4 ms·

The public debt can be traded away with the high foreign exchange reserves or inflated away if it becomes a problem. There's no need to worry too much about it

The public debt can be traded away with the high foreign exchange reserves or inflated away if it becomes a problem. There's no need to worry too much about it now as all the creditors seem eager to roll it over at low rates forever. Drastic measures are not on the horizon.

ekianjo 11y ago
Inflation of public debt is just destroying Savings and Private investment, which is the opposite of what you want for a growing Economy.
- WildUtah 11y ago
  I'm not recommending hyperinflation. Countries like Japan and the USA with their current levels of debt will someday have to inflate or they will have to renounce the debt officially. That is a mathematical certainty. But that day is a long way off. Low inflation is better. If exchange rates are out of balance, such as in Japan in 2010, inflation in the prices of only imports should be sufficient and that should be moderate at worst. In any case it's nothing to worry about now.
  - Roboprog 11y ago
    Remember the late 90s, when Fed chairman Greenspan was terrified the national debt might actually be paid off someday (denying the rich an investment in our future taxes)?
- RobertoG 11y ago
  It's time we start to distinguish between financial and real assets. Financial assets are not "real". Growing an economy is building infrastructure, knowledge, real and human capital. Things that allow improve the quality of life of the people. Inflation could imply redistribution but not necessarily destroying real assets. Deflation, in the other hand can only be solved by destroying real economy in order to adjust it to the financial economy.
  - WildUtah 11y ago
    "Deflation, in the other hand can only be solved by destroying real economy in order to adjust it to the financial economy." Abenomics had no trouble reversing deflation in 2010-2013. You just have to really mean it and not depend on the bankers to do it for you. There was zero harm to the real economy.
    - RobertoG 11y ago
      You are right. I didn't express myself properly. My point was about the fashionable view of fixing the economy by "internal devaluation" that is so in vogue in Europe.
- rtpg 11y ago
  actually, you want to destroy savings to get a growing economy, because it incentivises spending. Why hold onto yen if they'll be worthless in a year? Might as well turn them into tangibles now
  - ekianjo 11y ago
    That's not really how investment works. For a private company to be able to invest in infrastructure and equipment, you need access to hard cash, and therefore savings procured through banks as lenders. If everything is at credit, it's not sustainable.

ekianjo 11y ago

Inflation of public debt is just destroying Savings and Private investment, which is the opposite of what you want for a growing Economy.

WildUtah 11y ago
I'm not recommending hyperinflation. Countries like Japan and the USA with their current levels of debt will someday have to inflate or they will have to renounce the debt officially. That is a mathematical certainty. But that day is a long way off. Low inflation is better. If exchange rates are out of balance, such as in Japan in 2010, inflation in the prices of only imports should be sufficient and that should be moderate at worst. In any case it's nothing to worry about now.
- Roboprog 11y ago
  Remember the late 90s, when Fed chairman Greenspan was terrified the national debt might actually be paid off someday (denying the rich an investment in our future taxes)?
RobertoG 11y ago
It's time we start to distinguish between financial and real assets. Financial assets are not "real". Growing an economy is building infrastructure, knowledge, real and human capital. Things that allow improve the quality of life of the people. Inflation could imply redistribution but not necessarily destroying real assets. Deflation, in the other hand can only be solved by destroying real economy in order to adjust it to the financial economy.
- WildUtah 11y ago
  "Deflation, in the other hand can only be solved by destroying real economy in order to adjust it to the financial economy." Abenomics had no trouble reversing deflation in 2010-2013. You just have to really mean it and not depend on the bankers to do it for you. There was zero harm to the real economy.
  - RobertoG 11y ago
    You are right. I didn't express myself properly. My point was about the fashionable view of fixing the economy by "internal devaluation" that is so in vogue in Europe.
rtpg 11y ago
actually, you want to destroy savings to get a growing economy, because it incentivises spending. Why hold onto yen if they'll be worthless in a year? Might as well turn them into tangibles now
- ekianjo 11y ago
  That's not really how investment works. For a private company to be able to invest in infrastructure and equipment, you need access to hard cash, and therefore savings procured through banks as lenders. If everything is at credit, it's not sustainable.