If an intelligent being from another galaxy visited the developed countries of the Earth to learn about modern earthly ways, that intelligent being would surely, in short order, begin to ask the Earthlings he met, “What is this money stuff you Earthlings are flinging around all the time?” If this alien happened to be in the United States when he asked that question, he would likely learn from the typical citizen on the street that dollars are what US citizens use to buy stuff with. The alien would surely then ask, “But where do citizens get these dollars to buy stuff with?” The typical US citizen would then answer that there are many ways to get the dollars, such as working for them, collecting Social Security, receiving a pension, earning interest on savings, selling assets and possessions, to mention but a few. The alien might then ask, “But where did businesses, Social Security, pension payers, interest givers and asset buyers get the dollars they give to you typical citizens?” At this point the typical citizen would start scratching his head, and after thinking about it for a few moments, would answer that the money came from somebody else, that everybody exchanges money all the time with everybody else. The alien, being rather bright, might then ask, “But who made all the dollars in the first place? Where did they come from?” At this point in the conversation the light would go on in the ordinary citizen’s head and he would answer that the government made them. The alien might then say, “OK, so how did the government distribute the dollars it made to any citizens outside the government where they are made?” At this point, the typical citizen would throw up his hands and indicate that he does not know for sure, but maybe the dollars were exchanged by the government for gold or something like that, and that’s why the government has so much gold stored at Fort Knox.
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