> Most corporate profits are now no longer derived from producing or even marketing anything, but in the manipulation of credit, debt, and “regulated rents."

I have read this assertion before, but how can you measure or prove that? I mean there is still an awful lot of stuff being produced, somehow.

Wow, HN mods seem to have deleted this story, so i can't answer the comment: https://i.imgur.com/tOlYKUa.png says that in 1971, when they still had the gold standard, the ratio was 20-22 now it is around 25-27; so is that a big qualitative change that changes the nature of the system? (Ok, it was much higher a few years back, but it is fluctuating) Still I don't entirely trust the argument that change of gold standard changed everything.