Money plays a vital role in our daily life. Not only is it the currency that allows us to live relatively healthy and comfortable lives, but many believe it is also the driving force behind many of the world’s worst diseases. While the dollar overwhelmingly determines the quality of life of hundreds of millions of American citizens, few understand where their dollars come from, how they are distributed, and what determines their value. The comprehensive and insightful documentary A Century of Slavery: A History of the Federal Reserve examines the answers to these fundamental questions and exposes the questionable practices of a highly influential government agency that operates largely in the shadows.
At the turn of the last century, the U.S. banking system was shaken by a widespread financial panic. One by one, the banks began to fail as paranoid consumers withdrew money in record numbers. Originally signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, the Federal Reserve Act aimed to end the crisis by promoting a more stable and equitably regulated economy.
History repeated itself in the early 2000s, when the 2008 global financial crisis resulted in the country’s largest bank being bailed out by the U.S. government. how so? By examining the Fed’s intricate history, its complex and confusing structure, and the secrecy with which it operates, the film reveals how the system operates in direct violation of the rights and regulations it was founded on to protect.
Many of the world’s top economists believe a repeat of the crisis is inevitable. Given this sobering and dangerous prediction, Bitcoin and other systems offer promising alternatives to our traditional economic models. A Century of Slavery: The Story of the Federal Reserve is a struggle for a future in which bold ideas can shape a new economic reality for the nation, and a system that currently enslaves its citizens can one day work to strengthen them.
