德国经济学家Huber(1999)和Huber and Robertson (2000)认为,由于现代计算机技术和信息技术的飞速发展,商业银行创造了各种支付手段,如活期存折、支票帐户、信用卡、借记卡、承兑汇票,甚至通过网上银行,足不出户就可以完成交易。这些支付手段参与日常的交易,事实上完全充当了货币的角色。今天,我们已经在理论上无法界定哪些属于货币,当然也就根本不知道货币的数量。商业银行的货币创造导致货币失去控制。
1)内生货币导致不稳定。在经济高涨的阶段,银行愿意冒风险放贷、企业也热衷于借贷投资,个人也大胆借钱买房买车消费,即使利率高一点,也无法抑制这一系列冲动,于是推动经济过热。在经济萧条阶段,银行变得极其谨慎,企业和个人也变得吝啬保守,即使利率再低,企业因为没有合意的投资减少借款,个人因为收入减少或预期减少而缩减消费,于是,让已有的萧条雪上加霜,参见Huber(1999)和Huber and Robertson (2000)。
1)利用货币创造制获得铸币收益,参见Huber(1999)和Huber and Robertson (2000)。个人把钱借给银行,银行把其中一部分花掉,维持垄断部门的非正常特殊利益。银行业最怕挤兑,如果公众同时到银行取款,银行必然立即崩溃。而现实是,一般情况下,公众不会在同一时间取款,于是,银行可以拿公众的钱给公众支付利息、支付本金,相安无事,四平八稳。因为银行支付给公众的利息很低,而且有很多优质的客户,骗局一般不容易穿包。但是,公众的财产也面临着很大的风险。明斯基把银行划为投机型经济主体,但是,当发生通货紧缩时,银行业就会演变为庞氏型经济主体。这次美国四大投行的倒闭就是最好的例子。与庞氏骗局一样,设局者也获得了大量非正常收益。
在上世纪30年代的那场大危机中,美国芝加哥学派的经济学家们提出了他们的独特见解。1932年1月,芝加哥学派的经济学家 就联名向当时的胡佛总统发去了一封电报(Davis,1968)。他们的建议包括6点,其中包括允许美联储用政府债券作为货币发行的抵押,用财政赤字支持公共工程支出。1932年4月26日,芝加哥学派的12位经济学家联名向参议员Samuel B. Pettengill提交了一份备忘录(Davis,1968)。在这份备忘录中,芝加哥学派的经济学家极力反对让财政政策保持中立而等待经济自动复苏的立场,因为他们认为,这样做会引起生产力的巨大浪费,给社会带来剧痛。他们主张给经济注入足够的购买力,使得大部分生产在现行的成本下有利可图,并认为这种方法虽然易于被滥用,但只需要中央政府采取有勇气的财政政策。所谓“有勇气”的财政政策,就是向美联储出售债券,用来扩大财政支出(Tavlas,1998)。
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