Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for May 08, 2014

Transcript:

Enjoy this Classic Tom the Dancing Bug Vintage 2009 Every Thursday Panels from the annals of the Tom the Dancing Bug archive Check back every Friday for a fresh, brand new Tom the Dancing Bug! Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling 1776, Philadelphia Benjamin: And so, I propose a new nation, founded on the principles of democracy! John: Yeah, right. What's the angle, Benny? Benjamin: Okay, here's the scam...it'll make us all RICH for centuries! Thomas: Now yer talkin', scumbag. Benjamin: We muscle out the British and get our own country, see? And we keep increasing our standard of living Thomas: But how? Benjamin: Return on investment through the friggin' roof! Benjamin: Expansion! We got a whole CONTINENT to move in on! And the NEW investors pay off the OLD ones! John: Investors? Benjamin: Investors, citizens...call 'em what ya want, Johnny A. Thomas: Okay, but we can only expand for so long. Benjamin: But the population will continue to grow, T.J. Plus, we'll look so rich -- on PAPER -- lenders will be lining up! John: So we borrow from foreign states? Benjamin: Japan, China...we keep finding NEW SAPS to pay off the old ones! Thomas: Beautiful! But eventually we won't be able to borrow or tax any more! Benjamin: Then the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. Benjamin: But that won't happen for 240 years! What a party we'll have in the meantime. John: Look -- the investment scheme looks like a pyramid. EARLY INVESTORS Benjamin: Yeah...hey, let's put our pyramid on our one-dollar bill! Thomas: HAW! We're gonna have some angry suckers in the 21st century! John: Whaddaya call this scam, Benny? Benjamin: A Perpetually Outspreading National Zero-sum Investment scheme...or, the U.S.A.