Tom the Dancing Bug - Thursday May 8, 2014 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

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.

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