[JasonC]

We do not need to expand the money supply to buy foreign goods. We pay for foreign goods with domestic services, and by allowing foreigners to invest here. Inflating the money supply is a pure, free choice to have a currency that is worth less tomorrow and the day after that than it is today. Every worker produces, it has nothing to do with any magical process of assembling physical things out of other smaller physical things.

No human effort has created an atom of matter since the dawn of time. All we do is rearrange things into forms others like better. Anybody who does anything that pleases another person, enough that said other voluntarily surrenders cash for the results, is a productive worker. US workers annually produce $11 trillion in new value out of their direct efforts, and can afford to consume that much or any lesser quantity (to allow investment for future projects beyond those they can already accomplish), indefintely.

[AdamSelene235]

We pay for foreign goods with domestic services, and by allowing foreigners to invest here.

That tide has reversed.