The ancient American Empire worshipped a universal force called "The Market." People back then believed that if they reduced all social relationship to a financial transaction, The Market would favor them and give them prosperity. The Americans were very competitive. They entered their children at birth into a society-wide competition to follow all of the rules and not get "in trouble." The Americans had a very strict legal system and were fearful of "Rulebreakers." They called their leader the Great White Father and it was His job to approve new rules. Every year new rules were made, others were amended, and everyone had to always follow them in order to be "good." Anyone caught breaking the rules would be captured and imprisoned in a large concrete fortress. The Americans believed that Rulebreakers were a burden on The Market, whose disfavor would bring suffering. However, if a prisoner had enough money, they were allowed to buy themself out of imprisonment. If they had significantly more money saved up, they were allowed to buy themself "out of trouble" all together and back into The Market's favor. Most people did not have that much money, so the Americans built many, many compounds to isolate the unworthy. The American Empire had a social structure based on economic service. People who lived their lives in service to The Market and did great deeds on its behalf were revered as heroes. It's chapter 4 of Kids These Days!

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(00:19:08) The Discussion Zone

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