In his latest commentary, Peter Schiff addresses the ridiculous claim that America was built on consumer debt, as put forth by Steve Liesman, senior economic reporter for CNBC. Peter explains why a healthy economy is based upon savings and production, not debt. While most of the Western world seems intent on accumulating more debt, wise investors are protecting their economic futures with savings in physical gold and silver.
“Thus far 2014 has been a fertile year for really stupid economic ideas. But of all the half-baked doozies that have come down the pike (the perils of “lowflation,” Thomas Piketty’s claims about capitalism creating poverty, and President Obama’s “pay as you earn” solution to student debt), an idea hatched last week by CNBC’s reliably ridiculous Steve Liesman may in fact take the cake. In diagnosing the causes of the continued malaise in the U.S. economy he explained, “the problem is that consumers are not taking on enough debt.” And that “historically the U.S. economy has been built on consumer credit.” His conclusion: Consumers must be encouraged to borrow more money and spend it. Given that Liesman is CNBC’s senior economic reporter, I would hate to see the ideas the junior people come up with.
Before I get into the historical amnesia needed to make such a statement, we first have to confront the question of causation. Just as most economists believe that falling prices cause recession, rather than the other way around, Liesman believes that economic growth is created when people tap into society’s savings in order to buy consumer goods that they could not otherwise afford. But consumption does not create growth. Increasing productive output allows for greater consumption. Something needs to be produced before it can be consumed.”
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Thanks for taking the time to refute the stupidity of lackey reporters. We need more people getting your concepts into the minds of Americans.