1
00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:02,800
Once upon a time, there were a hundred million people.

2
00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,760
They had different interests, different beliefs, different occupations,

3
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,420
but for the most part, they got along pretty well.

4
00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,060
Then one day, a gang of a few hundred people showed up.

5
00:00:14,020 --> 00:00:17,660
Um, need to zoom in some more to see them.

6
00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,360
I know they're there somewhere. Zoom in.

7
00:00:21,460 --> 00:00:22,460
There, there they are.

8
00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:27,420
And this gang of a few hundred said to the throng of a hundred million,

9
00:00:27,420 --> 00:00:31,960
and from now on, you all have to give us a cut of everything you earn.

10
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,740
This is an accurate graphical comparison between the number of American taxpayers

11
00:00:37,740 --> 00:00:39,820
and the number of U.S. congressmen.

12
00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:44,840
And the throng said, gosh, do we have to give you a cut of what we earn?

13
00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,400
And the gang of a few hundred said, yes, you have to.

14
00:00:48,820 --> 00:00:52,460
And the throng said, well, okay, I guess we have to.

15
00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,840
And one little troublemaker asked, what if we don't?

16
00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,520
The gang of a few hundred didn't like this, and said,

17
00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:05,460
if you do not comply, we shall unleash upon you our legions of enforcers.

18
00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,320
And the throng cried, oh no, please don't.

19
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,260
We will comply, we will pay.

20
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:18,720
This is an accurate graphical comparison between the number of American taxpayers

21
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,720
and the total number of IRS employees.

22
00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,760
Time went by, and the gang of a few hundred said,

23
00:01:26,180 --> 00:01:28,140
now we want more of what you earn.

24
00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:31,280
And this kept happening over and over again,

25
00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:35,920
until eventually some of the throng were paying almost half of what they earned to the gang.

26
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,240
Whenever the gang demanded more, the throng would say,

27
00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:41,660
golly, we're already having a tough time,

28
00:01:41,940 --> 00:01:43,920
do we really need to give you even more?

29
00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,740
And the gang always said, yes, you must,

30
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,780
or we shall unleash our legion of enforcers.

31
00:01:53,140 --> 00:01:57,180
Now the gang of a few hundred was getting trillions of dollars every year,

32
00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,360
spending it on wars and pyramid schemes,

33
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,520
giving away goodies to their friends,

34
00:02:02,700 --> 00:02:04,760
buying influence, and doing lots of other things.

35
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,060
And some of the throngs started saying,

36
00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:10,460
we don't really like the war you're waging with the money we give you.

37
00:02:10,740 --> 00:02:12,640
Do we really have to be paying for that?

38
00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:14,340
And the gang said,

39
00:02:14,500 --> 00:02:15,780
yes, we demand it.

40
00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,100
Don't make us send out our legion of enforcers.

41
00:02:22,100 --> 00:02:23,580
And some of the throng said,

42
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,820
you're taking our money and giving it to huge corporations and giant banks,

43
00:02:27,980 --> 00:02:30,240
and some people who just don't want to work.

44
00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:32,100
A lot of these things we don't like.

45
00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:33,820
And the gang said,

46
00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:34,880
we don't care.

47
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:36,940
We will decide how to spend it.

48
00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,360
You just do as you're told, or else.

49
00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:43,740
And the throng said,

50
00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:45,940
okay, I guess we have to.

51
00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:49,340
But eventually the throng got so fed up,

52
00:02:49,460 --> 00:02:50,100
so angry,

53
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,100
that they took a drastic step.

54
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,500
One day they said to the gang,

55
00:02:54,740 --> 00:02:56,300
we don't like what you're doing.

56
00:02:56,500 --> 00:02:57,900
We want a new gang.

57
00:02:57,900 --> 00:03:01,660
And after pouring a huge amount of time and money into the effort,

58
00:03:02,060 --> 00:03:04,580
they replaced the gang with a new gang.

59
00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,980
Then the throng pleaded with the new gang,

60
00:03:08,260 --> 00:03:09,700
now, at long last,

61
00:03:09,780 --> 00:03:11,080
can we keep our own money,

62
00:03:11,420 --> 00:03:12,800
or at least keep more of it?

63
00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:14,860
And the new gang said,

64
00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:15,600
sorry,

65
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,180
but after much discussion,

66
00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:19,360
we've decided that you can.

67
00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,760
You have to keep giving us what you've been giving,

68
00:03:22,140 --> 00:03:22,680
in fact,

69
00:03:22,740 --> 00:03:24,280
a little bit more than before.

70
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,460
The throng was distraught,

71
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:28,040
and said,

72
00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:29,260
this is dreadful.

73
00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:30,840
But after all,

74
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,280
what choice do we have?

75
00:03:32,580 --> 00:03:33,000
I mean,

76
00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,040
they say we must comply,

77
00:03:35,420 --> 00:03:38,220
and they have that scary legion of enforcers.

78
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,000
We're powerless against them.

79
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,380
We'd better just do as we're told.

80
00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:47,680
So they did as they were told,

81
00:03:47,820 --> 00:03:48,880
got poorer and poorer,

82
00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:50,600
and lived miserably ever after.

83
00:03:51,020 --> 00:03:51,820
But after all,

84
00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,380
what else could they have done?

85
00:03:53,380 --> 00:03:57,260
What power could this throng possibly have,

86
00:03:57,660 --> 00:03:59,520
compared to this gang of a few hundred,

87
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:00,640
and their enforcers?

88
00:04:01,420 --> 00:04:03,940
What chance would this thing have,

89
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,020
against this thing?

90
00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,540
How could these hundred million people,

91
00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,280
ever hope to successfully resist,

92
00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,040
the awesome power of this tiny little dot?

93
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,020
In case anyone missed this,

94
00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:20,900
let's review.

95
00:04:20,900 --> 00:04:22,760
Here's them.

96
00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:24,800
Here are their enforcers.

97
00:04:25,180 --> 00:04:26,240
Here's us.

98
00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:27,760
Them.

99
00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:29,240
Us.

100
00:04:30,060 --> 00:04:30,740
Them.

101
00:04:31,460 --> 00:04:32,180
Us.

102
00:04:33,180 --> 00:04:36,980
Does anything about this seem just a little strange to you?

103
00:04:36,980 --> 00:04:39,540
Are you perhaps wondering,

104
00:04:40,060 --> 00:04:43,160
why does the throng need the permission of the dot,

105
00:04:43,660 --> 00:04:44,440
to do anything?

106
00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,500
Why do these people feel the need,

107
00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:49,600
to ask this tiny little dot,

108
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:51,940
if they can keep more of what they earn?

109
00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,920
Why would they spend year after year,

110
00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,000
literally begging for lower taxes,

111
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,060
from this little dot?

112
00:05:00,700 --> 00:05:03,420
Is this dot just really darn intimidating?

113
00:05:03,420 --> 00:05:06,200
Is it very persuasive in its reasoning?

114
00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:07,800
To be blunt,

115
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,720
why would this throng give a rodent's backside,

116
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,780
what this tiny little dot wanted?

117
00:05:13,940 --> 00:05:15,600
The fact that this tiny dot,

118
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,900
has the gall to issue such demands,

119
00:05:18,020 --> 00:05:19,020
to such a throng,

120
00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:21,520
is pretty startling in and of itself.

121
00:05:21,900 --> 00:05:23,560
But what is far more amazing,

122
00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:24,680
is that the throng,

123
00:05:24,900 --> 00:05:28,060
obeys this minuscule little parasitic,

124
00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:29,640
gang of control freaks.

125
00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,520
What could possibly explain this?

126
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,300
Let's ask the dot.

127
00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:37,400
This is how it works.

128
00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,040
When we, the dot,

129
00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:40,780
take your money,

130
00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,200
and spend it on things you don't like,

131
00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,620
we're representing you.

132
00:05:46,180 --> 00:05:46,740
In fact,

133
00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:48,500
though you're not allowed to actually,

134
00:05:48,620 --> 00:05:49,580
keep your own money,

135
00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:50,900
you're allowed to decide,

136
00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:52,120
which little dot,

137
00:05:52,460 --> 00:05:53,960
will steal half of what you earned.

138
00:05:54,180 --> 00:05:55,280
So that really means,

139
00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:56,640
that you're in charge,

140
00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:58,260
and that you're agreeing,

141
00:05:58,780 --> 00:05:59,740
to give us your money.

142
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:00,920
In fact,

143
00:06:01,220 --> 00:06:01,560
we,

144
00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:02,300
the dot,

145
00:06:02,740 --> 00:06:04,160
are serving you,

146
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:05,640
when we take your money,

147
00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:08,020
and spend it on things you don't like.

148
00:06:08,340 --> 00:06:09,920
And so you should thank us,

149
00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,460
and treat us with great respect and honor,

150
00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,100
for having robbed you,

151
00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:15,500
on your behalf,

152
00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,020
for your own good,

153
00:06:17,380 --> 00:06:18,800
in order to serve you,

154
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,780
by doing things you don't want us to do.

155
00:06:24,140 --> 00:06:25,620
So there you have it.

156
00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:28,000
I hope that cleared everything up for you.

157
00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:32,780
If you're not entirely satisfied,

158
00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,940
with the dot's explanation of things,

159
00:06:35,300 --> 00:06:36,880
you really should read the book,

160
00:06:37,020 --> 00:06:38,780
The Most Dangerous Superstition,

161
00:06:39,460 --> 00:06:40,500
available now,

162
00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:42,060
at Amazon.com.