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Topic: Is the US national "debt" an illusion? - page 2. (Read 6704 times)

legendary
Activity: 3248
Merit: 1070
June 13, 2015, 02:54:29 AM
#73
As long as you can print money, you can always pay back whatever amount of debt, that's not the problem. Only a country like Greece who can not print money for themselves will run into huge problems

However, those printed money's initial ownership is strange: It should belong to governments, but in reality they all belongs to central banks, which in turn is owned by regional reserve banks. So banks actually pay back the debt using printed money, at the same time those money become the new debt of the government, so that government's debt is ballooning (They borrow money from central bank to pay debt)

Anyway, banks can write off those debt just like they create money, so the debt is really an illusion. It is a way to keep the game running, but the game designer can easily change the rules and still make it work

But foreign investors in US government bonds will not write off those debts, they will require a 100% repayment plus interest, so central banks will print some money to pay them in future

This games runs as long as people accept payment in fiat money, if the trust for fiat money is gone, then the system will collapse



but they could ask for the central bank to print money for them, are they doing so?

also if normally the previous debt is payed with another next debt, by printing more money, why the value of the fiat isn't collapsing, but it always stays there,are they perhaps, destroying their previously printed money, to keep the activity on this dirty cycle, forever?
legendary
Activity: 1988
Merit: 1012
Beyond Imagination
June 12, 2015, 06:24:00 PM
#72
well all countries has debit ,,, those allowed people to make them houses and pay in 40 years.... they can buy a computer buy internet buy a car ... the thing is if the loans wouldnt be allowed do you really think we would have a better life?

You can not kick the can down the road forever. Banks usually drive larger and larger bubble to create jobs and increase income, however they have run out of bubbles now. When people consume something from future, but their future income is getting worse year by year (Due to market saturation and technology unemployment), less and less people will be able to pay back the loan, so more and more people will default and banks will eventually acquire majority of the assets many years down the road.  Of course no one cares when they have a better life now, but how about their next generation? The system is unsustainable long term wise, the situation is getting worse for young people quickly

hero member
Activity: 560
Merit: 500
June 12, 2015, 05:38:28 PM
#71
well all countries has debit ,,, those allowed people to make them houses and pay in 40 years.... they can buy a computer buy internet buy a car ... the thing is if the loans wouldnt be allowed do you really think we would have a better life?
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 1068
WOLF.BET - Provably Fair Crypto Casino
June 12, 2015, 06:29:41 AM
#70
Paper money is just debt slave money. How do you pay off the debt if every cent you borrow you have to payback in interest? I borrow a $1 now i owe you $1.10 so I borrow $2 to pay you back but now I owe you $1.30... If the government printed its own money it would be a different story but any president that had that idea has been killed. Abe Lincoln and John Kennedy.

I agree, specially that paper money is debt slave money.
legendary
Activity: 1988
Merit: 1012
Beyond Imagination
June 12, 2015, 05:00:11 AM
#69
As long as you can print money, you can always pay back whatever amount of debt, that's not the problem. Only a country like Greece who can not print money for themselves will run into huge problems

However, those printed money's initial ownership is strange: It should belong to governments, but in reality they all belongs to central banks, which in turn is owned by regional reserve banks. So banks actually pay back the debt using printed money, at the same time those money become the new debt of the government, so that government's debt is ballooning (They borrow money from central bank to pay debt)

Anyway, banks can write off those debt just like they create money, so the debt is really an illusion. It is a way to keep the game running, but the game designer can easily change the rules and still make it work

But foreign investors in US government bonds will not write off those debts, they will require a 100% repayment plus interest, so central banks will print some money to pay them in future

This games runs as long as people accept payment in fiat money, if the trust for fiat money is gone, then the system will collapse

legendary
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1003
June 12, 2015, 03:51:33 AM
#68
I tend to agree with many of the forward-thinking viewpoints that are shared on forums like this. However, I feel there is misinformation being circulated regarding the US national debt. The core question that must be answered: What is the national wealth?

Private wealth in the US is almost $70 trillion. But dig deeper: What is the mineral wealth in our national parkland? What are the Rocky Mountains, Mendocino County, and ANWR worth? What is the aggregate oil wealth in public lands? What is the value of the US military in the jungle of international relations?

I argue that the $18 Trillion national debt pales in comparison to the national wealth of the United States. There is no better example of this than the revenue generated from Obama's successful energy exploration campaign.

When you take a look at the massive swaths of valuable land held by the federal government, it becomes clear that the total federally-owned real estate, oil, minerals, etc. within the borders of the USA could be valued in the quadrillions of dollars.

One thing has become increasingly clear to me: the United States HAS debt, but it is really not IN debt.

The purpose of the Federal Reserve is to govern the people through the money supply. The threat of hyperinflation or deflationary depression is exaggerated. The resource wealth of the United States - as well as the large, rich, taxable population - provides a backstop that keeps our currency strong, even in expansionary environments.

I believe this backstop is far more valuable than prior generations' use of precious metal reserves. I concede gold and silver are more tangible, but defining the national wealth by reserves of scarce metals is nothing more than a form of social brainwashing intended to keep resource-rich Americans feeling poor.

Conspiracy theorists and John Birchers who measure the national debt against gold reserves are engaging in monetary child's play. However, the Federal Reserve's ability to spend the past decade in crisis while hiding the money supply (M3) from the American public is brilliant. A brilliant scam that must come to an end in the United States, as it has in central banks throughout Europe and across the globe.

The strength of the dollar in FOREX markets in the wake of QE3 invalidates many conspiracy theories. As a market student and participant, I believe the dollar is legitimately strong and would remain strong through QE4, QE5, and QE6.

Is it time to end the myth of false scarcity? Is the easy answer - a dramatic increase in the debt ceiling to fund the Small Business Administration, Farm Service Agency, and regional banks - the best path for the US economy?

Recently an interesting statistic was released. The USA has fewer corporations today than 40 years ago, despite having three times as many citizens. If "corporations are people," do we just need more "people?"

Or is a multi-decade Japanese-style depression a better way to break the will of American men, break the daughters of the revolution into prostitution, seize American's weapons, and ultimately rejoin the British Crown and join the New/Old World Order?

I ask that question only half-sarcastically, because that appears to be the the intent of the current world order, and the path the United States is headed. Especially if either Hillary "Forester de Rothschild-RHODam" Clinton, or Jeb "Lehman is now Barclays" Bush are elected president.

This is serious business.

Sure, a new monetary system would be nice. But is a total revolution possible? Perhaps it is time to submit to reality, and finally admit that Reagan was right.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of a new hashtag.

Matthew Libman
Charleston, SC

I haven't read through the 4 pages of comments, but I wouldn't count possible future income against current debt levels.
If I have $100k debt, I am in debt and have debt.  My future earnings will help me service the debt, and the debt is secured against my capital, usually a house.

In this case America has the debt, but doesn't have the house yet.  They have a plot of land, but are borrowing against a house that could possible be built on that plot of land in the future.  That is just debt plain and simple to me.

The reason why their debt is an illusion is that they don't need to pay it back!  But that's another story.
newbie
Activity: 44
Merit: 0
June 12, 2015, 01:08:26 AM
#67
Paper money is just debt slave money. How do you pay off the debt if every cent you borrow you have to payback in interest? I borrow a $1 now i owe you $1.10 so I borrow $2 to pay you back but now I owe you $1.30... If the government printed its own money it would be a different story but any president that had that idea has been killed. Abe Lincoln and John Kennedy.
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 509
June 09, 2015, 07:15:34 AM
#66
...

Febo (and everyone)

Yes, debt is dangerous!  Way too many people go into debt irresponsible way, to support consumption now rather than building a base for more productivity.  Perhaps the only exception would be for a mortgage that you are sure you can afford.

Shakespeare was right, better not to get into debt (nor loan).  Unless you have thought it through.

It is too easy to become a slave when in debt.

Debt allows for things to happen. If you are not in debt, you are usually a slave too, a 9-5 one.
Debt can allow someone without many resources to start his own business. Of course things can go wrong and you are screwed. It's a gamble.
The problem is not debt, the problem is the debt has a fraudulent origin.
full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
June 09, 2015, 07:09:09 AM
#65
U.S went to collapse this year, after this stronger dollars .

No, actually it didn't collapse this year as it were before. now the more job opportunities emerges and people are getting job normally. Actually the military spent on Iraq and Afghanistan reduce drastically compared to previous years, it is one of the big reason that U.S going correct on the line, regards to the inflation crisis, any wrong step on foreign affairs will have bad impact.
full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
June 07, 2015, 02:47:13 PM
#64
it seems that despite the huge debt, usa are still on track, and can recover from it anyway, they can probably liquidate the first debt by rising another one and keeps the circle active

so yes, you could consider it an illusion

You can only float debt for so long before you are buried in interest payments. Decades ago, the national debt didn't matter because it was all owed to domestic sources. It was like taking money out of one pocket and putting it in the other. In today's world however, the majority of the debt is foreign held and all interest that is paid leaves the U.S. economy.

The national debt (what the OP was talking about is National Net Worth. Very different animal) is a serious problem that, unless addressed, will have widespread financial consequences in the near future.
legendary
Activity: 3248
Merit: 1070
June 07, 2015, 12:32:21 PM
#63
it seems that despite the huge debt, usa are still on track, and can recover from it anyway, they can probably liquidate the first debt by rising another one and keeps the circle active

so yes, you could consider it an illusion
legendary
Activity: 2968
Merit: 1895
June 07, 2015, 10:56:15 AM
#62
...

Febo (and everyone)

Yes, debt is dangerous!  Way too many people go into debt irresponsible way, to support consumption now rather than building a base for more productivity.  Perhaps the only exception would be for a mortgage that you are sure you can afford.

Shakespeare was right, better not to get into debt (nor loan).  Unless you have thought it through.

It is too easy to become a slave when in debt.
legendary
Activity: 2744
Merit: 1288
June 07, 2015, 08:34:48 AM
#61
Debts sucks.
If you take debt, then always take so much that you cant repay back. so you bankrupt and not worry with the rest.
member
Activity: 93
Merit: 10
June 07, 2015, 05:55:48 AM
#60
No, the US debt is real, because the repercussions if US does not pay are real. Slavery is an illusion? Yes, a slave can leave, but before it gets a step will be recaptured.
hero member
Activity: 616
Merit: 500
June 07, 2015, 01:06:49 AM
#59
Debt doesn't matter as long as investors believe in the system. It's just a matter of faith. Fiat and debt exists as long as people believe they are real and have value. Santa Claus exists also because so many kids believe it's real.
hero member
Activity: 1218
Merit: 513
June 06, 2015, 08:51:12 PM
#58
If you asking if it's assets outweigh it's debts than yes they do. However many of those assets are very difficult to liquidate...
Pab
legendary
Activity: 1862
Merit: 1012
June 04, 2015, 06:02:28 PM
#57
 It is very real ilussion and can be more and more real
 Now money is debt,money lost his value like a national money it is all global debt
virtual hype pyramid
legendary
Activity: 1204
Merit: 1028
April 02, 2015, 09:54:18 AM
#57
If you think the USD is safe forever and until the end of time.. then beg the question, why not just prop the stock market up until the end of time and keep interest rates at 0%? Free monopoly money for everyone!

Id rather own gold/BTC than a worthless piece of paper. Go to Russian or Greece, it's cheaper to wipe your ass with their money then actually buying toilet paper.
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1005
June 04, 2015, 05:34:02 PM
#56
The human nature of the market is generally underestimated.

The prices come from what people own, what they need and want, and take action on through person to person exchange. In the market, they prefer one thing over another and take action. It is not the aggregate, it is not the average or mean, rather the price on the market is for one less or one more of what we already have. The price is never rational, and it can not be computed from history.

Therefore the price is a perfect input to the entrepreneurs; what they do when they start a business, is to provide a little more of something, and when they close a business they, provide a little less. Total harmony.
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1005
June 04, 2015, 05:17:26 PM
#55
As long as people trust USD and use it to measure value, the debt can always be paid back by printing USD. For most of the people, including people in other countries, that trust is almost unshakeable. So debt is the least to worry about

Sure, banks have printed 5x more USD and diluted the USD value dramatically, but for average people, they will never raise the price of their products/services based on USD money supply, their pricing is depends on cost and competition, and since we have continuous improvement over efficiency due to automation and computer, the price might even drop

This works for a while. It depends on what the market actors think. If they think, in aggregate, that bonds can fall in real value, they would be reluctant to hold them. Therefore they can fall, in a chain reaction.

The keynesians believe you can just loan money in the form of bonds, issue new bonds when they expire, effectively pushing the repayment into the distant future (Varoufakis' words). The state lives for ever, right? A bond with repayment in the distant future, with no interest, and transferable, is equivalent to money, which eventually will be a price-inflating force. Price inflation is never proportional to money volume inflation, but there is a force, and money volume and prices will tend to balance in a longer timeframe.

But there is a limit, again it is the market participants who decide. When they start to believe they are being ass-fucked, they act. First slowly, then suddenly.

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