The game of Monopoly debuted in 1935 during a time of financial recovery after a steep economic downturn called the Depression from which we’ve never really recovered since government intervention created the Depression and every economic downturn since.

A similar game was developed Elizabeth (Lizzie) J. Magie Phillips in 1903.The Landlord’s Game, as it was called, was self-published in 1906. “Although The Landlord’s Game was patented, it was not taken up by a manufacturer until 1910, when it was published in the U.S. by the Economic Game Company of New York. There were other board games based on the buying and selling of land leading up to the ever-popularMonopoly.

There’s good historical evidence that Monopoly is based on The Landlord’s Game for the simple fact that Parker Brothers bought the patent rights for $500 in 1935 and there is an early old board game that some say bears a striking resemblance to Monopoly.

Boom and bust economic cycles are made worse by government interference. Left alone, the markets most often smooth themselves out with fewer extreme highs and lows.

After the economic debacle of 2008, the government once again tried to fix what it created and as a result is extending the economic recession.

The early developers of these games had hoped people would learn economic principles from them. Some people have. They’re called politicians and banksters. Here’s one of the rules fromMonopoly:

11. Besides the Bank’s money, the Bank holds the Title Deeds, and the houses and hotels prior to purchase by the players. The Bank pays salaries and bonuses. It sells and auctions properties and hands out the proper Title Deed cards when purchased by a player, it also sells houses and hotels to the players and loans money when required on mortgages.

“The Bank collects all taxes, fines, loans and interest, and the price of all properties which it sells and auctions. The Bank ‘never goes broke.’ If the Bank runs out of money, the Banker may issue as much as needed by writing on any ordinary paper.”

Don’t ever say that politicians don’t learn anything. They’ve learned their lessons well even if we haven’t. United States currency is different from Monopoly money in one way: Our government prints it, values it, and forces us to use it as currency at ever decreasing value while calling the result “prosperity.” In reality, it’s theft.

The Bible considers inflation, an increase of the money supply via fiat currency, to be a violation of the law: “Your silver has become dross, your drink diluted with water” (Isa. 11:22). Clipping coins, adding a base metal to silver and gold, and printing money out of thin are no different from reaching into people’s bank accounts and stealing the assets.

The Bible requires “just weights and measures”:

“You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt” (Lev. 19:36).

What would happen to a company that was adding water to its wine or sawdust to its cement mix? They would be prosecuted for fraud.

And yet our government does not see a problem diluting the value of our money by a process called “quantitative easing.” Our economy is being propped up by fake money that it time will be worth as much as Monopoly money.

There was a time when our coinage was silver and gold, and paper were used as certificates that could be redeemed for the physical metal. Today’s coins are made from base metals that have limited value when compared to the trading prices of silver and gold.

The difference between Monopoly money and United States currency is that we know Monopoly money is worthless. If we continue down the road of fiat money creation, it will be as worthless as Monopoly money.

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Our Government is Playing With Monopoly Money