Ron Paul: ...you have to develop the transition, and eventually the next step would be to prohibit the Fed from monetizing debt. This is the real evil. The politicians spend for war, welfare, and they don't have to do it responsibly. Question: When you say monetize the debt, you mean they would only be able to spend the cash that they had on hand. They couldn't write any cheques for which they don't have in their account any money? Ron Paul: That's right. And that is the key to it. Because when the Fed comes along, and there's starvation for capital and liquidity, and politicians are spending too much, the Fed can create 20, 30, 50 billion dollars in a day, just like they did trying to bail out this housing bubble crash. So they create money out of thin air endlessly, eventually that has to stop because that drives the value of the dollar down.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Paul suggests prohibiting the Fed from monetizing debt, arguing that unchecked money creation fuels war, welfare spending, and inflation.
- In plain terms
- Stop the Fed from printing money to curb fiscal excess.
- What can you take from it?
- Restrict central bank money creation to protect the dollar.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How would the economy respond to tighter money supply?
- What alternatives exist for financing emergencies?
Another view
May limit monetary policy tools needed for economic stability.
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