The Goldsmith’s tale is a short and basic history of our modern system of banking. It demonstrates the progression of logic to where we are today, and the profit-driven incentive that has propelled that progression.

It also exposes the absurdity of our current system, and the tenuous nature of an economic order based on nothing but confidence in the medium of exchange.

China: $5,089,165,152,350

Russia: $197,397,669,239

USA: $20,962,422,289,343

Above are some statistics, accurate only at the time of writing. These detail the national debt figures of three of the largest countries in the world.

We spend much of our individual lives worrying about money, and being afraid of debt. These statistics make a mockery of those worries. When you consider the indisputable meaninglessness of these numbers, it really does emphasise the absolute absurdity of modern economics.