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US government will run out of money by October 18, Treasury secretary says https://t.co/p41AQq8sya— CNN (@CNN) September 28, 2021

I ask this question with genuine sincerity: Can't we just print more? Why do people think we can't just print more?

  • vertexarray [any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    She's talking about the debt ceiling. They can print more if Congress raises it.

    • FunkyColdMedina [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Would there actually be any adverse economic consequences of doing that? This stuff is definitely not my domain

      • Lil_Revolitionary [she/her,they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I'm pretty sure it just exists so Republicans can threaten to self-destruct the government if they don't get their tax cuts or whatever

      • vertexarray [any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Not any immediate and violent ones. The conventional wisdom around printing money is it causes inflation, but I think if you're the USA's treasury secretary there's probably a thousand different incentives and consequences beating down your door.

              • Mrtryfe [none/use name]
                ·
                3 years ago

                If the end conclusion is that the US just can make the printer go brrr because they have the largest standing army on earth, and not due to any real monetary considerations, I'd say that's pretty telling

                  • Mrtryfe [none/use name]
                    ·
                    3 years ago

                    If the past decade plus has taught us anything, no one has a real handle on what exactly inflation says about the economy

                    As far as individuals go, they should just HODL, as the kids say

      • DetroitLolcat [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        It's not my area of expertise either, but people whose takes on this I respect seem to indicate that it would be catastrophic for the US to violate its debt ceiling (and therefore it's a good idea to get rid of the debt ceiling altogether).

        Printing money you can probably just do although try to tax it back at some point.