“People sometimes think an economy is money… But money is the database for the exchange of goods & services. Money is not a power in and of itself… The actual economy is goods and services.”
1. 最近世界首富Elon Musk喺一個電視訪談講到貨幣只係交易嘅工具,錢印多咗個經濟唔會好咗,而經濟嘅關鍵係產出。
2. 呢個其實就係DSE ECON裡面阿媽係女人概念嘅Quantity Theorem of Money (QTM),QTM條公式係MV=PY,簡單而言是指流出市面嘅貨幣(Money Supply)再乘埋佢嘅流速(Velocity),係會等於名義生產總值(Price Level * Real Output)。
3. 而Elon Musk句actual economy is goods & services嘅潛台詞係,沒有貨品與服務,貨幣甚麼都不是,呢點其實只係致敬返古典經濟學派,佢哋assume economy喺long run,所以Real Output(Y) constant,增加貨幣供應,只會空推升Price Level。
4. 當然惹火首富講返DSE ECON理論,就梗有opposing thoughts。有評論認為,如果考量埋Money避險嘅角色,「點解人類選擇揸Cash﹖」呢條問題已經俾到答案,點解Money係economic good rather than Elon Musk所講嘅abstract representation of real things。
5. 用點解答點解無疑係答問題最高境界,呢度嘅key notes其實涉另一課DSE ECON嘅asset demand of money (資產性貨幣需求),就係因為揸其他帶息資產有risk,人類先拎著錢,從呢個角度,錢係提供咗避險服務嘅commodity。
6. 呢種學術思辨未必有model answer,但係有好多具建設性嘅decoding,其實Musk仔係講緊,唔好在意短期經濟週期波動,政體要做嘅係推動個potential output (Y bar)係咁上。