Tay Zonday - Mama Economy lyrics

Are you confused about the economy? Well have no fear -- I'm going to explain the American economy right now +The dollar just think of it like a promise from the government But the value of the dollar has to be there to be relevant The value of the dollar comes from China and Iran When they put their cash reserves in a U.S. dollar plan - +They buy treasury bonds from The Federal Reserve We say "we owe you extra money cause you gave us some of yours" That's a big part of the National Debt All the interest that we haven't paid to China quite yet - +And a hundred other countries Cause we're such a good investment The whole world gives us money We say "Hey we'll pay you interest!" This is how money is created from air Bank bailouts, federal budgets Money isn't really there - +It's an I.O.U., remember dollars are a promise When you borrow from a bank It's not from other depositors The money for your loan Gets created on the spot Then they put it in your name Gamble on your life and body - +But if you lose your job Then you were a bad bet If a million lose their jobs Then we have a recession Here's the dirty secret Your labor's too expensive Wall Street wants you spending money But they never want to pay you - +In your life cash and credit They are very different things But your credit's someone else's cash Once it leaves your name This is why money is debt And your debt is good for Wall Street prosperity - +And economic growth since the 1970s Is consumers getting credit Without wages increasing So when they talk about the housing crisis They never say we need to lower housing prices - +We need ^better devices To afford high prices Meaning higher debt lower interest Cause you're underpaid to begin with That's the cycle we're in We don't understand so All we can do is question [Chorus] Mama economy make me understand All the numbers why Daddy's on a welfare plan 'Turnin thirty forty fifty gotta move in with my parents And the stocks go up but the jobs disappear +^Because wages barely grew for 40 years When you buy stuff They delay the cost of ownership You can't afford it so they make it to depend On endless small transactions Which is more like renting +You pay more for printer ink Than you do for gold and More for bottled water Than you do for oil Razor blades are made to Oxidate So you're forever in debt to them Just to shave +It's a type of socialism called market socialism The best designed product Meets a need and doesn't last We subsidize waste With landfills and holidays like Earth Day teachin' kids: Recycle please +Kids won't learn in school we live one worldview neoliberal economics In all of our politics They don't ask why corporations are human citizens Or why grandma pays more taxes Cause she lacks stock dividends +Or why private bankers Print the public money Or why democracy is broken Cause their leaders won't be cutting Loopholes or subsidies For constituent industries Putting legislative bodies In a deep freeze +So the Ph.Ds and the G.E.D.s Cry with Ayn Rand down at the temp agency Sayin' "we believed in Meri-tocracy But there's more to the story-- Someone answer me! [Chorus]