In the 1960s, people imagined what work in the year 2000 would look like in the United States. Not long after, however, the world economy underwent a major shift — the end of the Gold Standard — which broke the connection between currency and tangible value. Once money was no longer backed by gold, governments gained the freedom to expand the money supply through debt and central bank policies. While this provided flexibility during economic downturns, it also gradually weakened the real earning power of workers. Over the decades, inflation outpaced wages, savings lost value, and asset prices surged — enriching those who owned capital rather than those who lived off their labor. What began as a system grounded in production and work evolved into one driven by debt, speculation, and manufactured prosperity.(Historic Vids)