I'm voting present

Nonetheless, since 1862, the Treasury has issued our currency. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces our currency under the authority of the Treasurer of the United States.

I would not advocate relinqishing that authority.

However, if we do not remove the present Federal Reserve from our banking system, and begin to invest directly into the physical economy that ultimately backs the value of our dollars, historic fears of a valueless paper currency may soon be realized.

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"Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits." FDR-First Inaugural Address

Thank you Paragon, looks like our 53 trillion dollar problem is not a big one: just tell those countries to go screw themselves and eliminate federal reserve.

Biggest lender seems to be Japan, China, UK - these nutjobs should know better then to lend to idiots like Bushists and Clintonists, if I lend to a thief and he loses it, my money is GONE tough luck, but if anyone wants to come after me for the money supposedly "my" government lost for them, THEN I will be a patriotic American and fight to the death, and I want no one here to have an illusion that they are serving America by fighting in Iraq, you will be serving your country in America, you are serving CRIMINALS accross the sea

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Obama, Bob Gates, Colin Powel, Hillary Clinton and other war criminals from Bush administration… Yes, it's a change we can forget about, because do not forget, it was a candidate brought to you by a non democratic media, while any real candidate has been obscured by it.

You will not see any change until you unite for democratic media.

Xandafur,
WHAT authority? Does our Constuitution define the structure and limits of our government or doesn't it?

There's not a single drop of ink anywhere in our Constitution that "authorizes" the existence of a "treasury department" under the executive branch, let alone it's "authority" to issue bills of credit.
How can you advocate the Federal government keeping an power it doesn't have in the first place, yet exercises in direct contravention of it's own laws?

This whole argument is highly disconcerting.

Are you telling me that it's okay for our government to break it's own laws so long as it's done in accordance with your wishes?

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"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"- Iowa state motto
-Proof-hunter

Ventura/ Paul '12

does the USA ever have to pay the debt back?

Why not just keep going into debt forever, never paying anything back?

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What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

I am aware that banking methods and currency issues have sparked some of the most volatile debates in our history, and that our banking system has gone through many reforms as a result. To sum up where I stand, I will say that I believe Hamilton would have supported Lincoln's policy of a single national currency issued by the Treasury. I also believe that if the the nationalism of Hamilton and Lincoln were more prevalent at the constitutional convention, there may have been explicit provisions for a national currency at the founding.

Moreover, as far as I know, the Treasury does not issue currency "in direct contravention of it's own laws." What laws are you referring to?

Finally, as far as I am concerned, a single national currency is obviously a good idea. Before the the Federal Reserve system was allowed into the mix, Lincoln's national banking system was a good one.

What would you advocate? State currencies? Private Bank currencies? Hundreds of currencies? Do you want the kind of currency chaos that preceded the Civil War?

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"Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits." FDR-First Inaugural Address

I am aware that banking methods and currency issues have sparked some of the most volatile debates in our history, and that our banking system has gone through many reforms as a result. To sum up where I stand, I will say that I believe Hamilton would have supported Lincoln's policy of a single national currency issued by the Treasury. I also believe that if the the nationalism of Hamilton and Lincoln were more prevalent at the constitutional convention, there may have been explicit provisions for a national currency at the founding.

Moreover, as far as I know, the Treasury does not issue currency "in direct contravention of it's own laws." What laws are you referring to?

Finally, as far as I am concerned, a single national currency is obviously a good idea. Before Specie Resumption, and before the Federal Reserve system was allowed into the mix, Lincoln's national banking system was a good one.

What would you advocate? State currencies? Private bank currencies? Hundreds of currencies? Do you want the kind of currency chaos that preceded the Civil War?

__________________
"Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits." FDR-First Inaugural Address

I would advocate a Constitutional amendment to establish a treasury department, but would continue to withold the power to issue bills of credit.

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"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"- Iowa state motto
-Proof-hunter

Ventura/ Paul '12

Very good info. Xandufar, best I've seen on here in a while. Do you read about economics frequently?

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"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried" Churchill

Well, I used to be a prolific reader of all sorts of things, but the last time I moved I left all my books behind with the exception of Plato, Shakespeare, and King James. My reading is now pretty much limited to the internet.

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"Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits." FDR-First Inaugural Address