OPERATION EDUCATION
Because Freedom Isn't Free!
Please note that some of the questions were answered based on a scale from 1-10 where 1 indicated "Not at all" and 10 indicated "Very much".
Responses to Money as Debt
Money as Debt Response #1
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 9
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 7
6. State: CA
7. Age: 25
8. Pros: It opened my eyes to something I was not fully aware of.
9. Cons: It was very long
10. Review: I started watching this video with the assumption that it spoke of, that money is backed by gold. I always new that our nation was in debt with other countries etc. but I never knew that our nations economy was purely based on debt. This has made me want to get out of debt for one because I don't like that fact that everytime I use a credit card I am basically spending money that dosn't exsist. Watching this video honestly made me feel differently about my own debt. I have to admit I have some accounts in collections and before this video I felt bad about it thinking that the bank was out their own money and if I were to file bankruptcy they would be out their actual money that I spent. I no longer feel bad about this scince the money was not loaned to me out of someones personal account but instead created out of nowhere. This has definately made me look at banks very differently. I now am more concerned than ever with the state of the economy and our current recession.
Money as Debt Response #2
1. Enjoyability: 9
2. Familiarity: 2
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 7
5. Likelihood to research more: N/A
6. State: Tennessee
7. Age: 42
8. Pros: What I liked best was how the information was presented.
9. Cons: What I liked least was the facts contained in the video.
10. Review: This video "Money as Debt" was very informative, entertaining but most of all it was scary. I cannot believe I have lived this long and been ignorant or just willfully blind to this. I believe this video should be mandatory in all our high schools whether in economics class or social studies. I never knew that money was fantasy like a child's story. It has changed my views on every aspect of day to day life. It has scared me. I never knew that by my signing a mortage or loan agreement I was allowing the bank to create/fabricate/lie about money. I never knew I was so blissfully stupid about the realities of money. On a lighter note though, I finally learned what a silver certificate is. I have been holding on to one since my childhood and no one could ever tell me what it was. So thank you for that. Kudos to Paul Grignon for this easy to understand explanation of the world of money.
Money as Debt Response #3
1. Enjoyability: 7
2. Familiarity: 5
3. Importance: 9
4. Need to disseminate: 9
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: CA
7. Age: 52
8. Pros: The content was presented in a simple to understand way. The illustrations helped clarify the concepts.
9. Cons: I felt that there was important missing pieces to the puzzle. I was left wondering what is really true.
10. Review: I am persuaded that there are aspects to the federal reserve system that seem wrong, and I want to find out more about that. I think that the way the system is set up that the bankers, the government, and borrowers are all motivated to increase the amount of debt even though it will be destructive in the long term. I can see how greed and the desire for power has motivated wealthy people to further their own wishes at the expense of the vast majority of others. Also, since many of those in power are not American, we cannot count on patriotism to motivate them to do what is best for the country. It isn't their country. It is unclear to me what the best approach would be to eliminate all the negative aspects of the currently system. However, it is clear that there must be a better way.
Money as Debt Response #4
1. Enjoyability: 10
2. Familiarity: 4
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: N/A
7. Age: 48
8. Pros: What I learned from the video about how money is created and how it isn't really money, it is nothing. What an eye opener! Very enlightening!
9. Cons: It's a lot to take in and I kept rewinding and rereading things and stoping to ponder the thoughts. I want to say it is to long but it isn't because you have to get a lot across I just wish there was more time think and grasp what you are hearing and reading. Because I kept going back over things and stopping it so I could soak it in.
10. Review: I learned a lot. I have always felt that our big politicians like the president and his cabinet and the senators run everything as if we were puppets. But now I know why I feel that way because they do run it all and they are they the rich and powerful. I did not know how money is created. Very enlightening!!!! This all brings so many questions, thoughts and feelings running through my head. That my head is spinning. I guess because I kind of thought things were like this but I had no proof as to why I felt that way. Like I can't see how the economy can sustain itself and that it finally has to crash. But I had no idea why or how and now Thanks to this video, I do. Like our social security system and how what I have put into it, won't be there someday when I am old enough. As I am at the end of the baby boomers and one of the first to lose out. When I would think about it, I would think this is somewhat like a pyrimid scheme and how could they not have known it was eventually going to crash. Well, after watching this video, our economy is way worse than just one big pyrimid scheme. It is like a pyrimid scheme built on a hollow foundation of nothing and it has to crash. It is just a matter of when???? Oh my I could stay here writing on this subject all day. But I would rather go and find out more about this and what I should be doing with my future and how to protect ourselves from the inevitable. Thank you so much for the eye opening video!!! What can we do??????? I really want to know. Oh and I well be sharing this but I am sure that is what you wanted. To get this message out to all and I agree. Thanks again!
Money as Debt Response #5
1. Enjoyability: How enjoyable was the video? Very enjoyable until it started scaring the crap out of me. But I was already hooked by that time and couldn't look away.
2. Familiarity: How familiar were you with the topic covered in the video? With the first half-very familiar. The fractional reserve system, concept of money created from debt etc. was news to me!
3. Importance: How important do you feel is the information contained in the video? It is extremely important for the borrowing public to know about the monetary system. Otherwise we teeter on the verge of the collapse of the dollar and long term destabilization due to the manipulation of the dollar and its industries. Individuals can influence this by acting in a herd fashion-the more educated the herd is on how its decisions impact its environment, the less likely the herd is to contribute to the behavior that destabilizes the economy, industry.
4. Need to disseminate: How important do you feel it is for more people learn about the information on this video? Critical. But give them diapers first.
5. Likelihood to research more: How likely are you to seek out further information about the topics covered in the video? Once I give myself space to process then in the future I probably will seek things out--then ignore it because its too monumental--then again seek it out in increments.
6. State: What state and zip code do you live in? Ohio 45385
7. Age: 29
8. Pros: What did you like best about the video? The visuals and simple explanations were very helpful in keeping one engaged. The extra written stuff on the screen that was not voiced (ie character dialogue) was also helpful in furthering understanding and keeping one attentive so as not to miss anything. The layering of the explanations from how we think about money being made and how our systems started and then peeling back the onion to explain the ugly and terrifying truth was essential to reeling in and hooking the viewer in a calm and pleasant way before hitting us with the explanation that enlightens us to the true nature of money. In addition it lays a foundation so we can understand what you're saying.
9. Cons: What did you like the least about the video? The quotes go on too long in the beginning, and I think many are over the average viewers head. I think it is better to get into the video more quickly. You lay light on the conspiracy theories mostly, but at the end it starts to be a bit more ominous. Once terrified it becomes easy for the average viewer to dismiss something so monumental when the suggestions of a conspiracy become too "intense", even if its realistic or plausible. Don't leave it out, but make it more subtle.
10. Review: Please write what you have learned from this video and how it has impacted your opinions (at least one paragraph). Well educated, and trained in how to keep my finances straight from an early age, I pride myself on my knowledge and handling of money. However, this video exposed my self congratulatory naivety. The fact is, I had never heard the concept of fractional reserve system as more than a passing phrase, and most certainly NEVER understood the concept behind it until this video. I had the concept that the exponential growth the U.S. seemed to be seeking was unsustainable, but I had no idea how deeply it was sourced in the fractional reserve system. I found this video enlightening and terrifying at the same time. I have said that money is created out of air, and understood that the paper dollar had been detached from the gold standard but I did not at all understand that money was created so fictionally and detached from any true physical representation, nor that it was reliant on exponential growth of the creation of more fictional money. And I had NO idea how it was tied to debt--that is that debt is the basis of money. Which terrifies me, because debt (especially uncontrolled growth of debt) is clearly a bad bad thing. Of course I didn't take your word for it. After you terrified me to wet pants with this video, I asked around and did some searches. And thus realized how naive I was, and how so many others are already aware and concerned with the inevitable outcome of such a system. Thank you. Very much worth the payment for 1 and half hours worth of work.
Money as Debt Response #6
1. Enjoyability: I enjoyed it a lot but the story kept stopping. I have satelite internet and it still did not play smoothly.
2. Familiarity: I'm not familiar with the facts at all, I'm familiar with the bank/loan concept but not the way it was explained.
3. Importance: Extremely important
4. Need to disseminate: Extremely important, this is how our system works. People need to know about it.
5. Likelihood to research more: Now that I have heard this information, I am very interested in finding other sites as well as documents to give me more ideas.
6. State: Alabama
7. Age: 35
8. Pros: The scrolling comments made by different people.
9. Cons: The choppiness of the sound and video
10. Review: I never knew that the loans we take out, the money we borrow is not actually there. The money we put in as deposits is not really ours but is the banks. No wonder our country is broke. We are in a no-win situation. We have to have debt to survive and to keep the system running but no one can afford debt. The stable economy, why would that not be able to work. I follow that principle in my household. I do not have a credit card, I only purchase with cash. If I do not have it, I don't buy it.
Money as Debt Response #7
1. Enjoyability: The movie was interesting, the animation along with the explanation helped greatly to get the concept across. The stories were easy to follow as well as informative and I can see this being used as an educational video for schools and adults alike.
2. Familiarity: I knew a bit about the basics of banking and mints, especially loans (having taken a large one out myself, I figured I should try to understand how they work first). However, I was not familiar with all the workings behind making money out of debt on both national and individual levels or where interest comes from.
3. Importance: The information in this video is incredibly important, the economy is wavering and many Americans do not know why. Also, many people take out loans for things like houses and college (both of which are constantly going up in price) without knowing how they work and it ends up bankrupting them.
4. Need to disseminate: If people learned this information as seniors in high school, they would be prepared for becoming financially independent during college and hopefully the knowledge will stay with them throughout their lives so that they do not have money problems in the future. Not only will less family struggle with these problems, but the national debt can be helped when the individuals of the country are not in a credit crisis.
5. Likelihood to research more: I'm going to look into this right after I finish this HIT, actually!
6. State: Pennsylvania
7. Age: 20
8. Pros: I liked the animations and the quotes about money that came in between the sections. Obviously, the information was very interesting to me as well.
9. Cons: At times the narrator's voice was a bit monotone and occasionally the animations would have words in thought or speech bubbles that would disappear or change screens before I could finish reading them.
10. Review: This video made me realize a lot about the secret side of the banking system I was previously unaware of. I'm going to try to not rely on my credit/debit card as often and I'm going to research what each Democratic candidate (I'm undecided) wants to do about the economy, national debt, and other subjects covered in the video.
Money as Debt Response #8
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 3
3. Importance: Important in what context? 5
4. Need to disseminate: 7
5. Likelihood to research more: 4
6. State: WI
7. Age: 25
8. Pros: The Canadian accent of the narrator, and the animation. It seems like something that PBS would run in the middle of the night. Also, "no more cat food" got a chuckle out of me.
9. Cons: I actually liked the video, don't have an answer for this one.
10. Review: The video is a good overview of how banks came to be, how present banking works, and the future of our society if nothing changes. I have a clearer understanding of why our present consumptive way of life is not sustainable. However, the alternate future presented in the video, where the government creates interest-free money in the form of value, not debt, also worries me, since I personally don't trust the government to work with the people's best interest in mind.
Money as Debt Response #9
1. Enjoyability: 5
2. Familiarity: 3
3. Importance: 7
4. Need to disseminate: 6
5. Likelihood to research more: 6
6. State: MO
7. Age: 25 yrs old
8. Pros: I like that everything was in simple terms, very easy to understand
9. Cons: I wasn't crazy about the cartoons and the very long opening at the begining of the video, I think you should have caption at the bottom of each screen, because I don't know about everyones computers but mine kept stopping and going, loading, it made things a tiny bit difficult
10. Review: In this video, I have learned that the fractional reserve banking isn't a good thing and dishonarable mechanism for bankers to get rich! It has has now got a little worried because I have just taken out a loan. I wasn't aware of any of this. It is defiantly going to be something to remember.
Money as Debt Response #10
1. Enjoyability: 10
2. Familiarity: 5
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 8
6. State: VA
7. Age: 27
8. Pros: The information was very interesting
9. Cons: There wasn't anything I disliked
10. Review: Well, I already knew that money is the root of all evil and banks are crooked. But now I realized that banks are like the pimp and we are the hoes.
Money as Debt Response #11
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 10
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 9
6. State: FL
7. Age: 44
8. Pros: Well put together, informative
9. Cons: length
10. Review: Candidly, I had already been very conversant with the subject matter. However, the film drives home the main points regarding the FED and the destructive effect it has upon the fruits of typical American's labor. The film most impacted my opinion on the gold standard. I previously had concern that its adoption would provide for instability caused by arbitrage or South African labor strikes or power outages. However, I now believe those risks pale in comparison to the status quo.
Money as Debt Response #12
1. Enjoyability: very much
2. Familiarity: not very familiar
3. Importance: very
4. Need to disseminate: very important for most
5. Likelihood to research more: not very likely as of right now
6. State: tn
7. Age: 32
8. Pros: it was easy to understand
9. Cons: nothing
10. Review: There are many things in the video that I did not already know, therefore I am now more aware of money and spending, as well as debt, loans, etc.
Money as Debt Response #13
1. Enjoyability: 10
2. Familiarity: 1
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: Michigan
7. Age: 19
8. Pros: This video was very informative yet it didn't feel like it was forcing information down your throat. The narrator's voice was very pleasant to listen to and the animation was cute. I loved reading all the speech bubbles going on in the background- very tongue in cheek! "Yay, no more cat food." Even if it was a bad movie it would still be worth while for the information it presented.
9. Cons: When the movie started with the cheesy music (the score got much better after that) and the scrolling text I thought I'd be in for 47 minutes of bore. While I stopped minding the quotes as much they were still sort of nonstimulating (no sound) and didn't capture my interest. I do appreciate that they didn't scroll super slowly at least. Also, while they were all very pertinent just the ridiculousness of some of them makes me think that perhaps they were taken out of context for the purpose of some ulterior motive (making me slave to some other monetary system perhaps.)
10. Review: This movie was one of the most interesting, informative things that I've watched in a long time. While it left me with substantial feelings of doom and gloom I now feel it's important that everyone understand our Federal Reserve system. I admit it, I'm one of the people who had thought that all money lent by a bank came out of deposits (and I did wonder about that once in a while) and having now learned the truth I desperately wish that this was actually the case. The concept of 95% of the money in the world not existing is horrifying if you take the time to think about it. Until now I never really knew how a "run on the bank" could happen - well, I guess I know why my grandparents are so money conscious at least! It almost makes me want to join the people's revolt. This movie makes me realizey happen. If I had seen this a month ago I would have thought much more intensely about taking out my student loan. I just created $4,000 dollars of interest that can never truly be repaid!
Money as Debt Response #14
1. Enjoyability: Very enjoyable and informative
2. Familiarity: Not very familiar at all.
3. Importance: Extremely important.
4. Need to disseminate: Also extremely important - no - crucial for everyone to know.
5. Likelihood to research more: Extremely likely to invest the time.
6. State: Arkansas
7. Age: 56 years young.
8. Pros: The informative nature as well as the quality presentation.
9. Cons: The fear that we will continue to ignore this situation.
10. Review: The presentation has made me fear the future and has created a desire in me to get rid of all my debts. While there is no real "escape" - it has opened my eyes and created the desire in me to spread this information to anyone that wil listen.
Money as Debt Response #15
1. Enjoyability: 10
2. Familiarity: 1
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: NJ
7. Age: 39
8. Pros: It was very informative on a serious subject, but I enjoyed the use of humor, such as the name Peter Pumpkineater and the baby as collateral. I also liked the graphics. It was easy on the eyes.
9. Cons: It was a bit on the long side
10. Review: I learned things that I'd never learned before and really never even thought of, which is scary considering that this whole money cycle is a part of life. I kept asking myself, "Why didn't I ever wonder where money really comes from?". I have always thought it was that it was the gold = paper and that the paper and coins in the world only represented what was available in tangible gold. However, now I feel a bit ripped off and angry. I have a mortgage that I'm struggling with due to job failure and rising costs of fuel and food, and I'm thinking, "How dare my mortgage company threaten foreclosure" when they lent me money that they didn't even have and while I understand that I signed a promissary note to pay back a mortgage, it makes me feel angry and sick to my stomach because when they government decides to lower an interest rate, it's really just benefiting this cycle that only benefits the banks and investors. I will definitely research this more and I'm thinking I'm going to go and withdraw my money from checking and savings, and put it in a sock. I now know why my grandparents never trusted banks!
Money as Debt Response #16
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 4
3. Importance: 9
4. Need to disseminate: 9
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: MI
7. Age: 29
8. Pros: I liked the animation and the graphics
9. Cons: It ran a little long, and sometimes was slow to follow.
10. Review: I learned how it is created, made and distributed. I learned where money comes from, who creates it. What it is for, and what it means for debt. I really enjoyed this video, and it made me think very hard about where my life is going because of money and debt.
Money as Debt Response #17
1. Enjoyability: It was pretty good
2. Familiarity: Not very familiar with the topic
3. Importance: On a scale between 1-10 id have to say about 8
4. Need to disseminate: I think everyone should know this information
5. Likelihood to research more: very likely
6. State: Ohio
7. Age: 34
8. Pros: The animation
9. Cons: The music
10. Review: Learned more about banking and it really hasnt effected my opinions as of yet
Money as Debt Response #18
1. Enjoyability: 3
2. Familiarity: 6
3. Importance: 7
4. Need to disseminate: 7
5. Likelihood to research more: 4
6. State: FL
7. Age: 27
8. Pros: the aminated theory of the film
9. Cons: the length
10. Review: I had also thought that the mint was who "made" the money. Wasn't I shocked to find out it isn't, only physically. Also I didn't realize how much power banks have over our society, it slightly scary, especially when were are in recession at this point.
Responses to America: Freedom to Fascism
A:FTF Response #1
1. Enjoyability: 4
2. Familiarity: 6
3. Importance: 9
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 8
6. State: Iowa
7. Pros: My favorite part of the movie was all the quotes between segments.
8. Cons: The movie was very long and slow to buffer, but it was worth it to watch.
9. Review: I had heard this argument before, but the movie astounded me in the way of how many people they got together for interviews. I also was shocked by the number of people who have gotten together for protest, but I don't recall ever hearing about it by the news. It is very outrageous that this topic isn't well known, and how many people blindly pay their income taxes. I became extremely angry when a former IRS commissioner said the "Supreme Court's Decision wasn't applicable." He made it sound as if the IRS was above the law. The video has showed me that I should be quicker to question things I thought were a given, because I had assumed that the Supreme Court was the highest law in the land. What I take away from watching this movie is really this, the Internal Revenue Service can't provide an answer as to why we pay taxes on our income. Every U.S. citizen needs to write to their presidential candidate and ask them where they stand on this video's claims. They need to call their congressmen and demand they do something about this.
A:FTF Response #2
1. Enjoyability: 6
2. Familiarity: 8
3. Importance: 6
4. Need to disseminate: 5
5. Likelihood to research more: 5
6. State: LA
7. Pros: Russo's bold approach to the subject matter and his aggressiveness in pursuit of answers to a matter he feels adamant about exposing.
8. Cons: The movie's length is too much; Russo badly needs an editor.
9. Review: Although a valiant effort this documentary never manages to do what a convincing documentary must accomplish: state a thesis and sufficiently defend it. More than 1/2 the movie is spent championing the tax protest movement, including Russo's sometimes-entertaining efforts to get the IRS to answer his questions--but then the focus abruptly shifts to RFID, NSA surveillance, national ID, President George H.W. Bush's "new world order" speech and so on. So to answer your question most of these accusations I am already aware of but after listening to it again it is beginning to sound a little u.f.o. ish . I respect the fact that their are those who are ready and willing to take our government to task on certain issues that they feel are injustices ,and they can do that, this what makes this a great country,but i also think they would get a better response if they wouldn't always try to use the ambush scare tactic approach when trying to convince the public.....the urgency of a matter is most effective when it is quietly but sternly laid before not forced down your throat.
A:FTF Response #3
1. Enjoyability: 5 The video was enjoyable enough, but difficult to watch for almost 2 hours.
2. Familiarity: 5 I've heard something about the idea of there not being any truth behind the income tax law, but I didn't know any specifics.
3. Importance: 5 There's a decent amount of skepticism brought on the government, but at the same time, I don't know what kind of credentials the director has. Who's checking his facts?
4. Need to disseminate: 4 I think people willing to sit and watch should, because if nothing else it'll make them think about what they believe about the income tax.
5. Likelihood to research more: 3 Unlikely.
6. State: CA
7. Pros: The narrative tone of the whole video always works well. Many good documentaries use this tactic I believe.
8. Cons: Faaar too long. I'm also highly skeptical of the director seeing as I don't know what's to keep him from making things up or 'Moore-ifying' facts (as Michael Moore has been accused of twisting facts).
9. Review: There was definitely a lot of information about this topic that I never would have known otherwise. I especially enjoyed learning about this topic due to the timeliness of it as I've just finished my taxes in the last 24 hours. I can see some merit to the director's thoughts and his findings, but it's difficult to believe everything heard in this video. From the get-go I was skeptical as the opening of the movie seemed slightly amateurish and not very smooth. It kind of gave me a feel for the production quality of the movie. Also considering the fact that the director states he's a 'player' in Hollywood (apparently directed Trading Places, among others), that further discredits him in my mind. I usually don't listen to people with power in fields other than politics or other education-related fields on topics such as this. To my knowledge, and I may be incorrect, Aaron Russo has no degree to help his cause of economics and politics. Notto say he doesn't know anything, because he obviously does, especially after making this entire movie, but perhaps it would be better served if he let a renowned economist present the facts instead. Just some food for thought. Regardless, thanks for posting this as a HIT. It was far more enjoyable, thought-provoking and overall worth my time than the vast majority of these.
A:FTF Response #4
1. Enjoyability: Enjoyable, well produced and informative on a particular viewpoint
2. Familiarity: I am familiar with the content and arguments made here
3. Importance: Very important. It raises questions deserving a spot at the table.
4. Need to disseminate: I think nothing is more important than people listening to all opinions.
5. Likelihood to research more: I will continually educate myself regarding my rights, and the laws requirements of me
6. State: WA
7. Pros: I enjoyed the Calm informative tone, and the ron paul interview
8. Cons: I thought the rfid section was a little bit to much fear mongering, and the fact checking some of the quotes proved to be difficult. Linking the video to a fact check sheet where all quotes we've cited and availible in full context would really take it up a notch for me.
9. Review: It is always important to raise someone awareness, for bringing these issue to light for me to question on my own, I thank you. I believe isolated dramatization, such as in this video, while good for inspiration, can be a deterrent for some when it tries to encompass too much. I am a facts person and would admonish you to present both more viable information to your viewers and more comprehensive solution options to the issues raised. If you truly believe it is time for us to mature, and you really have faith in my ability to hear and bear forward the truth, you don't need to convince me with camera tricks and heavy sound mixes, you need to convince me with facts.
A:FTF Response #5
1. Enjoyability: 7
2. Familiarity: 9
3. Importance: 8
4. Need to disseminate: 8
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: KS
7. Pros: Everything after the initial section on income tax was interesting and informative.
8. Cons: The repeated "show me the law" argument. The income tax portion failed to make a clear argument.
9. Review: Just a general analysis. I am very familiar with much of the subject matter presented in this video, on the idea of world government, the national identification system and even possible implementation of chip identification (although I wonder if they may appear in cell phones or id/credit cards rather than implant form. One can only hope). I agree with a lot of what was said, for example that electronic voting can't be trusted, that the banking and lending system we live under puts people in an extremely precarious situation, destroying the middle class, and separating the world into master and slave. I even agree that the U.S. government blatantly violates or ignores Constitutional law, making laws which simply have no foundation in the Constitution, and seeing themselves as having any power not specifically prohibited rather than having only powers specified in the Constitution. This is accomplished generally through the Commerce Clause, and some of the laws passed in this way are good for the people, and some are bad, but a law that we really need deserves a Constitutional amendment before being passed unconstitutionally. Income tax law is on the books, not hard to find, it's Title 26 subtitle A, and it specifically states that you have to pay income tax. The Constitutionality of this law can be questioned, but the current legal system, for better or worse, doens't quite work as you've laid it out. Laws are recognized until a court overturns them, even if former court decisions indicate that they shouldn't have been passed. Laws are not imperical, they are based on enforcement through the judicial system. If the Supreme Court refuses to hear a case, they are ratifying the lower court's decision. I'm not saying I disagree that the law may be fundamentally unconstitutional and passing it in the first place may have been breaking a lawmaker's oath to uphold the Constitution, but the main, repeated argument of "show me the law" was a catchy but fundamentally erroneous argument that detracted from the important statements made in the rest of the film. And I found the connection with income tax to be a little shakey to begin with. If government were doing its job, and making sure I was making a living wage, I wouldn't care how much they taxed me, as long as it was necessary and proper. I think we live in a capitalocracy, where the main party candidates must be preapproved by the money power which pays for their campaigns, giving them the power to decide who the people get to choose from, even beyond the fact that elections can then be rigged. I see the problem of money power perhaps as being more widespread with a less specific goal, but the latter part of the film was interesting on this subject and I wouldn't be surprised if you're right.
A:FTF Response #6
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 5
3. Importance: 9
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 8
6. State: CA
7. Pros: The interview with Ron Paul
8. Cons: An better explanation of the federal reserve's purpose
9. Review: After watching this video, I have been educated on many subjects that I knew little about. I wasn't really sure what the federal reserve was and what purpose it serves. I wasn't aware that we only started paying federal income taxes after 1913. These are both very new to me. I also found it quite frightening that the IRS cannot point out a law that requires U.S. citizens to pay federal income taxes. It was a coincidence that I happened to save my taxes for the last second and then watched this video. I almost don't know what to do.
A:FTF Response #7
1. Enjoyability: 8
2. Familiarity: 3
3. Importance: 9
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 8
6. State: TN
7. Pros: How the subject was presented with so many historical quotes intsead of just current info.
8. Cons: I thought toward the end it had almost too much info. without backing it up substantially with facts , unlike the rest of the film.
9. Review: I have learned a great deal about how the federal income tax is not really supported by law. That it is the lower courts that prosecute and impose as if is law. It was a really thought provoking film. Makes me leery of a lot of decisions that on the surface sound good for national security, yet when you look deeper take on a whole different meaning. I will definitly be doing research on this and follow these types of issues more closely.
A:FTF Response #8
1. Enjoyability: Quite enjoyable
2. Familiarity: I was not aware that taxes started in this way or the Federal Reserve
3. Importance: Like myself, I don't think many people are aware of this, it is important for everyone to know.
4. Need to disseminate: Very important for everyone to be informed.
5. Likelihood to research more: I might search the internet for additional information.
6. State: WV
7. Pros: It was a well done video, and very informative.
8. Cons: N/A
9. Review: I learned that basically we are all paying taxes that are illegal and not in the constitution. I don't know that there is a way to get around this, unless all people stick together. After all, there is power in numbers. What could happen if everyone joined together! I see that there is a small movement in America against these taxes. I believe that we all should pay for teachers, police, roads, schools, but in a much more fair way. How did these people receive pay before taxes were in place? You would think that in this modern world where we are all supposed to be so smart that this issue could be resolved. As I further watched the video I found that taxes and the Federal Reserve were not the only things that we had to be concerned about. What a mess our government is! What rights do we actually have? I suppose it is whatever rights we stand up for. This was a very depressing video, but also a very enlightening video! Has this video every been aired to mass audiences?
A:FTF Response #9
1. Enjoyability: 8 (hearing the truth: 1, not at all enjoyable!)
2. Familiarity: 5
3. Importance: 10
4. Need to disseminate: 10
5. Likelihood to research more: 10
6. State: FL
7. Pros: You caught them all with their pants down-- and you have it on tape. Juxtaposition of experts from both sides is interesting. Pointed questions from the host demand attention, and really force the viewer to think. Creates lots of "Heyyyy.... wait a minute!" moments. The tone is coolly pragmatic, and not sensationalized at all, which lets the information presented speak for itself. I think this would be great material for high school economics/government classes-- disseminated quietly enough, this would provide a great introduction to a conflict every working American will have to face at some point in their adult life. Start it up on Myspace and Facebook, grassroots style-- there's a beneficial environment for this kind of material at he moment, with politics en vogue due to the upcoming election. Vague, edgy stickers on college campuses! $2 beers and a free showing in the quad-- Happy Fascist Hour! Donate copies to libraries, post flyers on message boards! This is the real deal!!
8. Cons: If you're not already interested in the subject, it starts off a little slowly; maybe a little indigestible at first. I can't think of a way to improve on it, though-- I think it's just because the subject matter being so serious. Once you are paying attention, it does dispel some of the conspiracy theory myths. After all, we all know that guy who lives in a van down by the river, swearing there ain't no income tax-- the same guy who swears up and down Elvis will return and the government is spying on him through his TV. The subject is of interest to everyone, if they can just be hooked into listening for a few minutes.
9. Review: REAL ID ACT??? That all floored me. This watches like unimaginative science fiction, only it's all true. I learned quite a bit from this video, it really fleshed out some issues I've been hearing about for ages. I had no idea there was so much proof against the stance of the government. I hadn't heard the Joe Louis story, that's a doozie. Gee, so it looks like us regular citizens are the real terrorists here, according to the IRS... apparently this is no different from any other country, where the suits can take you away in the middle of the night. Big Brother is here... that's a difficult feeling to put into words. I didn't learn anything about police in Florida-- specifically Miami-Dade and Broward. I hadn't seen that video on the news, but it is not surprising. Absolutely everything is completely corrupt here. I've seen dying Haitian immigrants have their boat turned around at the shoreline by American citizens-- here in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, for a nice vacation. It's like post-apocalyptic Australia down here-- only we're still waiting for Mad Max to come along. What had the most impact on me were all the cases that had been won in favor of citizens. This gives me hope for the future, and courage to join the movement. Someone once said, "democracy only works until people figure out they can vote themselves money." Time to plow the fallow field of American government, and start fresh. Give democracy another try. Revolution!! But it must be all or nothing-- everyone must act, or no one will be free. It's just all so disgusting. It's indescribable. I guess we all know the government has its hand up our a$$... most of us just don't know how far.
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