When Did Scrooge Become a Role Model? Why Criticism of America's National Debt is Misplaced

Nova Law Review, Vol. 33, p. 427

25 Pages Posted: 26 Jan 2009 Last revised: 14 Mar 2016

Date Written: January 25, 2009

Abstract

As the world debates the economic crisis, it does so without considering two historically important ideas: the stigmatization of miserliness and the prohibition of usury. Although these ideas were once keystones of society, they are missing from the current discourse. This paper seeks to reintroduce those ideas. It starts by exploring the reason why cheapness was stigmatized, and why usury was illegal for hundreds of years. The paper then applies this historic lens to two frequently debated topics: the United States national debt and U.S.-China economic relations.

Keywords: government debt, national debt, trade deficit, trade imbalance, China, spenders, savers, equity, debt slavery, interest, misers, usurers, sovereign debt, currency manipulation, recession, financial crisis, global imbalance, sovereign debt

JEL Classification: A13, B20, B22, B30, C70, D11, D63, E21, E40, E42, E50, E60, F00, F10, F30, F31, F34, F40, G28, I30

Suggested Citation

Gharagozlou, Alireza, When Did Scrooge Become a Role Model? Why Criticism of America's National Debt is Misplaced (January 25, 2009). Nova Law Review, Vol. 33, p. 427, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1332842

Alireza Gharagozlou (Contact Author)

New York University School of Law ( email )

40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012-1099
United States

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