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In 1948, a cartoon tried to warn
an entire generation about losing their freedom.

Most people have never heard of it.

"Make Mine Freedom" — 1948.
Only 9 minutes long.
One of the most unusual cartoons ever made.

Here is the full story 👇

---

Right after World War II, America was nervous.

The Cold War was beginning.
Communism was spreading across the world.
And nobody knew how to explain the danger
to ordinary people.

So they made a cartoon.

---

The story starts with four Americans
all arguing with each other 👇

👷 A factory worker
💼 A businessman
🌾 A farmer
🏛️ A politician

All four hate each other.
All four think the other is the problem.

Then a mysterious stranger appears.

His name: Dr. Utopia.

He is selling a magic bottle
with one word written on it:

💊 "ISM"

He promises each person exactly
what they want to hear 👇

To the worker: "ISM will give you
control over your factory."

To the businessman: "ISM will eliminate
your competition forever."

To the farmer: "ISM will solve
all your problems."

To the politician: "ISM will give you
unlimited power."

And all they have to do to get it?

Sign a contract.
A contract that gives away their freedom.
Their children's freedom.
Their grandchildren's freedom.

---

Then one man wakes up from a bench.

His name: John Q. Public.
He represents every ordinary American.

He grabs the contract and reads it.

He is shocked.

He tells them what happens
when you trade your freedom for promises 👇

🏭 The worker ends up in a government factory
with no rights and no voice.

💼 The businessman loses his company
to the state — overnight.

🌾 The farmer's land is taken
and given to the government.

🏛️ The politician who dares speak up
is thrown in a prison camp.
He is replaced by a machine
that plays one message on repeat:
"Everything is fine."

---

The secret facts most people don't know 👇

🎬 This cartoon was directed by
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera —
the same men who later created
Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo,
and The Flintstones.

💰 It was funded with a grant
of $600,000 — enormous money in 1948 —
by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation,
whose founder ran General Motors.

🎯 Walt Disney was approached first
to make this cartoon.
He refused and referred them
to John Sutherland instead.

📺 It was shown in American cinemas,
schools and TV —
one of the first cartoons ever
used as a political tool.

🌍 The cartoon never once says
the word "Communism" —
not even once.
It only says "ISM."
They let the audience figure it out.

📂 Today it is 100% public domain —
anyone can watch it free
on the Internet Archive.

---

75 years later the cartoon
raises questions people still debate today:

What is freedom really worth?
And what would you give up to feel safe?

---

Did you know this cartoon existed?
Tell us in the comments 👇

Category

😹
Fun
Transcript
00:25America is many things to many people.
00:28To a 17-year-old kid, it's the malt shop on the corner.
00:38To grandpa, it's the front porch in the cool of the evening.
00:44To mother and her family, it's church on Sunday morning.
00:48And to dad, it's his favorite relaxation.
00:58It's the cracker barrel philosophers in Crabtree Corners.
01:02And it's the tycoons in Wall Street.
01:05It's all races, creeds and religions.
01:08It's freedom to work at the job you like, freedom of speech and to peaceably assemble, freedom
01:17to own property, security from unlawful search or seizure, the right to a speedy and public
01:29trial, protection against cruel punishments and excessive fines, the right to vote, and
01:41to worship God in your own way.
01:43It is these freedoms that have made America strong.
01:48Okay, okay, so we got our freedom.
01:50But management's lousing up everything.
01:53Labor is at fault.
01:54It's ruining the country.
01:56My constituents, as your elected representative, I can assure you, labor's right.
02:04Management's right.
02:05I'm strictly neutral.
02:06Labor?
02:07Management?
02:08Politicians?
02:09Booey.
02:10Ah, they can't tell corn from oats.
02:12Work!
02:13Strike!
02:14Strike!
02:14Strike!
02:15Hurry, hurry, hurry.
02:16Step right up, folks.
02:17Here's the answer to your problems, Dr. Utopia's sensational new discovery, ISM.
02:23ISM will cure any ailment of the body politic.
02:27It's terrific.
02:27It's tremendous.
02:29Once you swallow the contents of this bottle, you'll have the bountiful benefit of higher
02:34wages, shorter hours, and security.
02:38Enormous profits.
02:39No strikes.
02:40Remember, you're the big boss.
02:43Government control.
02:44No worry about votes.
02:46Name your own salary.
02:47Bigger crops.
02:49Lower costs.
02:50Why, ISM even makes the weather perfect every day.
02:53And now then, because we are introducing this amazing item for the first time in this country,
02:59it isn't going to cost you one cent.
03:02All you have to do is sign this little scrap of paper, and you'll get your bottle absolutely
03:07free.
03:09I hereby turn over to ISM, Incorporated, everything I have, including my freedom, and the freedom
03:17of my children, and my children's children, in return for which said ISM promises to take
03:23care of me forever.
03:32Pardon me.
03:33Pardon me.
03:35Pardon me.
03:35And who are you, my good man?
03:36I'm John Q. Public.
03:38Oh, my fine friend.
03:40You're just in time to share this generous and gigantic offer.
03:44Sign right here.
03:46Mind if I read it first?
03:48Hurry up!
03:53Keep your shirts on, boys.
03:56You know, including my freedom.
04:00Freedom!
04:01Well, sign away my freedom.
04:03Why, this is ridiculous.
04:05Don't be corny, brother.
04:08Sure, our system of free enterprise isn't perfect.
04:13But before we throw it away for some imported double talk, let's turn the clock back a few
04:20years to see what it's done for us.
04:23For example, back in the 1890s, Joe Doakes was just a guy who liked to tinker around his
04:30barn.
04:31Some people thought Joe was lazy.
04:34Some even thought he was nuts.
04:36But one day, he had an idea.
04:40And because he was free to dream and scream and tinker, Joe had a chance to make something
04:46of himself and his idea.
04:59Of course, some people didn't think so much of Joe's idea.
05:06But that didn't stop him.
05:12So Joe got some money from young Aunt Minnie, and Uncle Angus, and Grandpappy, and Mr. Titus.
05:25When Joe's friends and relatives used their savings to help him buy tools and property, they were capitalists.
05:33Don't blush, folks.
05:35It's nothing to be ashamed of.
05:37Now, naturally, Joe needed some help.
05:41So he hired Willie Lumpkin, who was out of work anyway.
05:45And before long, Willie had the know-how and became skilled laborer.
05:51Because capital, management, and labor worked together, Joe's idea grew.
05:57It grew and did things even he never dreamed of.
06:02Today, the automobile industry provides millions of jobs that never existed before.
06:07And remember, this is a story of only one industry.
06:13There are thousands more scattered all over the United States whose history of development is pretty much the same.
06:20We've built a country under the American system that sends more young people to high school and college
06:26than all the rest of the world combined.
06:28Why, even in the Depression, our wages bought more food, clothing, travel, and entertainment
06:35than the wages of any other people in the world.
06:39Our country has a national income equal to the total national incomes of any other six nations in the world.
06:47With only 7% of the Earth's power, we drive 70% of the world's automobiles.
06:53That's just a sample of the things the capitalistic system has given us in only 160 years.
07:01Before signing up, you boys ought to try a little taste of Doctorism's formula
07:06to see what you'd get in exchange for your freedom.
07:11Go ahead, try it.
07:19You can't do this to me! I'll strike!
07:23The state forbid strikes.
07:27Wait till the Union hears about this!
07:30Ah, yes, the Union.
07:33Welcome to our ranks, number 1313.
07:40I'll take this case to the Supreme Court.
07:43The state is the Supreme Court.
07:45Our decision is as follows.
07:51No more private property.
07:53No more youth.
07:57Ah, the farm vote will put a stop to this.
08:02Farmers don't vote anymore.
08:04Ah, what'll I do for seed next year?
08:08You won't have to worry about next year.
08:10The state will do your planning from now on.
08:16We must fight to regain our freedom, for everything is lost.
08:21Everything!
08:23Everything is fine.
08:24Everything is fine.
08:25Everything is fine.
08:27Everything is fine.
08:28Everything is fine.
08:30When anybody preaches disunity, tries to pit one of us against the other through class warfare, race hatred, or religious
08:40intolerance, you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives.
08:49And we know what to do about it.
08:51And now, gentlemen, no violence, please!
08:54Don't throw those bubbles!
08:55Don't throw those bubbles!
08:57Stop!
08:58Oh, no, no!
08:59Hey!
09:00Hey!
09:01Oh!
09:01Oh!
09:01Oh!
09:01Oh!
09:06Working together to produce an ever greater abundance of material and spiritual values for
09:12all.
09:13That is the secret of American prosperity.
09:17You are?"
09:18Oh!
09:26God!
09:27God!
09:28I am not living there yet!
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