GagBase Logo Explore

Always Has Been - Global Economy is a Giant Debt Scam

This meme is a remix of the iconic "Always Has Been" astronaut template. Set in outer space with the Earth labeled **global economy** in the background, it features two astronauts: the lower one asks, *"was just a giant debt scam?"*, while the upper astronaut—holding a gun to the lower one—responds with the deadpan, iconic line *"always has been"*. The meme uses dark, sarcastic humor to satirize the perception of the global economic system as a predatory, debt-based structure.
Make

Dialogue

Lower Astronaut
"was just a giant debt scam?"
Upper Astronaut
"always has been"

Overview

This meme is a remix of the iconic "Always Has Been" astronaut template. Set in outer space with the Earth labeled global economy in the background, it features two astronauts: the lower one asks, "was just a giant debt scam?", while the upper astronaut—holding a gun to the lower one—responds with the deadpan, iconic line "always has been". The meme uses dark, sarcastic humor to satirize the perception of the global economic system as a predatory, debt-based structure.

Origin notes

The original "Always Has Been" astronaut meme originated on Reddit around 2019, featuring a format where one astronaut reveals a hidden, often absurd truth to another, ending with the deadpan "always has been" line while holding a gun. This specific version is a derivative remix of that template, modified to critique the global economy. It was shared on Reddit's meme communities, as confirmed by the provided source information.

Similar memes

A meme set in outer space featuring two astronauts in white spacesuits. The left astronaut faces a large, detailed Earth and has text above them reading 'WAIT, SO ELON MUSK IS A FUCKING LOSER?'. The right astronaut stands to the right, pointing a handgun at the left astronaut, with text in the top right corner stating 'ALWAYS HAS BEEN'. The background includes stars and a view of Earth from space. A watermark 'imgflip.com' is visible in the bottom left corner, indicating the meme was created using the Imgflip platform.

Astronauts React to Elon Musk - Always Has Been

A meme set in outer space fea…

This is a two-panel metaphor meme. The top panel shows a man in a yellow t-shirt labeled 'Global economy' straining to push a large truck tire labeled 'AI' onto a heavy truck wheel hub. The bottom panel shows the tire suddenly bursting in a cloud of smoke, sending the man (still labeled 'Global economy') flying backward violently, with one of his shoes knocked off by the force of the blast. The meme visualizes widespread discourse about an overinflated artificial intelligence investment bubble, where the global economy is recklessly pushing to expand the AI sector despite the high risk of a severe, damaging collapse.

Global Economy Hit By Bursting AI Bubble Meme

This is a two-panel metaphor …

A meme in the 'Always has been' template featuring two astronauts in space. The left astronaut asks, 'You mean it was about oil and not drugs?' while the right astronaut, holding a gun, responds, 'Always has been...'. The backdrop shows Earth, emphasizing the global context of the joke about conspiracy theories regarding oil and drugs as motives for conflict.

Always Has Been... Oil vs Drugs

A meme in the 'Always has bee…

A meme depicting two astronauts in space with Earth in the background. One astronaut labeled 'USA' has the text 'WAR VS VENEZUELA', while the other labeled 'rest of the world' holds a gun and asks 'WAIT, ARE WE THE BADDIES?'. The top text reads 'ALWAYS HAS BEEN', referencing the popular meme template that humorously implies a long-standing truth. This version satirizes perceptions of the USA's role in international conflicts, particularly with Venezuela.

Classic USA: Always Has Been Meme

A meme depicting two astronau…

This meme is a remix of the viral 'Always Has Been' astronaut template. It depicts two astronauts in outer space: the left astronaut, appearing shocked, gazes at an Earth overlaid with the Reddit alien logo, asking the question **'WAIT, REDDIT IS JUST BOTS TALKING TO EACH OTHER?'**. The right astronaut holds a gun to the back of the first, delivering the deadpan reply **'ALWAYS HAS BEEN'**. The humor stems from the widespread online suspicion that a significant portion of Reddit's user activity is generated by automated bots, framing this as an unspoken, long-standing secret. The gun adds the iconic dark, ironic twist of the original meme format, implying that this truth is something that's not to be questioned or revealed to the uninitiated. To answer the question posed: while Reddit does have automated bots (for moderation, utility, and some spam), the platform still has a large active human userbase, so the claim is an exaggerated, cynical joke.

Reddit Is Just Bots? Always Has Been (Astronaut Meme)

This meme is a remix of the v…

This is a variation of the popular "Always Has Been" astronaut meme template. It depicts two astronauts in outer space with Earth visible in the background. The first astronaut is facing Earth, with overlaid text next to the planet reading "Nuclear energy is the most environmentally friendly energy option we have today?!?". The second astronaut stands behind the first, pointing a handgun at him, with overlaid text reading "Always has been, too bad you had to figure that out.". The joke humorously implies that the environmental benefits of nuclear power are a deliberately suppressed secret that people are punished for discovering, playing on common discourse around underutilization of nuclear energy.

Nuclear Energy Suppressed Secret Meme

This is a variation of the po…

The image depicts two astronauts in outer space. One astronaut, labeled 'HUMANITY,' stands facing a large, detailed view of Earth with a contemplative posture. The other astronaut, labeled 'AI,' stands to the right, pointing a gun directly at 'HUMANITY.' The background features a starry space environment, emphasizing the isolation and high-stakes tension between the two figures. This visual metaphor critiques the potential threat of AI to humanity, referencing common sci-fi tropes of artificial intelligence turning against humans.

AI Pointing Gun at Humanity in Space

The image depicts two astrona…

This is a two-panel reaction meme using footage from the animated show SpongeBob SquarePants. The top panel depicts a large, aggressive green monster labeled 'INFLATION' looming threateningly over a cowering SpongeBob inside the Krusty Krab. The bottom panel shows SpongeBob standing unharmed and completely unbothered, now labeled 'ARIZONA ICED TEA'. The joke references the widely known fact that Arizona Iced Tea has kept its 99 cent price point unchanged for decades, even as global inflation has raised prices for nearly all other consumer goods.

Arizona Iced Tea Resists Inflation SpongeBob Meme

This is a two-panel reaction …

This two-panel animated meme uses a scene from *Rick and Morty* to satirize public discourse around the Jeffrey Epstein court documents (dubbed 'Epstein Files'). In the top panel, the character Rick Sanchez enthusiastically tears away a wall panel labeled **EPSTEIN FILES**, appearing eager to reveal its contents. The bottom panel shows the result: a massive, empty-looking exposed wall space labeled **GLOBAL ELITES FILES**, with Rick now looking shocked and disappointed. The meme implies that the widely discussed Epstein Files are only a small, surface-level portion of much larger, unexposed secrets tied to powerful global figures, playing into conspiracy-adjacent cynicism about elite networks and unaccountable power.

Rick & Morty: Epstein Files vs Global Elites Files

This two-panel animated meme …

This is a two-panel meme. The top panel displays a sketch of a US Treasury Bond on the left with accompanying text reading 'Please buy our US Treasury Bonds', positioned across from a cartoon goose on the right labeled 'ALL COUNTRIES'. The bottom panel shows the personified US Treasury Bond walking away to the left, while the goose labeled 'ALL COUNTRIES' yells 'FUCK YOU' at it, aggressively rejecting the bond purchase offer. The original post title frames this behavior as an action all countries should have taken during the 1940s.

If every country would have done this in the 1940s

This is a two-panel meme. The…

A meme utilizing a screenshot from the animated TV show 'The Simpsons,' featuring two characters in a domestic room with purple walls. The first character, likely Homer Simpson, appears to shout in large, bold uppercase text: 'CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WERE RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!' Below this, another character, likely Marge Simpson, is shown with a list of topics prefixed by 'WRONG ABOUT,' including 'CHEMTRAILS,' 'COVID VACCINES,' 'FLAT EARTH,' 'MOON LANDING HOAX,' '9/11,' 'JEWISH SPACE LASERS,' and 'WHAT 'GLOBALIST' MEANS.' The meme employs sarcasm by contrasting the initial hyperbolic claim with a litany of conspiracy theories that have been debunked, mocking the idea that conspiracy theorists are consistently correct.

Simpsons Characters Mock Conspiracy Theorists

A meme utilizing a screenshot…

A meme featuring two astronauts in space with Earth prominently visible in the background. The left astronaut (Astronaut 1) looks toward Earth and says, 'Wait, these old memes are way better than the modern ones,' while the right astronaut (Astronaut 2) points a gun at the first and responds, 'Always have been.' This humorously references nostalgia for older memes by repurposing the classic astronaut 'Always has been' template.

Glad Old Memes Are Being Used Again: Astronaut Meme

A meme featuring two astronau…