There is lots of stuff I need to replace. For instance this lap top I’m writing on is over 1 year old, wouldn’t it be great if the government could print and/or borrow some more money (or steal from us) and subsidize computer companies with a couple of thousands so I, and everyone else, could buy a new one? We can call this “The PC replacement program”. Would save jobs in the computer industry, I can give my computer to some poor fellow in Africa and everyone wins…
I also need new clothes. I could tear up and cut my clothes into little pieces and then the Government can print and/or borrow some more money (or steal from us) and hand me a voucher so I can buy new ones. Great stuff really. It would save thousands of jobs in the textile industry.
I also need a house. Although this might be a tad too expensive for the government to buy for everyone, so let’s just have them lower interest rates, instate a government bank that is easier to borrow from so we can borrow some money and if the government does the same and subsidize, oh, let’s say, 20% we can all buy or replace our homes! This would be great for the real-estate market and would increase GDP! Wow, I’m on to something here.
How about a new MP3 player? Doesn’t owning a good music player constitute as a human right? Why isn’t the government handing out those for free?
Shoes are very important and didn’t a couple of companies show bad results lately? Come on! Let’s help all those and let’s save jobs!
And that entertainment industry we are conjuring up laws for, they need more help. They are not earning nearly enough money, let’s give ‘em some!
The government is clearly not taking a good enough interest in mine or your wellbeing. They are not borrowing enough, printing enough and subsidizing enough. And most importantly, if doing so they would increase companies’ profits and GDP!! That’s what we are all rooting and hoping for, so let’s get cracking.
As long as we can increase production, and that that type of production increase can give us something that contributes in a positive way to our lives, it could be a way..
ReplyDeleteManaged properly that is..
I do hope that was an ironic response on my ironic post... :))
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was more of a provocing post.. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I'm serious to some extent.. The only value we have is what we produce in value. So an increase in production of value is good.. and solves the money-printing problem. The thought must be to print more money in order to get production going. If production increases with the same rate as more money is printed there will be no inflation. Theoretically.
The only problem I see with printing more money is if we can't increase production of real value with the same rate.
Yes, but if we destroy value at the same time, nothing has in reality changed. Recourses allocated towards one sector, for instance exchanging all computers, means we take recourses from another area. Even if one can discuss what area is most important or bring forth the most secondary value, the basic is true; all you have done is wasted money to replace something that might still work and in doing so wasted much needed resources.
ReplyDeleteBut you have to take into account that a new computer might enable you to create more..
ReplyDeleteTo change your shoes every month.. or buy 50 pair of them instead of 5 don't add much value.
I mostly reacted towards the computer example.. I think computers is an incredible tool to be able to create value with less resources.
Maybe 1 year is a short time even for a computer-life. But if you do a lot of CAD work and rendering f.x every increase in processing power will give you faster results, and thus you will be able to create something faster. You can experiment with different designs or construction solutions much easier and also learn much more, faster that way. If the computer hangs or takes a lot of time processing your work or progams you're using you will have less time to do some productive stuff.
If printing money is a problem or not I think depends on what we produce.. or what we buy. Hopefully people will buy the "smart" suff when the money is printed and put into the system. Of course it's not going to happen in an ideal way.. but I think that people in general is the real cause of that problem. If they consider what will give them real value in return before they buy something, they would only buy goods of real value.
If that had been the case you could throw a bigger amount of money into the system (if production isn't already maxed out) without getting a problem.. beacause you would get some value in return for the stuff that people buy.
But I think it's because people buy stuff they don't need (or buy it mostly to compete or feel good when they compare themselves to others) that causes the problem. And that's what is draining some resources. People buy to much shit.. hence we produce shit. And value -> shit is bad :)
So maybe people just have to stop competing with each other and try to work together in the same direction instead.. But that's hardly gonna happen.. at least not until the ladies stop fucking and marrying only the guys with the most power, money, "success" and so on. Maybe it's the other way around also, but not nearly as much.