Helicopter Money: History and Suggestions about the Power to Print Money

Helicopter Money: History and Suggestions about the Power to Print Money

We work hard for our money. But do we know how money works? How confidently can we rely on money for our future? The shocking effects of the power to print money are revealed by looking at the real history of how this power was used, how desirable or disastrous results were brought, and what are being done by central banks today. Among the topics covered: How continuously printing money is in fact a form of tax? Why does this unannounced tax oppress people, especially the poor? - Why is the Japanese Yen a unique currency? Why would the previous governor of the Bank of Japan resign even though his term was up in less than a month anyway? - What did the rise of Rome have to do with her choice of bronze as money? How come the use of silver money in Rome coincided with her peaking and eventual decline? - What monetary scheme did Nazi Germany use to achieve full employment with low inflation? Where did the money for all the tanks and the bombers surprising the world in blitzkrieg come from? - How did hyperinflation push Chinese masses into starvation and eventually into Communist revolution, even while the same level of harvests was produced from the land? Helicopter Money explores the true nature of money: how it works for us as individuals and for the society as a whole. It uncovers how the power to print money has always been used to effect crucial choices of social policy. The power to print money is in fact one of the most important powers any society bestows onto its government. Yet, it is the least understood and the least protected from abuse. A thought-provoking suggestion is made in the book on how this power can be used equitably and sustainably. Incisive, informative, and insightful, this book is sure to appeal to anyone interested in finance, history, or policy debates for social change.