However, if we are faced with an emergency (such as global pandemic), what's the alternative?
Depends on what emergency? In fact, printing money has always worsened the economy. Let's say because of the pandemic, I don't really believe that people need stimulus money instead of food sources to survive. However, the government doesn't look any further than that and just assumes it's all an economic problem and you know, in the end it prints money.
During the pandemic, even (ironically) rich people are worried and blamed the government a lot as as if all their money is not worth it at that time, on the other hand the government prints it. That is, money or bitcoin is not the main need during an emergency, precisely people who are really rich are people who have sufficient food reserves.
The reason is that the government is not always ready for emergencies. Only relying on printing money as the ultimate solution, where I believe every emergency requires a different solution that is more effective.