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4 央行不是上帝

如此看来,经济制度至此已经达到了一个理想状态。政府和央行印钱,企业生产,银行做中介,一起分享工业经济带来的好处,一起给工业经济加油。工业社会再也不用担心通货不足,萧条和衰退从此可以走进历史了。
实际情况呢,20世纪中期以来,这个世界的经济增长速度的确比此前快得多,稳定的多。但表现为通货紧缩的萧条和衰退从不曾消失,隔几年,至多十几年就要跳出来占据一下新闻头条。远的不说,只看最近的钱荒和2008年从美国开始的世界经济危机,难道人行和美联储打盹了吗?

这还是要谈一谈“理想状态”里的“潜在前提”。

在前面的模型里,所有的企业都会努力扩大生产,制造更多的物质财富,把资产变的更值“钱”;银行则按照创造物质财富的能力评判资产,依据资产发放贷款,让最能创造财富的企业(个人、地方政府)拥有最多的货币。

但在现实中,银行无法直接评判“创造财富”,只能根据市场价格来评价资产的价值;企业也不会考虑什么是“财富”,而是利润第一,无限地通过市场收集货币作为利润。换句话说,市场价格决定贷款流向、市场决定贷款偿还能力。

市场是什么地方?市场是把资产体现出价值的地方。在成本和质量不变的前提下,一个每月生产120辆汽车的工厂肯定比生产100辆的有价值,利润更高,拥有更高的还款能力。作为抵押,也可以贷到更多的款。这就是理想模型下的经济增长模式。

市场之所以能对资产作出比较正确评价,是因为市场的末端站着消费者。不管看起来多么神奇、多么壮观的资产,若是最终不能增加消费品供应,不能让最终用户掏出钱来,那也一文不值。不过,从央行到银行,再到消费者,其中要经过许多环节才到最终用户。这就有了投机和炒作的空间。

市场的精髓在于供需决定价格,有人出钱收购市面上某种东西。无论他是否拿这东西去消费,都会抬高价格。而对于企业或者有钱投资的个人来说,市面上的东西自己可以不消费,也不拿来搞生产,但只要有涨价预期就可以买入,涨价了再卖出赚钱。所以,只要有资金干预,即便基本需求不变,市场上的“资产”价格也可以大幅涨落。银行当然不喜欢这种能造成坏账的风险,但银行同样喜欢利润,也没有能力分辨每一份资产到底为什么增值。所以在投机风潮刮起来的时候,银行也会直接或间接地跟进放款。市场也会对这些资金照单全收——炒作1000万元的“艺术品”,和工厂购买同样数量的原料,所需的资金数量没什么区别。

这正是我们身边的现实。在市场经济充分发育后,我们看到,无论是住宅、商铺,还是古董、翡翠、黄龙玉(黄蜡石),乃至茅台酒、普洱茶、大蒜。没有什么不能成为炒作题材。购买者往往不是因为自己真的需要这些东西,而是认定了可以在涨价中赚钱才买入。但不管基于什么原因,银行在大多数情况下会根据涨价后的价格来认定资产价值,根据炒作利润来确定企业盈利前景,从而发放贷款,支持了价格进一步上涨。这就是“资产泡沫”。央行贷款通过商业银行,间接吹起了泡沫。

5 泡沫的杀伤力

资产泡沫意味着价格远远超出成本。对单件商品而言,价格虚高并没有什么害处,因为钱和价格本来就是个符号,定价既不影响生产商品的成本,也不影响消费这件商品带来的实际效益,甚至可能会提高消费者的实际感受——医学研究证明,安慰剂的效果随价格同步增长;社会经验告诉我们,钻石和玻璃的区别主要在于付款时产生的自信。这都不算坏事。

不过,从整个社会的角度来看,畸形价格会错误地引导资源配置,造成巨大浪费。当资金都涌向投机行业时,其他行业相对就会缺少资金,实际利率会上升。在市场经济下,资金代表的是人力、原料、土地等资源。比如说,成本200元的普洱茶饼被炒到10万元,那么普洱茶生产就会大大增加,本来不适应生产普洱茶的土地、人力被转去生产普洱茶。这显然大大提高了生产成本,但只要生产成本低于10万元,比如5万元能生产一个茶饼(当然这个比喻并不太恰当),就会有人源源不断地向普洱茶行业投资。为此节衣缩食、减少消费在所不惜,抱着投机获利的希望自得其乐。

实际上呢,在其他茶叶、饮料的竞争下,消费者主体能接受的茶饼价格依然是200元,就算紧缺也只愿花500元来买,只有一两个人愿意在5万元的时候依然要喝普洱茶,绝大多数囤积茶饼的人只是为了套利才囤积茶饼的。在这种情况下,每个5万元的茶饼或许能赚5万元的利润,却实际上至少浪费了50000-500=49500元的劳动。
如果说普洱茶的例子还不够冲击力,我前几年曾碰到这样的事情。当时陕北煤价高涨,陕北房产泡沫也很厉害,几个县城的房价动辄上万,远远压倒西安。地方政府的融资平台自然渴望着盖房子发财。拿不到耕地指标,地方政府就在山谷两侧炸山造地,整个住宅小区和广场的位置比原来的地表低七八十米,全是一点点炸石头炸出来的。每亩地仅平整费用就高达六七十万元,在石头基底上修基础设施更是麻烦。这些费用全部要加到房价里。

这里的购房者如果只是为了居住,完全可以以更低的价格到基础设施更好、工作机会更多的西安等地区购房,或是步行几分钟,穿过黄河大桥到对岸的山西县城居住——那里的房价便宜一半以上。但考虑到房价的增值潜力,他们完全不介意在房价中支付高昂的平整费用——直到房价泡沫破裂。这些陕北县城和西安的房价之差不仅仅是纯粹的炒作利润,还包括了好几倍的建设成本。房产泡沫促使中国人在这些本不适合盖房子的地方修居民区,多付出了天量的劳动。而这些劳动本来可以在其他行业转化为有效的消费品,或是加快经济增长率的投资。这就是泡沫的第一个害处。

泡沫的更大危害在于破掉的时候。

泡沫早晚会破,这是毋庸置疑的事实。因为早晚有人会套利出逃。泡沫破的越晚,损失越大。从全社会来说,泡沫价格越高,生产高价产品浪费的资源越多。从银行的视角看,泡沫资产越多,抵押能力就越强,被用来炒作泡沫的贷款就越多。一旦泡沫破裂,显然贷款偿还无望,都成了坏账。

从央行的角度来看,泡沫破裂意味着央行以外的社会总资产价格下降,不能再抵押此前那么多贷款。正如前面所说的,发行货币是个动态过程。央行新发的货币减少,但此前放出的资金还要按时返回央行。市面上的钱自然就少了。

和别的企业不同,商业银行的 “原料”和利润都是钱。钱紧张的时候,无论自己的贷款是否因为泡沫破裂变成坏账,银行都要囤积原料自保。最起码要能应付正常的存取款,不至于对着存单付不出款,倒账破产。所以快到期的贷款要催着还,新的贷款要想尽理由不放,还要各处磕头作揖去拉存款,至少保证大客户的存款不跑到别处。至于暂时持有货币的成本,损失的利息,在破产的危险面前都是小事。

银行不放款是自保,其他企业拿不到贷款可是要命了。这年头纯粹靠自有资金发展的企业可谓凤毛麟角——大多被积极利用贷款的企业挤垮了。大部分企业本来要靠贷款当血液,忽然拿不到贷款,进不了原料、发不了工资,甚至没法卖固定资产来筹集救命的资金,只能一步步地走向破产。至少也要停工减少产能,艰难度日。
企业破产、压缩产能,在银行视角看来意味着新一轮的资产缩水,必须继续减少贷款,规避风险。这又会打击新一批急需资金的企业,给银行更大的压力。经济就此进入恶性循环。美国两房债券泡沫破掉后,引发的全球经济危机就是这种情况。

泡沫破掉固然不好,但泡沫涨成两倍大以后再破会更可怕。所以有的时候,或是商业银行,或是央行自己,会主动地收缩资金,戳破已经很大的资产泡沫,客观上无差别打击了投机行业和实体经济。这就是眼前的“钱荒”。

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USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!

In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.

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Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.


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The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.


You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.

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The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).


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