We have taken a journey through the world of money and banking, starting with you. Then we moved on to you and your bank. We took a side trip to the Federal Reserve System, and then we returned to you and your bank.

We have seen that, at their core, all transactions, whether they involve money or not, deal with the exchange of economic goods – either producer or consumers goods. Money simply facilitates the transaction so that anyone that has something to exchange need not search for someone who has exactly what they want in return. They can accept money as a medium of indirect exchange, which they can then exchange with someone else for what they want.

Increasing the quantity of money does not improve the lives of anyone. They cannot eat, wear, or live in money (although you might have a temptation to wall paper your bathroom with it.) Because of the general acceptance of money, artificially changing the quantity of money distorts market prices, sending false signals to the market about the relative levels of various economic goods.

Although this presentation has not focused on inflation/deflation (artificially changes in the quantity of money), understanding the devastating effects of monetary manipulation should give you motivation to understand clearly how that manipulation occurs. For this presentation I have focused on the "how" of changes in the money supply.

I have tried to show the systemic nature of inflation/deflation. You, Your Bank, and the Federal Reserve all play a part in this destructive process. None of the players do so with malicious intent. Each acts in his best interest within a system that fosters continued inflation. To stop the effects of inflation voters must demand that the Government relinquish control of the monetary system in the United States and turn it over to the free market.

A brief summary of what we have covered might help.