#156 Dirk Ehnts: Davos, Debt Ceilings & Other Dubious Dramas

01/25/23 • 49 min

The MMT Podcast with Patricia Pino & Christian Reilly

With expert guidance from economist and “MMT Essentials” author, Dr Dirk Ehnts, Patrica and Christian fill the gaps in reporting on the World Economic Forum’s annual greenwashing festival in Davos, where critics of the Biden administration’s kitten-weak climate bill (the Inflation Reduction Act) warn it gives *too much* assistance to green initiatives. And, as US Republican efforts are underway to cancel already-appropriated federal spending with yet another mendaciously confected debt ceiling drama, the discussion emphasises the importance of understanding the difference between your debt and the government’s so-called “debt”.

Please help sustain this podcast!

Patrons get early access to all episodes and patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast

For an intro to MMT:

Our first three episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742417

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

All our episodes in chronological order: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43111643

All our episodes with Dirk Ehnts: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44467243

Dirk Ehnts’ website: https://www.dirk-ehnts.de/

Dirk Ehnts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DEhnts

Relevant to this episode:

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

For more on the interplay between commercial bank money (deposits) and central bank money (reserves), listen to our Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

For more on the Job Guarantee as buffer-stock policy to achieve superior price stability to our current system, listen to our episode 125 - Sam Levey: Monopoly, Monopsony, And What To Do About Them: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61954971

Apply for Dr Dirk Ehnts’ Modern Monetary Theory and European Macroeconomics course at Maastricht University (July 31st - August 4th): https://maastricht.dreamapply.com/courses/course/183-modern-monetary-theory-and-european-macroeconomics

Quick MMT reads:

Warren’s Mosler’s MMT white paper: http://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/

Steven Hail’s quick MMT explainer: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

For a short, non-technical, free ebook explaining MMT, download MMT founder Warren Mosler’s “7 Deadly Innocent Frauds Of Economic Policy” here: http://moslereconomics.com/wp-content/powerpoints/7DIF.pdf

Order the Gower Initiative’s “Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” (2023) here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/modern-monetary-theory-9781802208085.html

Episodes on monetary operations:

Episode 20 - Warren Mosler: The MMT Money Story (part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/28004824

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

Episode 13 - Steven Hail: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Banking, But Were Afraid To Ask: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41790887

Episode 43 - Sam Levey: Understanding Endogenous Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35073683

Episode 84 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46352183

Episode 86 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye &a...

Please help sustain this podcast!

Patrons get early access to all episodes and patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast

For an intro to MMT:

Our first three episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742417

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

All our episodes in chronological order: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43111643

All our episodes with Dirk Ehnts: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44467243

Dirk Ehnts’ website: https://www.dirk-ehnts.de/

Dirk Ehnts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DEhnts

Relevant to this episode:

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

Quick MMT reads:

Warren’s Mosler’s MMT white paper: http://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/

Steven Hail’s quick MMT explainer: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

Order the Gower Initiative’s “Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” (2023) here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/modern-monetary-theory-9781802208085.html

Episodes on monetary operations:

Episode 20 - Warren Mosler: The MMT Money Story (part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/28004824

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

Episode 13 - Steven Hail: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Banking, But Were Afraid To Ask: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41790887

Episode 43 - Sam Levey: Understanding Endogenous Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35073683

Episode 84 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46352183

Episode 86 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye &a...

Previous Episode

#155 Phil Armstrong: Why Mainstream Economists Think Unemployment Is Good

Patrica and Christian talk to economist and co-author of the just-published “Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” Dr Phil Armstrong about why mainstream economists think unemployment is good, why Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer’s proposals to make the UK more prosperous by starving it of investment might be misguided, and what useful economics might look like.

Please help sustain this podcast!

Patrons get early access to all episodes and patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast

Order “Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/modern-monetary-theory-9781802208085.html

For an intro to MMT:

Our first three episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742417

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

All our episodes in chronological order: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43111643

All our episodes with Phil Armstrong: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42072846

Phil Armstrong on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilArmstrong58

Relevant to this episode:

"The Natural Rate of Interest Is Zero” by Mathew Forstater and Warren Mosler: http://moslereconomics.com/wp-content/graphs/2009/07/natural-rate-is-zero.PDF

Quick MMT reads:

Warren’s Mosler’s MMT white paper: http://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/

Steven Hail’s quick MMT explainer: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

Episodes on monetary operations:

Episode 20 - Warren Mosler: The MMT Money Story (part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/28004824

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

Episode 13 - Steven Hail: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Banking, But Were Afraid To Ask: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41790887

Episode 43 - Sam Levey: Understanding Endogenous Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35073683

Episode 84 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46352183

Episode 86 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 2): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46865929

Episodes on inflation:

Episode 7: Steven Hail: Inflation, Price Shocks and Other Misunderstandings: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41780508

Episode 65 - Phil Armstrong: Understanding Inflation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40672678

Episode 104 - John T Harvey: Inflation, Stagflation & Healing The Nation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52207835

Episode 123 - Warren Mosler: Understanding The Price Level And Inflation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59856379

Episode 128 - L. Randall Wray & Yeva Nersisyan: What’s Causing Accelerating Inflation? Pandemic Or Policy Response?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/63776558

More on government bonds (and “vigilantes”):

Episode 30 - Steven Hail: Understanding Government Bonds (Part 1):https://www.patreon.com/posts/2...

Next Episode

#157 Key Insights, Leading Thinkers, Vital Economics - with Prue Plumridge, Claire Jackson-Prior, Neil Wilson and Phil Armstrong

According to multi award-winning economist Professor James K. Galbraith, the new book, “Modern Monetary Theory: Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” is ‘a landmark in the development of MMT, a boon for “useful” economists - and a profound challenge to all the others.’

Patricia and Christian talk to the architects of this collaboration of leading experts about how governments spend, why it matters, and why moving beyond our culture’s deeply-held but incorrect assumptions about money and its purpose is now key to human survival.

Please help sustain this podcast!

Patrons get early access to all episodes and patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast

Order the Gower Initiative’s “Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers” (2023) here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/modern-monetary-theory-9781802208085.html

For an intro to MMT:

Our first three episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742417

Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318

All our episodes in chronological order: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43111643

All our episodes with Phil Armstrong: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42072846

Relevant to this episode:

The Gower Initiative For Modern Money Studies website: https://gimms.org.uk/

Our interview with Deborah Harrington (a founding member of GIMMS) Episode 96: The Fight For The NHS: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49819223

“Diagrams & Dollars” by JD Alt: https://neweconomicperspectives.org/2014/01/diagrams-dollars-modern-money-illustrated-part-1.html

Professor Stephanie Kelton’s “Angry Birds” presentation: https://youtu.be/Q1SMjeuyF-Y

“Billy Blog” — Professor Bill Mitchell’s blog: http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/

Our episodes featuring Bill Mitchell at UK Labour conference events in 2019: Episode 31(a): MMT And The Labour Party: https://www.patreon.com/posts/30204508

Episode 34: MMT And The Green New Deal: https://www.patreon.com/posts/30429854

“An Accounting Model of the UK Exchequer” by Neil Wilson, Andrew Berkley and Richard Tye: https://gimms.org.uk/2021/02/21/an-accounting-model-of-the-uk-exchequer/

Our interview with the authors of “An Accounting Model of the UK Exchequer”:

Episode 84 (Part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46352183

Episode 86 (Part 2): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46865929

Episode 155, where Phil Armstrong talks briefly about his chapter in “Modern Monetary Theory: Key Insights, Leading Thinkers”: https://www.patreon.com/posts/77409078?pr=true

Professor John T. Harvey’s lecture on MMT and exchange rates - Episode 145: What Determines Currency Prices?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72283811?pr=true

Warren Mosler’s “7 Deadly Innocent Frauds Of Economic Policy”: http://moslereconomics.com/wp-content/powerpoints/7DIF.pdf

Quick MMT reads:

Warren’s Mosler’s MMT white paper: http://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/

Steven Hail’s quick MMT explainer: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095

On government debt: “Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It”: https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/

For a short, non-technical, free ebook explaining MMT, download MMT founder Warren Mosler’s “7 Deadly Innocent Frauds Of Economic Policy” here: http://moslereconomics.com/wp-content/powerpo...