"The hand that gives is above the hand that takes. Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency: their sole object is gain"
--Napoleon BonaparteThe Money Masters is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The full documentary is available online
Part 1 (1:11:41)
Part 2 (1:12:26)
Part 3 (1:11:28)
It appears very well researched, and is certainly very thought provoking. It did a very good job of introducing me to concepts that had never really been clear before, including fractional-reserve banking and the history of money:
At one time, people deposited gold coins and silver coins at goldsmiths for safe keeping, receiving in turn a note for their deposit. Once these notes started to become a trusted medium of exchange, fewer participants regularly redeemed their notes. Thus an early form of paper money was born, in the form of gold certificates and silver certificates.
As the notes were used directly in trade, the goldsmiths realized that people would never redeem all their notes at the same time. Thus goldsmiths saw the opportunity to issue new bank notes in the form of interest paying loans, generating income—a process that altered their role from passive guardians of bullion charging fees for safe storage, to interest-paying and earning banks. Fractional-reserve banking was born.
--Wikipedia
At times The Money Masters is quite dry but at the same time it tackles big questions in a clear and concise way. Well worth a watch.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks...will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.
--Thomas Jefferson
