Saturday, October 11, 2008

Money As Debt

This is a great video to watch if you want to learn about how our monetary system works. It's 50 minutes well spent.

38 comments:

Douglas Porter said...

I love this video. It basically concludes that there is no way to control the banks.

Josh said...

So...we shouldn't try to change the system because resistance is futile?

Douglas Porter said...

LOL, you want to change the banks with government intervention? That sounds kinda contradictory with your previous position.

Josh said...

I think to change one, you would need to change the other, no?

Douglas Porter said...

I think that your position has been anti-government until now. And now that you want to control the banks with government, you have become a hypocrite.

Josh said...

Your continual misuse of the word hypocrite is irritating.

I'm not an anarchist. Government has a function in society, and one of its most important functions would be regulating and issuing the money supply.

Douglas Porter said...

Sorry, you are either for regulation or against. Which is it, Josh? Regulation for pet projects, but not others?

Josh said...

Honestly I have no problem with a money supply that exists outside of the government. Value is determined by the market in the end, so why not let people trade what they feel is appropriate?

I don't have all of the answers here. But surely you agree that a system that leaves the world's population indebted to the banks for more money than actually exists is not sustainable.

Douglas Porter said...

LOL, whatever, Josh! With the FED or without the FED you have been proven to be screwed! And now you fall upon your basic assumption: that the market is inherently good.

Josh said...

How are we screwed without the Fed...or central banking in general?

Douglas Porter said...

BECAUSE BANKS CAN CREATE MONEY BY WRITING LOANS!

Josh said...

So without banks creating money to write loans, we'd be screwed because?

Douglas Porter said...

LOL.


I don't really care about the banks, Josh. Because I know that some sort of regulation is proper in the end. The regulation will come whether the market evangelists like it or not.

Douglas Porter said...

Production is the economy. You can not create loans, have a gold standard, trade paper money, or have banks develop without it. If your economy is being gutted by greedy corporations that want to make money by hiring slaves, then that is the core problem. YOU CAN NOT HAVE THE EXCHANGE OF MONEY WITHOUT SOMETHING PRODUCED FIRST>

Josh said...

Yep. Which is the major problem with the US dollar. Lots of it being exchanged and nothing being produced.

Douglas Porter said...

It seems to me that it only becomes a problem if people can't pay their loans back. Which means wage flight is the real problem.

Josh said...

Or that money was loaned out at a price set artificially low by a certain central bank.

Douglas Porter said...

What would stop banks from doing that if there was no regulation and the economy was good? Nothing.

Josh said...

Risk. The higher price to borrow, the riskier it is to lend.

Douglas Porter said...

Booms and busts have existed before the FED, Josh. And many companies have gone out of business as a result.

Josh said...

You can keep saying that, but we both know before the Fed there were other central banks. These banks had the same purpose, just a different name.

Josh said...

With that it is time for me to go to bed.

Douglas Porter said...

Yeah, Kingdom.

Josh said...

kingdom?

Chris said...

The King controlled the money supply.

Josh said...

Well I'm sure in the history of currency there are many variations of who controlled the money supply before fiat currencies became the norm.

Blueskyboris said...

Kingdoms were fiat currencies. The King was the Fiat and his treasurer the implementation chief.

Josh said...

In latin "fiat" means "let there be". I can find no reference to a King being called a "fiat".

Douglas Porter said...

Fiat means authority and a King is the ultimate authority in a Kingdom.

Josh said...

Fiat: an authoritative and often arbitrary order or decree

Chris said...

If a King isn't fiat, I don't know what is! Authority, often arbitrary in order or decree!

Josh said...

Notice: What fiat "is" is an order or decree, which is typically arbitrary. A King is in a position to provide a fiat, but is not a fiat. A King or government provide fiat currencies, but they are not themselves fiat.

If I have this wrong, please reference something that defines "fiat" as "king". Please and Thank you.

Chris said...

1 : a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort 2 : an authoritative determination : dictate a fiat of conscience 3 : an authoritative or arbitrary order : decree government by fiat

Kings could do 1, 2, and 3 with their currencies. They usually left it to their treasurers, but they did it themselves when they wanted.

Josh said...

Fair enough. But the word itself is not a title for the King. It is an action the King, or any government, can perform.

Douglas Porter said...

Nor is it a title for the FED>>>>

Josh said...

I never called the FED a FIAT? It has the power delegated by the Congress to print a fiat currency.

Chris said...

Therefore it is a fiat institution for printing money.

Chris said...

Or making new money as is the case. Only the Mint has the fiat to print money.