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The Collapse of The American Dream Explained in Animation

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    (Sold)
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    (Sold)
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    (For Sale)
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    (Bank like family!)
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    (Loan)
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    (Pile signs loan contract)
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    [Dog barks]
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    [Brakes screech]
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    [Off voice] The American Dream.
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    There's a reason to call it a dream.
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    [cock cries]
    [Man] Who's there?
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    [Off voice] Cockadoodledo, Pile!
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    [knocking]
    (Foreclosed)
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    [Pile] No, no, no, no no!
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    I don't have any more money!
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    My job sucks right now, please!
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    I'll have more money next month!
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    (Bank)
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    You can't take my house!
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    [Banker] Is that your signature?
    (Loan contract signed Pile)
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    [Dog whines]
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    [Pile] OK, just tell me we'll work something out, OK?
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    I mean you said I'm a good credit guy, right?
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    Hey, wait! My dog is in there!
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    No, don't take my Dream!
    [He weeps]
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    Oh, how did this happen?
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    [Explosion and flare noise]
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    (OUTATIME)
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    Hartman? Is that you?
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    [Hartman] It's been a long time since the fourth grade.
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    (4th Grade)
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    [Pile] Is that a time machine?
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    [Hartman] There's no need to concern yourself with my stern (?) accomplishments.
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    Just get in. There's not much time.
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    [Pile] Well, I got to go down to the bank to get my life back.
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    They took everything!
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    [Hartman] Oh! Bank ain't gonna help you now.
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    .... in the trunk.
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    It's a set of balls. Put them on, you're going to need them.
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    [Pile] You're going to get my dream back?
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    [Hartman] No, pal: you are. I'm here to show you how.
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    (E=mc squared)
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    (Winter of 2006)
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    [Hartman] Submitted for your approval:
    1. First National Bank.
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    What is a bank, you ask?
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    A curious place where both space, time and irony exist -
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    - and yet, don't.
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    [Pile] Are you going to be doing that the whole time?
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    [Hartman] Pay attention, Pile.
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    Exhibit A: those who have come to deposit and safely store their earned monies.
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    Exhibit B: Those who need to borrow said money for purposes unknown.
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    [Pile] Hey, that's me!
    (Not so prime)
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    [Hartman] Ergo.
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    Exhibit C: The bank only has so much money in the vault to lend out to people such as you.
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    [Pile] Hey! Hey, that's the guy! He took my house!
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    [Hartman] Really screwing my vibe here, Pile.
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    Space-time continuum: he can't hear you. Just let me narrate.
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    Now where was I?
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    So you see, by the time he got to you, Pile, his bank was out of money.
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    [Pile] But he gave me lots of money and charged me a lot of interest.
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    [Hartman] Yes: that's the only way banks make money,
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    by making debt loans: debt equals money, Pile.
    (DEBT=MONEY)
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    Remember that: debt equals money.
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    The more loans they make, the more money they make.
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    [Pile] But if they don't have any money, then where did my money come from?
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    [Hartman] You're going to want to take a step back.
    (FED)
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    (FED)
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    [Pile] Whoa! No way!
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    [Hartman] Yes way. And that's nothing.
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    [Banker] Hey, buddy! Need some money?
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    (BUM)
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    [Pile, offscreen] They didn't do that!?
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    [Hartman] Oh, they did exactly that, pal.
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    Remember: banks make money by making loans, by selling debt, even to -
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    bad credit risks.
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    [Banker] Yo! Have some money, dude!
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    Just sign here.
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    [Pile] Oh my gosh!
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    [Hartman] Mmm! They called it free money.
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    [Pile] Yeah! That's exactly what MY loan guy told me: free money!
    (Loan contract signed Pile)
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    [Hartman] But it ain't free!
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    The worst part was offering money to people who don't even need it.
    (We own your ass!)
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    People, Pal, like you.
    (New Home Magazine - New Bank Offers)
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    [Van honks]
    (Bank like family!)
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    [Pile] You're right! I didn't need him: I was happy here.
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    I didn't need it!
    (New Home Magazine - New Bank Offers)
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    (Bank Like Family)
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    [Pile] Why is he sad? He's making all that money.
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    [Hartman] Shh. He's thinking.
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    [Clock ticking]
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    [Hartman] Now wait for it, now wait for it...
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    Bingo!
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    See, the bank has loaned to everyone in town.
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    But to make more money they have to loan even more.
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    [Pile] More? How much money do they need?
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    [Hartman] More...
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    [Pile yells] What's that?
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    [Hartman] Behold! A black horse riding / writing (?) credit cards.
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    (Refinance your home!!!)
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    [Pile] Wow! Look! I mean it's going to be okay, everything is going to be okay.
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    What now?
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    [Hartman] Now? Pile, with all this money, we might as well party.
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    [Music plays...]
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    [Pile] Woahao, this is awesome! I needed to get my head clear.
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    When I get back I'm going to straighten all this out.
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    I just hope Dream is doing okay.
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    [Howling]
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    [Barking]
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    [Male witch] I'm going to get you, my pretty.
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    [Pile] Yup, he is. I'm sure he is.
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    [Burps]
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    [Hartman] Yeah, you put it on his tab. A little something ...
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    Wait.
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    [Pile] You know, wait a second Hartman, I just thought of something.
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    If I got this money from the bank
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    and the bank got this money from the Federal Reserve dump trucks
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    [Hartman] Go on.
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    [Pile] Then, where does the Federal Reserve get their money?
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    [Glass breaks]
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    [Hartman] Real nice time ladies, real nice.
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    Excuse me while I borrow these.
    [Women screech]
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    [Pile] Say, Hartman. Why am I wearing a burglar bikini top?
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    [Hartman] Because no one is allowed inside the Fed.
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    Not you, nor me, no American citizen,
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    no duly elected member of our Congress,
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    not the Supreme Court
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    [Pile] Not the Supreme Court?
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    [Hartman] Not the Supreme Court.
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    Not the Justice Department, not the CIA, the DIA, FBI, ATF, ATENBC
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    not even G-O-D.
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    [Knocking]
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    [Pile] How come the government isn't allowed inside its own building?
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    [Hartman] Government? Pile, the Fed is a private bank, owned by private stockholders,
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    do NOT let the name "federal" fool you.
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    This place is about as federal as Federal Express.
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    [Pile] A-a-a private bank?
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    But, private?
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    [Hartman, quietly] Shh.
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    Best to keep your voice down Pile.
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    [Phone ringing]
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    [Ethan] This is Ethan, Federal Reserve.
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    [Bill] Hey Eth, Bill here, First National.
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    [Ethan] Hi there Bill, how are ya?
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    [Bill] Good, good, we're running a little low on money.
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    [Ethan] No problem. How much do you need?
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    [Bill] Oh, how does 20 million sound?
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    [Pile, loudly] What?
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    [Slaps]
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    [Ethan] Excellent. We'll ship it over first thing tomorrow.
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    [Pile] Wait, he can just call up the Fed and ask for more money
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    and they give him whatever they want?
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    [Hartman] No, Pile. The Fed don't give the banks money.
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    The Fed loans the banks money.
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    [Slams]
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    [Hartman] The banks have to pay it back with interest.
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    Come on, ...
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    [Pile] Wait wait wait wait, I still don't understand.
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    Where does the Fed get their money? I mean if they're a private bank.
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    You said they were a private bank, right?
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    Okay, so who puts money into the Fed bank?
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    (US MINT)
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    [Phone ringing]
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    [Mal] This is Mal, United States Mint.
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    [Ethan] Hiya Mal, First National needs another 20 millies.
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    [Mal] We're already running the press at full steam here Ethan.
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    [Ethan] Gotta keep making loans, gotta keep the money flowing.
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    [Mal] All right, you're the Fed. Whatever you guys say.
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    Twenty million more, by morning!
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    [Horn blowing]
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    [Pile] But I don't get it, what's so wrong about the Fed printing money?
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    [Hartman] Because it's unconstitutional, Pile!
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    Our Treasury is supposed to create our money
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    but now the Fed controls the printing of Americas money.
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    Nobody gets a friggin' dollar that the Fed didn't print.
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    [Pile] So?
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    [Hartman] They print the money, then they loan it to the government
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    then they charge the government interest,
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    then the government taxes you to pay for it.
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    Wake up Pile!
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    [Pile] I don't see what the big deal is.
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    [Hartman] You know, you're right Pile.
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    [Pile] Wait a minute, wait, I am?
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    [Hartman] Yeah, I forget how effective they are at keeping you ignorant.
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    [Pile] Well that's okay-
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    Hey! I'm not ignorant!
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    [Hartman] Do you even know what money is, Pile?
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    [10th Century]
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    [Pies]
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    [Hartman] In the long, long ago, people bartered:
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    they traded things they had, for things they wanted.
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    I'll trade you my raspberries for that magpie? pie.
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    [Pile] I don't want your berries.
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    [Hartman] Come on, Pile, they're sweet berries.
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    [Pile] They're not sweet, they're old, and I don't like berries.
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    [Hartman] Give me that fine? pie!
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    [Pile] No.
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    [Hartman] As you can see, this moderate? situation created some problems.
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    Then one day, a goldsmith walked up and said,
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    "Now, everybody thinks gold is valuable,
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    so why doesn't everyone trade gold for things they need?"
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    [Cheering]
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    The price was set for gold and now it was very easy to conduct commerce
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    because now people could trade gold for all the things they needed.
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    [Pile] Hartman! Wow, look at all my gold!
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    [Robber snickers evilly]
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    [Pile] Hey! Hey, stop them! That's my gold!
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    [Hartman] Damn thieves.
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    [Ethan] Say there, Pile
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    I've got a vault and some guards.
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    I can keep your gold safe for you.
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    For a small fee.
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    [Pile] Yeah, sure, that'd be awesome.
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    [Hartman] You see Pile, this is how the first bank made money.
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    [Ethan] There you go Pile, I.O.U 100 gold coins.
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    [Pile] Okay, great!
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    [Ethan] Come back anytime and redeem your gold when you want it.
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    It will be right here-
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    in my vault.
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    [Hartman] Now you're holding the very first paper money Pile.
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    [Pile] Wow, this is great. It all makes sense.
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    [Hartman] Oh, that's right, it was good,
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    and everybody started using "I.O.U"
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    because everybody knew the I.O.U was as good as gold.
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    (Chocolate $1)
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    [Pile] Wow, this candy is really a good price.
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    1 I.O.U, I'm getting some more for later.
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    (Chocolate $10)
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    Wait a minute, it was just 1 I.O.U.
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    10 I.O.U's for chocolate?
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    He can't just raise prices like that!
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    [Hartman] Oh, the candyman can.
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    [Music plays]
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    [Hartman] ♪Oh, the candyman can!♪
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    [Pile] Wait, that is just freakin' wrong!
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    (Water 20)
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    (Water 200)
    [Hartman] It's called inflation Pile.
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    It makes your I.O.U's worth less and less
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    until they are worth nothing.
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    Less bang for the buck, dollar ain't what it used to be.
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    [Pile] But I worked hard and made all those pot pies.
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    Now I have to work harder to make less?
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    That's not fair.
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    [Hartman] Oh, if you think that's not fair
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    you're gonna love the next part.
  • Not Synced
    [Pile] Oh, what's he doing?
    (Chart - Gold | I.O.U.S)
  • Not Synced
    [Hartman] How do banks make money, Pile? (?)
  • Not Synced
    [Pile] Errh, by making more loans?
  • Not Synced
    [Hartman] Oh, that's right! He's good.
  • Not Synced
    See, he prints more IOUs without any more gold (11:18)
Title:
The Collapse of The American Dream Explained in Animation
Description:

We're doomed. pass it on
more » « less
Video Language:
English
Team:
Captions Requested
Duration:
29:55

English, British subtitles

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