**"Did you know that in 2023, U.S. banks collectively held $18.5 trillion in deposits—yet only about 10% of that was held as reserves?** That means for every dollar you deposit, nine dollars are *somehow* out lending, creating money from thin air like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat. So when you ask if banks are a scam, I wonder: *if they weren’t, what would we call a system where your savings are simultaneously your collateral and the fuel for someone else’s mortgage?*"

*(Question for you: If fractional reserve banking is "legal," does that make it ethical—or just a very creative accounting trick?)*