zlacker

>>qqqqqu+(OP)
Macroeconomics. Central banks are "creating" a trillion here, a trillion there, like nobody's business. But what are the consequences? What is the thought process that central bankers have gone through to make these decisions?

Also why, exactly, are they buying the exact assets that they are buying (govt. debt, high-yield bonds, etc..) and why not others (e.g. stocks or put money into startups)? And then, what happens if a debtor pays back its debt? Is that money consequently getting "erased" again (just like it's been created)? What happens if a debtor defaults on its debt? Does that money then just stay in the economy, impossible to drain out? What is the general expectation of the central banks? What percentage of the debt is expected to default and how much is expected to be paid back?

And specifically in the case of central banks buying govt. debt: Are central banks considered "easier" creditors than the public? What would happen if a country defaults on a loan given by a central bank? Would the central bank then go ahead and seize and liquidate assets of the country under a bankruptcy procedure to pay off the debt (like it would be standard procedure for individuals and companies)?

>>rsp198+im1
One approach is reductio ad absurdum:

If Central Banks can create money without negative effects, then

- why tax people?

- why even work? Can't we just print enough money for everyone and live happily ever after?

I realize these questions are quite provocative and their answering only explains if it will work but not how or when it will fail.

>>dmichu+Gw1
I agree this is a good starting point for understanding the financial system! For anyone with a programming background I recommend thinking of the whole financial/economic/political system as an algorithm for distributed decision making: who does what, what physical resources get committed to what projects, etc. You can then start to figure out how each component (money, banks, central banks, government, stock market, derivatives market, limited liability, interest, inflation, etc) serves to guide decisions.

The main purpose of a central bank imo is to keep money creation at arms length from government, so a rubbish government can't fiddle with the financial system too much.