Who Owns Money?

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The short answer is, it depends. In How I Use the Word Money it shows how money is divided into two parts, bills and dollars. There are two things to create. Two things to own. Two things to control. And they’re not always the same. Reference the picture below. It illustrates what's written here.

 

Bills (beer bottles) are created and owned by government. Period. Dollars (ounces of beer) are created and owned by labor. Period. Control of both is in the hands of who holds the bill (beer bottle).

 

Government creates and owns the bills. Always. Labor creates and owns the dollars. Always. The holder of the bill (the top stick figure holding the beer bottle) controls it and the dollars (the bottom stick figure holding the beer bottle) in it. The holder will never own the bill, government does, and may or may not own the dollars in it.

 

When the person who did the labor (the stick figure holding the shovel) and the holder (the bottom stick figure holding the beer bottle) are the same person - If the holder of the bill got it in exchange for labor, then the dollars in it are owned and controlled by the holder.

 

When the person who did the labor (the stick figure holding the shovel) and the holder (the bottom stick figure holding the beer bottle) are NOT the same person - If the holder did nothing in exchange for the bill, then the dollars in it are controlled by the holder (the bottom stick figure holding the beer bottle) but owned by the labor that created those dollars (the stick figure holding the shovel).

 

When you get “free” money, your labor didn’t do anything in exchange for that money. When you get interest on your savings, your labor didn’t do anything in exchange for that money. When you get dividends on your investments, your labor didn’t do anything in exchange for that money. You control those bills (beer bottles). You control the dollars in those bills (beer). But you don’t own any of those dollars. The owner is the labor that created them (the stick figure holding the shovel).

 

Just a fellow American