Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Macroeconomics 101

"Aggregate private consumption spending plus private investment spending plus government spending plus exports minus imports equals production."

This is classical modern macroeconomic theory. So if the government increases spending to fund a successful new copper mine, that is an increase in production. If it funds an unsuccessful mine, that too is production. If the government just gives the money to the miners and has them sit around and not dig, that is production. If it funds a mine, successful or not, then fills it in, that is even more production. If it taxes the copper miner so he can't expand his own mine then takes those taxes and digs a failed mine, that is a wash.

Doesn't this just sound like the old "Broken Window Theory"?

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