The Money Supply

We've been talking this week about the money supply and how farmers and other people in debt wanted to increase the supply of currency in circulation by coining silver thus making money cheaper and debt easier to pay off. This was the position championed by William Jennings Bryan in the election of 1896 when he ran against McKinley who wanted to protect the gold standard and the holders of wealth. They were worried that if Bryan and the Democrats were elected that their gold-based dollars would suddenly be worth 50 cents.
This week Glen Beck did a segment that I think fit in very well our discussion this week. Take a look and see what is going to be happening to our money supply.

After WWI the Weimar Republic in Germany began printing money to pay off the debt and indemnity payments that the Allies had imposed on them after making them take the entire blame for the war. By 1923 it took 4 Trillion paper marks to equal 1 dollar.
Here, German children play with the worthless paper money. The economic caused by this hyper-inflation was one of the leading factors that would make the German people turn to a Leader that they believed would solve all of their problem for them and take Germany back to its ancient glory.

Inauguration Day 2009

Today America will inaugurate it's 44th President. In the history of the world there have been few nations that have such an orderly and peaceful transfer of power as the United States. Our nation serves as an example to the rest of the world of what a free people can accomplish.
I'm sure that Barack Obama will be experiencing a day that few people can even imagine. Today he begins his administration that he has been planning for and talking about for several years. What must he be thinking about?
Today, as you watch the events on inauguration day, think of ten questions that you would like to ask Barack Obama if you could. Post your questions here. I would encourage you to look at the questions that your classmates post and respond to them as well.