Modern Money: A System Designed to Keep You Poor

Have You Ever Felt Trapped by Money?

Have you ever felt that no matter how hard you work, you just can’t get ahead? Your paycheck disappears faster than it used to. Groceries, rent, and gas are all more expensive, and somehow your savings are worth less.

Meanwhile, billionaires double their wealth, the stock market soars, and banks keep printing money like it’s Monopoly.

So here’s the uncomfortable question no one dares to ask out loud: is the money system designed to keep you poor?

Because when you follow the money—how it’s created, who controls it, and who benefits—you start to see a pattern. And it’s not pretty. This isn’t about conspiracy theories. It’s about how money really works, how the system keeps most people trapped, while a few get rich off the rest of us.

What Is Modern Money?

To understand how the system works against you, we need to start with what modern money actually is. Here’s the truth most people don’t realize: the dollars in your wallet and the digits in your bank account aren’t backed by anything real.

Since 1971, when President Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard, our money has been what’s called fiat currency. That means it only has value because the government says it does and because we all agree to use it.

Nixon even said, “We must protect the position of the American dollar as a pillar of monetary stability around the world.” He directed the Treasury to suspend the dollar’s convertibility into gold, calling it temporary.

That was over 50 years ago. From that moment on, money became unlimited. It could be created at will with the click of a button. And when you print more of something, what happens? It loses value. That’s exactly what’s happened to the dollar...and every other currency in the world.

That same $100 that filled your grocery cart in 1990 won’t come close to covering groceries today. If your money is constantly losing value, you have to work more just to keep up. You’re not falling behind because you’re lazy. You’re falling behind because the money itself was designed to depreciate.

The Debt and Inflation Trap

Money isn’t real; it’s a construct. Some even say it’s a system designed to control you. And it starts with debt. Student loans, credit cards, car loans, and mortgages don’t just take away your money; they take away your future.

When you borrow, banks make money. When you pay interest, they win, no matter how hard you work. And it’s not just you. The government itself is buried in trillions of dollars of debt. And how do they fix that? By borrowing and printing even more.

That leads to the second weapon: inflation. Inflation is a hidden tax. Your paycheck might go up by 3% if you’re lucky, but your rent, food, and healthcare go up by 8%. It’s a slow drain on your prosperity. You don’t notice it day to day, but year after year, it quietly steals your purchasing power.

And who benefits? The wealthy. The people who own assets like stocks, real estate, and businesses. Those things rise with inflation. But you? You’re just trying to cover bills, and if your money is stuck in a savings account, it’s losing value every day.

This isn’t just about economics. It’s about freedom. Because when you’re drowning in debt, when your money is continually losing value, and when your wages never catch up, you’re not free. You’re stuck in a system that keeps you working harder for less.

Was This All by Design?

You might be asking: was this all just bad policy, or was it designed on purpose? It’s a fair question.

In 1910, a group of bankers and politicians met secretly on Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia. That meeting led to the creation of the Federal Reserve, America’s central bank. The Fed wasn’t part of the government—it was, and still is, an independent central bank.

Since then, it has been the invisible hand behind America’s money supply. Some say it was designed to create stability. Others, like author G. Edward Griffin, argue it was built to transfer wealth to the elite through debt, inflation, and control.

Whether you believe that or not, let’s look at the results:

• The rich are getting richer.
• The middle class is shrinking.
• Wages have fallen behind.
• Prices keep rising.
• Debt is exploding.

If that wasn’t the intention, it sure is the outcome. Maybe it’s not about conspiracy. Maybe it’s just a system that rewards the powerful and keeps everyone else running in the rat race.

How to Escape the Trap

You’re not crazy. The system is rigged. But you’re not powerless.

If you’ve worked hard, saved, and still feel like you’re falling behind, you’re not imagining things. The system was built to keep you poor, or at least busy enough not to question it.

So what can you do? Here are some steps to start taking back control:

• Get out of bad debt. Stop feeding the system with endless interest payments. The less debt you carry, the less control banks have over you.
• Own assets, not liabilities. Focus on things that work for you, not against you. Real estate, businesses, and productive tools build wealth; luxury cars and consumer debt drain it.
• Invest in real things. Skills, land, useful tools, and businesses create long-term value and independence.
• Live below your means, but think bigger. Discipline today creates flexibility tomorrow.
• Build community. Strong connections and trust networks often matter more than digits in a bank account. When systems break, resilience comes from people, not paper.
  
  

Key Takeaways

• Modern money is fiat—it has no real backing since the U.S. left the gold standard in 1971.

• Inflation acts as a hidden tax, eroding savings and wages.

• Debt keeps individuals and governments trapped while banks and elites profit.

• The Federal Reserve was created in secrecy and has shaped the money supply for over a century.

• Escaping the trap means reducing bad debt, owning real assets, investing in skills, and building strong community ties.

Watch the full YouTube video to hear the complete breakdown and share your thoughts in the comments there. Do you think the money system was built to keep you poor?

Thanks for reading, and see you in there!