Why Modern Monetary Theory Will Destroy Money…

Guest Post by Doug Casey

MMT centers around the notion that the economy in general, and money in particular, should be the creatures of the State.

It’s not a new idea – the meme has been around in one form or another since at least the days of Marx.

MMT basically posits that the wise and incorruptible solons in government should create as much currency as they think is needed, spend it in areas they like, and solve any problems that occur with more laws and regulations.

It’s nothing new. Just a more radical version of the economic fascism that’s dominated the U.S. since at least the days of the New Deal. It’s just another name for an old, and very stupid, set of economic ideas. By stupid I mean, “showing an inability to predict the indirect and delayed consequences of actions.”

Won’t Work

Politicians are now talking about the supposed benefits of MMT. Pseudo-economists are doing their abstruse and incomprehensible mathematical computations about how it might affect the economy.

The public will easily be convinced they’ll get something for nothing.

But what we should be talking about here is moral principle. It’s not a question of whether MMT will work or not work. It won’t. It will work about as well as the economic policies of Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Or Argentina, where I am at the moment.

These schemes have never worked in all of history. They result in a vastly lower standard of living, along with social strife. MMT is about radically increased government control. The argument shouldn’t be over whether MMT will “work” or not. The argument should be about whether it’s moral and proper for people in the government – whether elected or appointed – to print money to change the economy into something that suits them better.

What Money Is

Money represents the hours of your life that you spent earning it. That’s the basic principle here. It represents concentrated life – all the things you want to have and do for yourself, and provide for others in the future.

When these people destroy the value of money, they’re destroying part of your life.

“Inflation” isn’t caused by greedy butchers, bakers, and gasoline makers. It’s caused by an excess of purchasing media. MMT will give the State total control of its quantity and quality.

If the government increases the money supply by, say, 10 times, general prices will go up by 10 times. The value of your dollar savings will drop 90% – perhaps most Americans won’t care, because they have no savings, just debt.

In any event, some people will get hold of a lot more of that 10x increase than others. And they’ll get hold of it earlier, before prices really take off.

Who? Inevitably cronies.

Moral Question

Look, absolutely every government intrusion into the economy – whether it’s taxes or regulations or inflation – always benefits the people in and around the government. And damages society as a whole.

But they’re sold to the voters, to the hoi polloi, to the “head count,” as something that will put them on easy street. Which is a lie, of course.

But that’s not what the argument should be about. The average guy doesn’t understand economics; he doesn’t think, he feels.

Furthermore, nobody talks about whether cockamamie ideas like MMT are morally right or wrong. Instead, they have pointless and ridiculous arguments about whether it works or not. Well, it doesn’t work. But that’s a distraction.

This matter is essentially a moral question, not a technical question. Does somebody in government have a right to determine your economic destiny? Or not?

The fact that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [AOC] – an ambitious, terminally ignorant, morally crippled 29-year-old Puerto Rican bartender – is setting the tone for this whole discussion tells you how degraded the U.S. has become. It’s well on its way to turning into a giant welfare and police state.

But, as you know, I always look on the bright side. Which is that – if you give yourself a little psychological distance – this is all a comedy.

AOC, The Donald, Bolton, Bernie Sanders, Pocahontas, Hillary, Kamala, etc., etc. They’re all dangerous megalomaniacs. But the chimpanzees listen to them, choose teams, hang on to their every word, support them, and are easily incited to hoot and pant at each other.

The American public is going to get exactly what it deserves. I have no sympathy for them. Or about as much as I would have had for the Romans in the fifth century, when the empire was collapsing.

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13 Comments
credit
credit
March 26, 2019 9:38 am

Suck a big one Doug. A productive, ambitious nation of mostly solid people is cheated, lied to, milked, propagandized, and hated by a cabal of evil, selfish sociopaths and you have no sympathy for them?

Donkey Balls
Donkey Balls
  credit
March 26, 2019 10:37 am

I agree. It’s also quite unfair to say…

“The average guy doesn’t understand economics; he doesn’t think, he feels.”

That’s like saying an average guy doesn’t know how to rebuild his transmission so he deserves to be ripped off.

Mad as Hell
Mad as Hell
  Donkey Balls
March 26, 2019 5:52 pm

No, but he should at least know where the transmission is….

Mad as Hell
Mad as Hell
  credit
March 26, 2019 5:49 pm

Credit, I am sorry, but I have to agree with Doug on this one. While, yes, there are some good people, that do not deserve what they are getting. That is wholly DWARFED by the sheer volume of ignorant, apathetic ‘Muricans that just simply want their free shit.
So, who do you suppose keeps reelecting these selfish sociopaths? Who are the customers of these sociopaths?
Why do you suppose Facebook is still so powerful and relevant? If no one logged on to Facebook tomorrow, do you think they would exist in 6 months? Google? How about if at the next election, instead of “voters” showing up to continue the usual ritual of voting for the lessor of evils, instead ALL of the citizenry showed up to their state houses, and DEMANDED change, or else they would simply STOP WORKING and bring the whole damn economy to a halt? What do you think happened in Iceland in 2009? Notice how in Iceland, bankers actually went to prison, and crony politicians were thrown out of office. Juxtapose that to what happened when Monkey boy Bush got on TeeVee and told us all that if we did not bail out everyone on Wall Street, there would be “catastrophic consequences”. Or, how about this yearly ritual of “shutting down the Government”. Yea right, all that happens is that they shut down the free shit spickets, and the usual wining from the Government leaches starts. Then magically the whole theater starts, and of course the crooks on the Potomac cave, only with even MOAR goodies than last time for them.
The facts of the matter is that the nation is wholly controlled by a large group of people, from the local teachers union, all the way up to the largest Government contractors, that DEPEND on the free shit to continue to be emitted by the ever shrinking productive of this nation.
While Doug may not express himself in ways you like, and it may seem heartless at times, I have to agree that I have NO sympathy AT ALL for most of the Government leaches of this country. This goes equally for the welfare queen in Philadelphia in the 30 blocks of squalor, all the way up to the engineer at Boeing or Lockheed Martin. They are literally sucking on the same teet, just one is “credentialed” and has the mystique of legitimacy and the other is blatenly lazy. However BOTH are using my tax dollars to enrich themselves, and in some cases the engineer is worse, as at least the welfare queen is not designing things that kill others. /rant

Emil
Emil
  credit
March 27, 2019 12:10 am

Who won the popular vote? ((sure disclaim illegal votes all you want to, but they still were counted))

mark
mark
March 26, 2019 10:48 am

The title should be:

“Why Modern Monetary Theory Will Destroy What is Left of BS Fiat Currency…”

Here is the real problem in one sentence:

“The average guy doesn’t understand economics; he doesn’t think, he feels.”

That’s our problem on every single issue affecting the former Republic current decaying empire…a massive herd of dumbed down, generationally brainwashed, distracted, soft spoiled lost fools grazing across the fruited plain while being rounded up into the Blue Bubbles for the coming slaughter.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  mark
March 26, 2019 5:26 pm

I agree with Mark and “credit” and Donkey miss the point. MANY good people will get hurt and if the megalomaniacs trigger a war many will die.

We los our Republic as Ben Franklin warned because the majority wanted the hand-out and the lure of socialism – IT IS OUR OWNDAMN FAULT.

We passed the tipping point in Americ and anyone that thinks Donald is the answer must have less than three brain cells.

Onnie
Onnie
March 26, 2019 2:07 pm

Doug: “But what we should be talking about here is moral principle.”

Doug: “The average guy doesn’t understand economics; he doesn’t think, he feels.”

Doug: “The American public is going to get exactly what it deserves. I have no sympathy for them.”

Me: “Then shut up and fuck off, you self-absorbed blowhard.”

mark branham
mark branham
March 26, 2019 11:30 pm

If you’re going to trash MMT, shouldn’t you at least define it so we all know what the hell you’re talking about. Or do you not know?

I suspect you do not. It’s also clear, Mr. Casey, that you do not know our current monetary system. If you did, you would know that only bankers can create money from nothing AND get to charge interest to boot. IF you knew that, you would know the consequences of a debt-money monetary system, which you surely do not because there is not one thing about such a system that is just, fair,reasonable… in fact, such a system is doomed to failure. And makes slaves of us all.

There is, in fact, only one monetary system that is debt-free and interest-free. Only sovereign nations can issue such money. Of course, I’ve said before that we can’t get there from here. And we will not, because such a system requires grown-ups to administer it. We, in the evolutionary advance, have yet to reach such a level. Only a civilized people are responsible enough to deserve such a just and fair monetary system. We, on the other hand, are still savages.

mark
mark
  mark branham
March 27, 2019 12:12 am

Good post mark…hope your doing well!

Austrian Peter
Austrian Peter
  mark branham
March 28, 2019 3:51 pm

Good one Mark, excellent diatribe. go well dear Boy

Boat Guy
Boat Guy
March 27, 2019 8:39 am

Since 1913 the mystical “THEY” behind the curtain knew exactly what was is and continues to this day . Boom , Bust , War ! Wash Rinse Repeat …
As politicians scurry about like cats covering up shit the circle jerk of Wall Street to K-Street to Capitol Street continue to cash in at average Joe & Janes expense .
QE and TARP a real plan to continue the oligarchies profit and the debt rammed up the average citizens ass . Being good Americans BOHICA

Austrian Peter
Austrian Peter
March 28, 2019 3:48 pm

So well put! I too have little sympathy for these poor ignorant masses, let their destiny precede them, it is written.