever also expect barter to be banned the government may trade new currency for the old currency or perhaps say $50,000 for an ounce of gold what ever is done we're screwed

[kukelz]

I love the story time style, its so entertaining! Yeah..all this money that goes around man...pfffff. There is more money earned by loaning services and stocks then is made with actual making products. WTF... :S

[Zekian]

Jaime, they don't just siphon the money off, they invest it to make more money usually though loans to people, companies, other banks.

The problem is when they don't get the money back. As I understand it certain banks were giving out Loans too regularly and when people struggled to pay them back, they could no longer give the bank their money back.

But government don't want to see the people who had money in those banks without their savings, and bailed out the bank.

[WolfBrownie]

As for electronic fund transfers taking longer than they could... Yes, they do. Bankers drag their feet so that it stays the same way as when real checks passed back and forth. In fact, they still use paper records that tally up a weeks or a months worth of transactions to back up the electronics. Silly, but it's banking...

And they don't steal your money and make a ponzy scheme. They loan it out over night and make interest off it. Originally to have it make up for the processing costs.

[WolfBrownie]

Jaimie,

Coinage was invented when trade started to expand from village to village. Mostly when governments were formed over larger areas essentially. Kings needed to be able to regulate fair trade when someone wanted to sell and buy and different places. This was in fact to make it easier to keep the cheaters in line. [It also allowed ease in taxation, so it was completely altruistic in nature]

[holysven]

You should watch Zeitgeist dude

[davetoepfer]

@JMEMantzel money goes into the general fund from which it is paid out. But SS is not a fraud, which is what a Ponzi Scheme is. It's just not the retirement savings accouny people think it is. But it never was.

[davetoepfer]

@JMEMantzel It was instituted to keep the elderly from starving in the streets as they used to because they were no good as labor anymore and they worked at a job with no pension or more recently for a company which robbed the pension fund. Sure, you don't have a personal guaranteed account bucket. There is no lock box. The money goes into the general fund. But SS is not a fraud, which is what a Ponzi Scheme is.

[davetoepfer]

@JMEMantzel Social Security is not a Ponzi Scheme. It is a single-payer pay-as-you-go entitlement program similar to the Canadian Health Care System. That's how they are able start such systems up and not have to wait to accrue reserves. You pay in now so someone in need gets paid as they need it. And when you get paid it will be because someone else is paying in. It was instituted to keep the elderly from stariving in the streets as they used to because they were no good as labor anymore and t

[GSKGagaZet]

why does the bankerman have a jewish accent, mr. mantzel? :D

Nice explanation, it's sure a nice information for folks

[warravenfk2001]

you forgot about interest ;) A lot of Financial Institutions have lag days where the money being transferred sits in that FI's account drawing interest. So basically the bank is using your money to 'make' more money.

[Lhorkan]

@warravenfk2001 Aye, that's what I was thinking throughout the video as well.

The point remains the same though; money gets skimmed off the top and put in their own pockets in the form of bonuses, and money that doesn't exist gets spent on stuff in order to make more money (like buying subprime mortgages). Like Jamie said, the system collapses as soon as real money stops entering the system.

[carp1844]

The icing on the cake was when they repealed Glass-Steagall. Now the banks can siphon the money out and then gamble with it. But don't worry. Even if the house wins the banks still don't lose because our tax dollars will bail them out. See....everybody wins! Well, almost everybody.

[futsalfred2]

I wish I had the financial knowledge to question this, but I don't, I'm an engineering student who hates learning about commerce. What I find scary is all the people who are saying 'Wow thats awesome Jaimie, banks suck, you're the best, independence forever!!', I really doubt most of them are questioning [throughly] what Jaimie says.

[45calGunslinger]

Just quickly throwing the stock market in, in the case of banks the money that's held in limbo is used on the stock market to make more money for themselves. It's exactly the same as borrowing your money to gamble with; except that if they lose and can't afford to pay you, well tough shit. That's what the 2009 economic crisis was about. There are laws in place to try and stop these shenanigans but to put it simply the banks buddy up to the government to get some leeway.

[Stime64]

You have now cracked the code!

[TheDeathofGrace]

its all bullshit and its bad for ya.

[hakachukai]

Wow, this is amazingly accurate (except for some missing detail... but hey you said it was incomplete :-P )

This reminds of the insanity that they taught us in college in Economics. They basically taught us that Government interference and regulation of the market was needed to keep the system in balance.

Unbelievable!

Things are gonana get pretty rough when the shell game finally ends, and everyone finds out that all the shells are empty.

[TechnoL33T]

Everyone seeing this on my facebook page right now needs to watch this video. Since I absolutely suck at explaining things, let Jamie do it for me. Jamie, you are an amazing guy, and you're definitely my new idol.

[JCRocky5]

So true, northern rock bank anyone lol

[SASunDog]

I am minded of that one episode of the Beverly Hillbillies where Jed Clampett goes to the bank and asks to see his money.

[bots4life]

You watched Zeitgeist didnt you

[hankor]

You should stick to Building things instead of trying to explain economic systems you clearly don't understand.

[ReddmanDGZ]

economics are such a brutal business.

[aneuryzm]

I was going post this long rant about how necessary that delay really is, but I realize that was not the point of your video. So thumbs up instead.

[cloud1306]

Thought put to video - thank you for expressing this better than I ever could have. Cheers to truth my friend.

[TheEggman51]

I like your observations about money, Jaimie. People with very little money struggle all their lives to get money to pay for basic needs -- food, shelter, etc. People with huge amounts struggle to keep from losing it. The thing I find most curious about money is that the closer one gets to the moment of their death, the more worthless their money becomes. Even if one had all the money in the world -- all the riches, spices, gold, jewels -- it wouldn't buy one more minute, at that point.

[hakachukai]

@TheEggman51

That's because money is only good for what it can be used for.

otherwise it is nothing more than the dirtiest most germ ridden little pieces of paper that you have ever heard of.

[reamer2002]

You are so great to watch!

[freakshow2000]

funny how this all sounds like a joke.....it could not be more real

[vollick8]

loved this video,

[KREREV]

i get your point and yeah its kinda true, but not fully. banking sytem lives of investments, yeah they use your money and if your money take some time to get transferd they do have a "buffert" to use for invetments. anyway i think your explanaition is a good "thinker" for everyone and i do agree that the "system" is corrupted but at the same time i dont think that the tradeing system would work on a large scale. economics and politics... you cant live w9ith em but you cant live without them :)

[klaran]

I DONT LIKE SHYSTY MAN!

[Ash243x]

The central part about there being more "money" than actually exists is true, but it's not actually as simple as people stealing it. The way I understood the issue is Banks give out loans to people that are worth on average about 10-times more than the total value of the savings in that bank. (and yes i guess you could look at the interest charged on money that didn't exist as a form of fraud, but all i meant to point out is that its complicated like that)

[uhidoesnotexist]

Man you explained it so well! Commonwealth Bank in Australia just brought in this 'Instant transfer' thing that shows you how much you have instantly, but the actual funds are still pending. I wonder if they'll stand dragging out the 'pending' time since it *LOOKS* like the money is already in your account...

[Pickle082656]

Excellent!!! Dude........

[Tyremion]

You are so interesting.

Very nice theory.

[dirkshrubb]

for every dollar in hard american currency , there is billions in numbers in machines and accounts.

[ShawnCFarm]

When I put a check in the bank I get my money right away but I'm sure they mess with it somehow.

[RushReborn]

amazing

[CPLMachine]

i shat bricks

[TheGreatSteve]

Your absolutely right about fees for electronically transferring money. I've just opened a Bricklink store and the Paypal fees are a total ripoff, yet a cheque is free!

[captainalant]

Money is the route of all evil. Thats why i love the Star Trek world, there is no money. I know money is not every thing but its hard to live with out it. We never use credit. I always pay with cash. I hate banks. I know a friend in Florida who lost a lot of money when the Sun Bank went under a long time ago.

[TheMusicInMyBrain]

@JMEMantzel Jamie, Can you do a video on the fees for electronically transferring money and the stock market the bit you mention in the description ? This is arguably the most informative thing I've spent 10 minutes on, or even more things like this? If anyone knows of older videos of Jamie's like this let me know! I don't care if people say that it doesn't make a difference if you know this type of thing or not, I'd rather know how I'm getting fucked if given the choice.

[squirrelbong]

excellent video jamie, I'd love to see more philologisticalizing too :)

[mustie1]

I would have screwed up the hats,

[davyjames]

The problems aren't traceable to trinkets, trinkets are fine. The problem is violently enforced government fiat money. Nothing wrong with gold or jewels in the slightest. They are rare and thus a good index of value historically. They are also pretty, prettiness and rare stuff has value in itself to many people. Value is subjective.

[roidroid]

@davyjames yeah sad but true.

but with subjective (ie: non-fiat) value, it's always the person with the best INFORMATION who comes out infront in those markets. (ie: the person who knows what's going on, what's cheapest, what's not, what's worth it, etc)

When then add to the mix all of the industries that exist solely to make sure that YOU don't get good information. Public relations, Advertising, etcetc. They game the system and ruin capitalism, nothing can be done - it's a flawed system.

[RardSFX]

Fortunately in the UK we now have the Faster Payment scheme, so if I send some money to another person or between different bank accounts its pretty much instant. The rest of the the banking system is still just as screwed up though.

[DharokDude]

Gold isn't useless. It has many interesting properties.

[pilleyuppo23]

Greate video. The last part of the video you are spot on! Well said!

But what is money? It's a IOY for work force, I believe. That way the money will become power. Since there always will be people urging for power, it's better to let them make some money, rather than have them enslave people.

So, without money, we would still be working our asses off for the people in power. But now we have a choice to decide how to get money, and how to spend it. (like you)

So.. Money is a good thing.

[tecnoblix]

Love it! Great vid

[CTOL1]

Pay yourself first

Manage your assets

Automobiles are not an investment, but a liability

Great video, faved & Thumbed UP

[xxVampirePenguinxx]

I love you Jamie. You are a man with morals and honesty, and can be funny and entertaining doing nearly anything.

[sawhiskey6]

thanks jamie this is the best, you are the king

[manrayer88]

There may be something to that;

When I wave a dollar bill back and forth really fast it looks like I have to dollars!

[pommyrooter]

@manrayer88, Two*, I'm sure this was a simple mistake.

[happygameshow]

This is why he's building the giant robot. When everything collapses on itself there will be Jamie riding on a spider tank ontop a pile of gold.

[231flash]

You forgot to mention Counterfeit Man and Drug Dealer Man who ships all his money out of the Country.

[Noob2Ever]

Please make more of these videos, especially when you explain stuff when express yourself, it makes it very interesting. I love it.

[kovakyl]

to bad its gonna take a collapse before anyone will care....pretty sad.. 180 south said it best when they said maybe we should take a step back instead of two steps forward always

[LivingHistorySchool]

Moral of the story become a farmer, raise your own food and animals, produce your own power, make connections in your community, and prepare for the coming collapse. Great job Jamie! Heard today on the news more people are using their credit cards again, then in the past two years when they actually saved money. It's just a matter of time when the smoke and mirrors "banksters" will truly be exposed for who they are, behind the curtain of deceit.

[roidroid]

@LivingHistorySchool it's funny though coz rather than do it all yourself it's more efficient to professionalise. ie: you be a farmer, your neighbour can make your farming tools, and all up you produce much more food than you could both making your own tools and food separately.

Bring more people into this arrangement, more pros, until you can no longer know everyone personally (too many ppl).

congrats - you just built a new society. Argh - you're just right back where you started! lol

[sparhawk1327]

jaime is correct in the point he is trying to get across, except it is much , much worse than any of us realize.

[Helioforge]

The economy has become a system of proxies that bleeds away our resources, to oil the gears of commerce, to grease the palms of those in power, but not to feed our mutual interests. It is the cause of our greatest inefficiency and ineffectiveness of action.

Investing in one another, to break the chains of rent and mortgage, establishes a baseline to build the infrastructure of unencumbered gardens, allowing us to put that wasted 90% of resources back into community building.

[DeoMachina]

So what if we just stop using gold as the standard of value?

[roidroid]

@DeoMachina it would be good if we could replace it with some kindof edible money. We need to find some kinda foodstuff that doesn't spoil (ever).

[MrRiceowlex]

Jamie understands the total theft of equity your experiencing in everything you do with a bank.

[MrTholamas]

Thank you, just thank you Jamie. be safe and well. Keep up the good work:)

[Shn1fty]

I work at a financial institution and this isn't entirely how banks work.... There are legitimate processing times required to prevent fraud and things. I do however strongly agree that the programs like social security need to be fixed as soon as possible.This is the governments fault... not your everyday bank. The government is the one printing money. The government is the shiesty guy.

[shaurz]

@Shn1fty In the US money is printed by a private bank called the Federal Reserve. It had nothing to do with the government.

[Shn1fty]

@shaurz guess who controls the federal reserve bank? The president of the united states appoints a boards of governers approved by the senate. That pretty much sums up that the government is in charge of the fed.

[roidroid]

@Shn1fty i thought banks effectively "printed" new electronic money via credit. The only real difference is they don't need to buy paper.

I remember hearing something like: If the bank has $1, it can loan out $10 digital dollars. And when that $10 is deposited back in the bank it's treated as real money and it happens all over again - it can become $100 worth of loans, which then inturn becomes $1000 of loans, it goes on and on).

[Rebelgium]

There are some things you say that aren't correct, but the gist of it is right: We're being ripped off.

[yerbs]

nice explanation, although i bet its allot more complicated than that (on purpose), makes me want a simple global currency like the credit, and then a set value to that. though that would mean there would only be a finite amount of money ever. unless you mine more of whatever its value is set to. bah, so much simpler in sci-fi.

[littlestworkshop]

Reminds me of "The ascent of man" episode 1. Sort of ;)

[roidroid]

@littlestworkshop do you mean "the ascent of money" doccumentary?  yeah it was pretty informative hey

[littlestworkshop]

@roidroid

[littlestworkshop]

@roidroid no

[jeffstukas]

Freedom of speech is a cool thing. 

[Adams116]

love how you can simplify anything!

[seks03]

great video jamie

[swinger75]

That was awesome I understand alot more now that it makes sense. So if the banking system collapses do you believe in putting your money into gold and silver?

[JMEMantzel]

@swinger75 Actually, I put my efforts into becoming self sufficient. That was I don't need anything that others consider to be "valuable".

Any time you rely on others to do things for your (by paying them), you're at their mercy. If the grocery store suddenly doesn't like your money, you're kinda screwed.

Do it yourself, and you're covered. I'd like to get to the point where I only use money for luxuries. You know.... like giant robots. Oh wait... I can't live with out those!

[TheDudeRulez09]

@JMEMantzel that was the absolute best answer Jaimie!!! no precious metal on earth equals the skills to survive.....

[Mynameisnotooo]

@JMEMantzel You're my new hero.

[Simonific]

I'm not quite sure that's how it works... considering that there are laws against it. Granted there are some methods of corruption and fraud that work like this, but I think that for the most part this isn't the case...

[JMEMantzel]

@Simonific Where's your parents social security? hmmm....? The laws don't apply the same way to the people who are responsible for enforcing it. Funny thing is their honest participation is reliant on their personal honor.

I dunno 'bout you, but I don't feel too confident that I could find an honorable politician.

Now.... a greedy one? Ya, I can find you one of those real easy.

[safeshark]

@JMEMantzel Speaking of the almost nonexistent honorable politician, have you ever heard of a guy called Ron Paul? He's the only congressperson I know of who agrees with almost anything and everything you talk about.

Actually, I originally discovered your videos at the "Freedom Living" section of Ron Paul Forums.

[JMEMantzel]

@safeshark Cool. A few friends have told me that I'd like Ron Paul. I am pretty happy to know there are a few respectable politicians out there. I don't really know anything about him first hand, though. I might look into it. .....or maybe I'll just be glad that he's doing what he can, and I'll keep doing what I can. :-) Either way, it makes me smile. :-)

[youtubasoarus]

@Simonific - There are laws. But there are laws against YOU AND ME doing it. It's okay for the banks to do it. The government says it's okay. And we trust the government right? Well they are pointing guns at us so I guess we better smile and nod.

[Shn1fty]

@youtubasoarus You guys are wrong in considering banks and government as the same thing. There are some banks that have made shady deals with the government (bailouts) and some banks that are a little too aggressive with fees but our problem large lies with government, not banks.

[shaurz]

@Simonific Look up fractional reserve banking, the meeting on Jekyll island which set up the "federal" reserve, and so on. The banking system is one big fraudulent system and it's all perfectly legal. The smart money is in real assets, gold, silver, food, oil. Convert your fiat savings before it's too late.

[roidroid]

@Simonific It's legal because it's a state run monopoly.

Like the police force and army have a monopoly on violence.

It's freaky but in the end it mostly works out ok.

mostly... ;)

[DDoom]

Ironically sitting in front of a painting.  :)

[SlacktiveInAction]

Yer the best at 'splainin' stuff.

[JMEMantzel]

@SlacktiveInAction Thanks! Aw dun did mah bestest!

[richardmaudsley77]

@JMEMantzel Hey jamie you're inspiring as hell. I've just started building a wooden computer (starting out small), then when that's done I'm making a single seat electric car like the sinclair C5.