“All the perplexities, confusions, and distresses in America arise, not from defects in their constitution or confederation, nor from want of honor or virtue, as much from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation.”
— John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson (25 August 1787) The Works of John Adams.
“The lands and houses, the goods and merchandise and the money of the world are owned by a very few. All the rest in some way serve that few for so much as the law of life and trade permit them to exact.”
— Clarence Darrow,
“Et genus et formam regina pecunia donat.”
— All powerful money gives birth and beauty.
“When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.”
— Alanis Obomsawin, Who is the Chairman of This Meeting?: A Collection of Essays (1972), edited by Ralph Osborne, as quoted in “Conversations with North American Indians” by Ted Poole, Page 43, Neewin Publishing Company, Toronto.
“The world over, private financial markets fail when it comes to the very poor, ... Mainstream banks do not seek out poor communities—because that’s not where the money is.”
— Lawrence Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, Awake! magazine, 2002, 5/22; Can Globalization Really Solve Our Problems?
“He who tampers with the currency robs labor of its bread.”
— Daniel Webster, speech delivered at Niblo's Saloon, New York City, March 15, 1837. The Works of Daniel Webster, 10th ed. (1857), vol. 1, p. 377.