Roosevelt's voice suddenly took on a mocking tone.
"But Leo, you must understand the fundamental difference between these two types of abundance. It will determine the future direction of your administration."
"Their abundance is manifested in the extreme scale and low cost of their physical output, achieved by competing relentlessly on efficiency to drive down prices."
"America's abundance, on the other hand, is currently reflected more in the financial system's unlimited money printing and its systematically high premiums."
Leo recalled the absurdly expensive screws he had seen in a Department of Defense budget report, and his expression darkened.
"In my time," Roosevelt recalled, "we had to pinch every penny. But in today's massive military-industrial-governmental complex, money has lost its meaning as a scarce resource. It's become a purely abstract accounting figure."
"It's called cost numbness."
