Saturday, 5 May 2012

Work doesn't pay if banks can print money

The existence of unsound banking* means that banks are able to exploit the balance sheet of the government. The government has failed to protect its balance sheet. We cannot have sound money without sound banking. Without sound banking there can be no sound money. If sound money is good then we would want to have sound banking... but it might not be good. It is (might be) bad if money holds its value because fiat money is only a store of value relative to others. It has value only because of its scarcity amongst others. It is comparative wealth not absolute.

Fractional reserve banking makes fiat money a very bad investment. But even if bad money drives out good money it does not alter the fact that bad money can still form a part of the money supply. People still use fiat money despite Gresham's law. Fiat money is still money despite it not having any objective value.

The government survives the inflation caused by fractional reserve banking which is bad for people who earn and save money. Unsound banking destroys the incentive to (work and) earn money... unless the government does not survive. Because the government survives fractional reserve banking it (frb) is bad for people who want to save money.

Inflation destroys savings. Fractional reserve banking is bad for (rich) people who have money.

*A combination of deposit insurance and a lack of any prohibition on fractional reserve banking.

No comments:

Post a Comment