Richard Duncan: America Doesn’t Have to be a Declining Superpower
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Tom welcomes back Richard Duncan, economist and author of 'The Money Revolution.' The discussion revolves around the implications of Duncan's latest work, which challenges conventional economic theories, particularly those rooted in Austrian economics. Their last conversation was over two years ago.

Duncan begins by recapping the ideas presented in his book, including how the unexpected response to the 2008 financial crisis, characterized by trillions of dollars in fiscal stimulus and monetary expansion, did not result in high inflation despite concerns from Austrian economists. He also highlights the shift away from a gold standard and its consequences, such as altered constraints on money creation, government borrowing, and trade deficits.

Furthermore, Duncan discusses the impact of these changes, including increasing income inequality and implications for inflation and wealth growth. The conversation also touches upon the economic environment shaped by the pandemic and its unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus measures, which led to high inflation rates.

Despite concerns about high inflation, the economic recovery led to significant wealth growth, enough to pay off the national debt with some money left over.

They discuss the implications of the stimulus and the lingering effects it continues to have on the economy. Richard is a proponent of establishing a sovereign wealth fund for the United States to finance investments in new industries and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, nanotech, biotech, fusion, quantum computing, and genetic engineering. The U.S. currently invests half as much in research and development compared to decades ago, leading to a slowdown in productivity and economic growth.

Additionally, Richard raises concerns about potential market vulnerability from lower interest rates due to the unwinding of the yen carry trade and inflated asset prices in the U.S. He emphasizes the significance of establishing a sovereign wealth fund for the United States and encourages listeners to visit his website, Richard Dunkin Economics dot com, for more information on economic events and their potential market impacts.

Time Stamp References:0:00 - Introduction1:02 - Fed & US Money Creation12:40 - The Pandemic Inflation17:33 - Growth & Technology22:05 - Pandemic Choice & Wealth32:01 - Recent Inflation Causes42:14 - Sovereign Wealth Funds53:28 - Buyers of U.S. Debt?1:03:35 - Dollar Reserve Status1:08:24 - Fed Rate Cut Decision1:12:35 - Yen Carry Trade1:16:09 - Wealth/Income Ratio1:19:18 - Wrap Up

Guest Links:Website: https://www.richardduncaneconomics.com/Twitter: https://x.com/papermoneyecon

Newsletter Offer:https://richardduncaneconomics.comHit subscribe and enter coupon code 'Value' For a 50% discount.

Richard Duncan is the author of four books analyzing the causes and the effects of the economic crises that have brought the global economy to the brink of collapse during recent decades.

The Dollar Crisis: Causes, Consequences, Cures (John Wiley & Sons, 2003, updated 2005), predicted the global economic disaster that began in 2008 with extraordinary accuracy. It was an international bestseller. The Corruption of Capitalism: A strategy to re-balance the global economy and restore sustainable growth (CLSA Books, 2009) described the long series of US policy mistakes responsible for the Crisis of 2008. The New Depression: The Breakdown Of The Paper Money Economy (John Wiley & Sons, 2012) introduced an important new analytical framework, The Quantity Theory of Credit, that explained all aspects of the global economic crisis that began in 2008.

His latest book is The Money Revolution: How to Finance the Next American Century (John Wiley & Sons, 2022).

Since beginning his career as an equities analyst in Hong Kong in 1986, Richard has served as global head of investment strategy at ABN AMRO Asset Management in London, worked as a financial sector specialist for the Worl...