Now that’s a good question.
#LearnMMT
[thread – version 2]
**NOTHING**
like "a budget" to the federal gov't.
- as much as they want,
- whenever they want,
- for whatever they want,
- and they’re the only ones in the world who are allowed do it.
They are the "monopoly currency issuer." They have "monetary sovereignty."
"The federal government must get income before they spend, just like me and you."
Think about it: if you could create money on a whim, would you need any income?
Ever?
No. You wouldn’t.
-debt
-deficit
-balanced budget
-surplus
-borrow from China
-"fiscal responsibility"
-"natural unemployment"
-"Your social programs will raise my taxes!"
-"The rich must pay their fair share!"
and on and on and on...
EVERY other lie is based on the Big Lie.
this thing
or
that thing
*because* of a lack of MONEY?
No. That doesn’t make economic sense.
Do you have the real resources to do it? Then do it!
(Real resources: Raw materials, labor, technology, and time.)
- You don't need to borrow it from China (or Social Security!).
- You don't need to get it from taxpayers.
(What does it even mean for someone like this to "be in debt"?)
Federal spending funds federal taxes."
“In short,
you do not fund the US government,
the US government funds you."
— @elliswinningham
Before the gov’t ever gives you a dollar (through your bank or employer), can you pay your taxes?
Pretending it’s true, however, serves one critical purpose: it pits the people against each other.
It pits those who want big programs against those who are genuinely terrified of higher taxes.
(“I don’t care what it is, I am against it!”)
("How dare you jeopardize our troops and our national security!")
(Is it any wonder why we have nothing we need to survive?)
But we don’t need – it is impossible – to reduce the military or tax the rich IN ORDER TO get their money.
(This *only* refers to the federal level.)
Or should we be angry at our politicians who pretend that the Big Lie is true, and use economic ignorance against us as a tool to keep the powerful powerful and the powerless powerless?
Xenophobia
Classism
Sexism
Homophobia
Every one of them is a tool to tear the people apart.
Economic ignorance
...is a tool to tear the people apart.
Everybody fights with everybody while the Masters of the Universe sit back and relax, laugh and count their money.
The MMT Beatles:
@StephanieKelton, @billy_blog, @wbmosler, L. Randall Wray, @stf18
Others:
@FadhelKaboub, @ptcherneva, @SandyDarity, @StevenHailAus, @elliswinningham, @RaulACarrillo
There are more.
facebook.com/groups/MMTforR…
@RealProgressUS
“In short, you do not fund the US government, the US government funds you."
— @elliswinningham
— From realprogressivesusa.com/news/economic-…
— American economist and #Bernie2016 advisor @StephanieKelton
— papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…
— nakedcapitalism.com/2014/05/randy-…
Australian economist, @billy_blog: “Taxpayers do not fund anything.”
— bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=9281
– home.hiwaay.net/~becraft/RUMLT…
@wbmosler, the “father” of #MMT: "It makes no sense at all to think that the gov’t has to get money by taxing in order to spend."
– moslereconomics.com/2009/12/10/7-d…
@stevenj94613027 We’re on the same side and have the same goals. We’re all doing the best we can with what we know. The vast majority of Americans believe exactly as you do. No offense intended.
(Apologies to those who retweeted the "MMT Beatles" tweet. I messed up an image before that one and had to delete and then recreate the last like ten tweets. It's there again.)