<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> I just had to laugh at this one.

Our minting of metal coin, which is only tiny fraction of our money supply is still controlled by the U.S. Federal Government, but we outsourced the control of our paper money supply many moons ago, to a non-U.S. government entity.

A privately owned bank called...the "Federal" Reserve.

I noticed that's going really well lately. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

A dollar bill from 1980 is only worth .36 cents today. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

The crappy part is I'm having a hard time buying silver. The box is bone dry by the time I show up at the end of the week.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

my passport arrived today... I checked every page - no foreign marks, looks perfectly American.

I'm guessing the government wouldn't be allowing "Made in Thailand" to appear anywhere <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

the small print in the end is saying that some electronics is implanted into the passport. I suppose that this is where you can find some "made in China" notes <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Actually, that's where they store all the data about you, including a copy of your picture, perhaps there's a "made in Thailand" note as well. I'm sure the electronics will be hacked soon enough & we'll all know what's in there. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />