Quote from: OutOfMemory on March 21, 2020, 09:24:13 PM

Quote from: jojo69 on March 21, 2020, 08:31:32 PM

Quote from: kurious on March 21, 2020, 08:18:08 PM

Quote from: jojo69 on March 21, 2020, 08:08:53 PM

Quote from: kurious on March 21, 2020, 07:50:50 PM

Quote from: lightfoot on March 21, 2020, 12:19:47 PM

This is the time to do a *massive* upgrade to US infrastructure. Seriously, there should be a billion men rebuilding those railroad tracks to last 100 years.

That is a very good idea; a decent modern railway for commuting and freight would really be good for the USA.

Plus it would be an investment, not just giving money away, but using money for a long-term benefit, creating work and building a new infrastructure asset.

Far too smart an idea for anyone to actually do it, though.

one small problem

real, actual, like...existing on the material plane...steel

costs real money

you can't print steel

well, if you already have steel you can sinter small parts, but you know what I mean

Print the money to buy the steel instead of airdropping it on banks and (presumably) airlines etc. who will only buy their own stocks..?

China has the steel.

I rather doubt they are going to be taking our confetti much longer.

Success requires foresight. When a gov tries to defend strategies that may have worked out well in historic times at all cost, it's a programmed fail.
Foresight is what lacks in politics of the Trump administration, one-dimensional thinking (opposed to networked thinking) is prevailing, but it won't work in economies that follow complex rules and rely on trust a lot. It's a big mistake to assume that the US is dependent on no other nation, but every other nation is dependent on the US. This is surreal, it's an illusion. Big question is, what to do if the american people wake up from their biggie dream and have to face reality of an economy that was blown up with their help.

EDIT: (saw it after posting)

Quote from: kurious on March 21, 2020, 09:10:49 PM

I see what you meant now. Fair point, you got me there. The Chinese are also probably the only lot that could actually build one on time and for a reasonable budget, too. But again, they'd want paying. With real money.

Well it was an idea that would have worked once - maybe if they'd done it in 2008, instead of fluffing the markets to keep the horn section playing.

Also MAGA is based on the idea that they can do anything on their own. And now they are sabotaging their own concept by inflating the dollar.
This must end in some kind of breakdown.

They didn't fix it in 2008, they printed money to save the system and papered over the cracks. They think 'more of the same' despite never having really gone back to 'normal' interest rates, is.... Fine.

"It worked before and anyway - it's obviously a new paradigm, we'll just print even more and it'll be ok. All that shit saying that printing money will end in tears no longer applies"

Well, it works for a while, yes. Until it doesn't and the whole house of cards tumbles down.

Satoshi was no fool; remember what it says in the genesis block.