Thomas Jefferson once said,
3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency (money printed by privately owned central banks and commercial banks through fractional reserve banking - fiat paper currency), first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people (money printed by government controlled treasury - gold/silver backed currency), to whom it properly belongs."